The Law Offices of Cullen P. Geisler
Novi, Oakland County, Michigan
The Law Offices of Cullen P. Geisler helps individuals and families with estate planning, probate, and trust matters in Novi and throughout Oakland County.
Estate Planning and Probate Attorney in Novi, Michigan
The Law Offices of Cullen P. Geisler, PLLC handles probate and estate planning for clients in Novi and southeastern Michigan. Cullen P. Geisler also practices in divorce and family law, civil litigation, criminal law and business law.
Estate planning gives individuals and families an opportunity to make decisions about property and future responsibilities before a death or other major change. Probate concerns the legal process that may follow a death and the questions that surviving family members can face while addressing the deceased person’s affairs.
Because the practice covers several areas of law, it may also address legal concerns that overlap. A divorce can change family relationships and property ownership. A business owner may have both personal and business interests to consider. Litigation may arise when relatives disagree about legal rights or responsibilities.
Your Family Needs a Plan for Property and Future Responsibilities
Estate planning often begins with basic questions. Who should receive property after a death? Who should be responsible for carrying out the person’s instructions? How should the plan account for a spouse, children or other people who depend on the individual?
The answers can change over time. Marriage, divorce, the birth of a child, the death of a relative or a substantial change in property may cause someone to reconsider earlier decisions.
A family may also need to think about several kinds of property. A home, financial accounts, personal possessions and business interests can raise different concerns. The objective is to create a plan that reflects the person’s current family and financial circumstances.
The Law Offices of Cullen P. Geisler includes estate planning among its principal practice areas. Its broader experience in family and business law may be relevant when those issues are connected to a client’s planning concerns.
A Loved One Dies and the Family Faces Probate
After a death, relatives may need to determine what legal steps are required to address the person’s property and affairs. The situation can be unfamiliar to family members, particularly when they are also grieving.
Probate questions may involve the effect of the deceased person’s estate plan, the identity of the people with an interest in the estate and the responsibilities involved in resolving the person’s affairs. The circumstances depend on the family, the property and the legal arrangements in place at the time of death.
Disagreements can make the situation more difficult. Relatives may have different understandings of what the deceased person intended or who should take responsibility. Legal guidance can help family members identify the applicable process and understand their respective positions.
Probate is one of Cullen P. Geisler’s identified practice areas, alongside estate planning and civil litigation.
Estate Concerns Overlap With Divorce or Business Ownership
A divorce can substantially change a person’s family and finances. Property may be divided, ownership may change and the people the individual wants involved in future decisions may no longer be the same. These changes can make it important to reconsider an existing estate plan.
Business ownership creates another set of concerns. An owner’s interest in a company may represent a substantial portion of the family’s property. The owner may need to consider how personal planning decisions relate to the company and the other people involved in it.
Cullen P. Geisler practices in family law, business law and civil litigation in addition to probate and estate planning. This range of work can be relevant when a client’s estate concerns are connected to changing family relationships, business interests or a legal dispute.
Probate and Estate Planning Services in Novi
The Law Offices of Cullen P. Geisler, PLLC is located at 28175 Haggerty Road in Novi, Michigan.
The practice serves Metropolitan Detroit and southeastern Michigan, including Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, Genesee and Livingston counties.
Practice Areas
Estate Planning
Probate
Business Law
Divorce and Family Law
Civil Litigation