Portage Estate Planning Lawyer

Any individual who has assets should be thinking about how he or she wants those assets dispersed to his or her loved ones after his or her death. You are never too young, in too good of health, or have too low of a net worth to write a will and complete other steps of the estate planning process. Your assets, such as a pension, your savings accounts, your personal property, and your investments should all be accounted for in your estate plan.

Effective estate planning is a way to ensure that your loved ones and organizations that are important to you receive the assets you want them to receive without burdening them with heavy taxes. Failure to do so can land your loved ones in probate court, where your assets are divided according to Michigan law. This can be expensive, time consuming, and frustrating for your loved ones. Make it as easy as possible for them by working with an experienced estate planning lawyer now to determine how your assets will be divided.

With more than 34 years of experience working with clients to effectively develop their estate plans, David L. Carrier can to help you protect your assets and ensure that your beneficiaries receive all that they are entitled to receive.

All individuals who own assets should consider an estate plan.

Elements of Estate Planning

An estate plan involves many separate elements. They are as follows:

Your Will

This is the document that details who will receive your assets following your death. Dying without a will is known as dying intestate, which can have many repercussions for your loved ones. In your will, you must designate a legal representative, known as an executor, to oversee the probate process.

Designation of your Beneficiaries

Your beneficiaries can be your children, your siblings, your spouse, a charitable organization, a government program, or your alma mater. By designating your beneficiaries in your estate, you can guarantee that they will receive their fair shares of your assets.

A Trust

A trust is an account that can be used to set aside assets to benefit your beneficiaries. A trust can be a way to protect your property from probate court or creditors in the event that you have to file for bankruptcy.

Medical Directives

With a medical directive, you state your wishes regarding your medical care in the event you are incapacitated or suffer from heart or brain failure and need to be put on life support.

Power of Attorney

The individual to whom you have granted power of attorney can make medical decisions for you in the event you become incapacitated. A loved one can also be granted financial power of attorney, which enables him or her to make financial decisions on your behalf such as how to pay for your long-term care.

Work with an Experienced portage Estate Planning Lawyer

To begin the estate planning process with the aid of estate planning lawyer David L. Carrier, contact The Law Offices of David L. Carrier, P.C. to schedule your free legal consultation with our firm.

(616) 361-8400

Client Success Stories...

We were very happy with the information at the workshop on Estate Planning [LifePlan workshop]. Amanda was very helpful in explaining the options we could choose from to protect our assets from excessive taxes.
Sue Van Sluyters
All questions were answered in depth and in a manner that was very understandable. I left feeling confident that we can contact them at any time for help navigating the system.
Sally Brown
The staff are incredibly professional. My mother was treated with utmost respect. Her paperwork was organized and concise. I dealt with David and Jim and they spoke in terms my mother and I could understand.
Mike Visser
I was totally lost when my husband's dementia got bad. David and his group helped me feel in control again. They are there to help me whenever I need them. I should have done this sooner.
Dorothy Kelley
Perfect balance of pleasant and professional. Starting with workshops with targeted info, to chit chat with David (and all the staff we met) - great experience. Thank you!
Linda & Gary Yakubowski
My husband and I just returned from your workshop in Portage...We are so pleased we attended and came away with so much information and insight. The workshop was well organized, well presented and your staff was wonderful. Patrick made things fun, and as he promised, the time flew by. Thanks you again for 2 very well spent hours.
Robyn Bolle
Donna & Stephanie are extremely professional, on top of everything, friendly and just a joy to work with. Very prompt on phone calls, emails, etc. I am very thankful for these two people!
Patti Smith
We have been extremely pleased with the professional service of David and the staff. It has been a pleasure working with everyone to make sure our future is secure. David was also very helpful finding an out of state attorney to help our parent’s address their Elder law needs.
Delores