The Sullivan Law Office

Estate Planning, Probate & Probate Litigation in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan

Estate and probate matters can arise at very different points in a family's life. Someone planning ahead may want to establish how their affairs should be handled and choose a trusted person to act if assistance becomes necessary. After a death, family members may instead need help administering an estate or resolving a disagreement that has developed through the probate process.

The Sullivan Law Office provides estate planning, powers of attorney, probate administration, and probate litigation from its Grosse Pointe Farms office. Attorneys James J. Sullivan and Laura Sullivan practice with a team that has worked together for more than 20 years.

Putting an Estate Plan in Place

Estate planning gives individuals an opportunity to make decisions about their affairs before those decisions become urgent.

The Sullivan Law Office assists clients with estate planning based on their individual and family circumstances. Planning ahead can provide written direction rather than leaving important matters to be addressed only after a death or other significant event.

For someone who has postponed estate planning, the first step may simply be determining what needs to be addressed and putting appropriate legal arrangements in place.

Estate planning can also be worth revisiting as circumstances change. Decisions that made sense at an earlier stage of life may no longer reflect someone's current family situation, property, or intentions.

Choosing Someone to Act Through a Power of Attorney

The Sullivan Law Office also prepares powers of attorney as part of its estate-planning practice.

A power of attorney allows someone to give another person legal authority to act on their behalf within the scope established by the document.

Choosing that person in advance gives the individual an opportunity to decide whom they trust with that responsibility. This can become particularly important if circumstances later make it difficult or impossible to handle matters personally.

A power of attorney addresses lifetime authority rather than simply what happens to an estate after death, making it an important part of planning for future needs.

Administering an Estate After a Death

The Sullivan Law Office handles probate administration for families dealing with a deceased person's estate.

Probate administration involves the legal process required to address an estate under Michigan law. For the person responsible for the estate, that can mean assuming an unfamiliar legal role at the same time the family is dealing with a death.

Legal representation can help the person responsible for administration understand the probate process and the responsibilities that accompany that role.

The Sullivan Law Office's practice encompasses both advance estate planning and probate administration, allowing the firm to assist clients before a death as well as families addressing the legal matters that follow one.

Probate Matters That Become Contested

Some probate matters involve disagreements that cannot be handled as routine estate administration.

The Sullivan Law Office expressly handles probate litigation in addition to probate administration. This allows the firm to represent clients when an estate matter becomes contested and requires resolution through the legal process.

Probate litigation is distinct from ordinary administration because the parties have a dispute requiring legal representation rather than simply needing assistance completing the steps involved in settling an estate.

For families facing such a disagreement, the firm's practice includes representation in the contested proceeding as well as its broader experience with probate matters.

Estate and Probate Representation in Grosse Pointe Farms

The Sullivan Law Office's attorneys include James J. Sullivan and Laura Sullivan. The firm's team has worked together for more than 20 years.

Its estate-related services focus on estate planning and powers of attorney during life, along with probate administration and probate litigation after a death.

The firm also practices in other areas of law, providing estate and probate representation as part of a broader legal practice.

Serving Clients From Grosse Pointe Farms

The Sullivan Law Office is located at 1 Kercheval Avenue in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan.

Practice Areas

• Estate Planning

• Powers of Attorney

• Probate Administration

• Probate Litigation