Warren & Schairbaum

Estate Planning, Elder Law & Special Needs Attorneys in Ann Arbor, Michigan

Estate planning becomes more complicated when a loved one depends on government benefits, an aging parent needs additional care, or a family member can no longer make important financial or healthcare decisions independently. In these situations, a traditional will or trust may not answer every question. Families often need guidance that considers both their estate planning goals and the legal programs designed to support older adults and people with disabilities.

Warren & Schairbaum helps Michigan families navigate those challenges through estate planning, elder law, special needs planning, and Social Security disability representation. The firm's approach recognizes that protecting a loved one's future often requires more than preparing legal documents—it means understanding how estate planning decisions can affect public benefits, long-term care, and a family's financial security.

Planning for Loved Ones with Disabilities

One of the firm's strongest areas of focus is helping families plan for a child, sibling, or other loved one with a disability.

Many parents want to leave an inheritance or provide long-term financial support, but worry that doing so could unintentionally affect eligibility for programs such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Medicaid. Warren & Schairbaum helps families understand these concerns and develop plans that provide financial support while protecting important public benefits whenever appropriate.

The firm's website discusses special needs trusts, MiABLE accounts, trustee selection, and other planning tools that can help families prepare for the future while recognizing each beneficiary's unique circumstances.

Estate Planning That Protects Your Family During Life

Estate planning is often associated with what happens after death, but many of the most important decisions affect life before that point.

Warren & Schairbaum helps clients prepare for situations in which illness, injury, or age makes it difficult to manage finances or make healthcare decisions independently. Depending on a client's needs, an estate plan may include wills, trusts, financial powers of attorney, and patient advocate designations that allow trusted individuals to step in when necessary.

By addressing these issues before a crisis occurs, families can often avoid unnecessary uncertainty and ensure that important decisions remain in the hands of people they trust.

Helping Families Navigate Aging and Long-Term Care

As parents and other loved ones grow older, legal planning often becomes closely connected to healthcare and long-term care decisions.

Warren & Schairbaum assists clients with elder law planning that helps families prepare for future care needs while understanding the public programs that may be available. The firm's website discusses options that can help older adults remain at home longer, including programs such as PACE and the MI Choice Waiver Program for qualifying individuals.

For many families, understanding these options early can make future decisions less overwhelming and provide greater flexibility when healthcare needs begin to change.

Helping Families Understand Disability Benefits

Families supporting someone with a disability often discover that estate planning and public benefits are closely connected.

In addition to estate planning, Warren & Schairbaum represents clients in matters involving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). This combination allows the firm to help clients understand how disability benefits and estate planning decisions may affect one another, particularly when planning for future inheritances or ongoing financial support.

For families trying to balance long-term financial security with continued eligibility for public assistance, having guidance in both areas can help avoid costly mistakes.

Estate Planning for Every Stage of Life

While much of the firm's work focuses on aging and disability, the attorneys also assist individuals and families at many different stages of life.

Whether someone is creating a first will, welcoming children into the family, planning for retirement, or updating documents after significant life changes, Warren & Schairbaum encourages clients to review their estate plans as circumstances evolve. The firm's website also addresses planning considerations for unmarried couples, recognizing that Michigan law does not automatically provide many of the legal protections available to married spouses.

Serving Ann Arbor and Southeast Michigan

Located in Ann Arbor, Warren & Schairbaum serves individuals and families throughout Southeast Michigan who are planning for the future, caring for aging loved ones, or preparing for the long-term needs of a family member with a disability. By combining estate planning, elder law, special needs planning, and Social Security disability representation, the firm helps clients address legal issues that often overlap during some of life's most important transitions.

Practice Areas

• Estate Planning

• Elder Law

• Special Needs Planning

• Wills

• Trusts

• Special Needs Trusts

• Financial Powers of Attorney

• Patient Advocate Designations

• Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)

• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)