Are You Looking for a Skilled Estate Planning Lawyer in Clarkston?
Planning looks different when you have children at home than when they are grown, and a good plan should change with your family.
Douglas Kuthy is an estate planning attorney whom Clarkston families can meet with in person to create a first estate plan, update one written when the kids were small, or rethink who should step in now that they are adults.
Doug builds each plan around your family, property, decision-makers, and goals. A revocable living trust may be part of it, depending on your circumstances. He explains his flat fee before work begins, and he holds every meeting in person at his West Bloomfield office.
Call 248-432-1612 to schedule an in-person consultation.
Estate Planning for Clarkston Families Starts With Who You Trust
Most of the decisions in an estate plan are about people, not paperwork. A coordinated plan may name:
- Who would raise your minor children, and who would manage money left for them
- Who handles your finances if you are unable to
- Who makes health care decisions for you
- Who receives your property, and when
- How life insurance and retirement accounts coordinate with the plan
It also answers whether a trust makes sense for your family. A will alone may not address all of these choices.
How a Clarkston Family’s Plan Changes as Children Grow
While Your Children Are Young
For parents of minor children, the most important decision is usually who would raise them if both parents were gone. A plan can nominate a guardian and separately name someone to manage any money left for the children, so one person does not have to fill both roles. Many parents also choose to hold an inheritance in trust until a child reaches an age they set, rather than at 18. Read more about estate planning for families with minor children.
When Your Children Become Adults
Once your children are grown, guardian nominations no longer apply, and the question shifts to whether an adult child is ready to serve as your financial agent, patient advocate, or successor trustee. This is also a good time for young adults to consider their own documents.
As an Empty Nester
With the children out of the house, many parents revisit the whole plan: who inherits, whether distributions should still be staged, and whether the people named years ago are still the best fit. See estate planning for empty nesters.
Doug also works with single people and senior citizens.
If your plan was written when your children were small, bring it to an in-person consultation with Doug at his West Bloomfield office.
Should Your Clarkston Plan Include a Revocable Living Trust?
Parents often ask whether a trust is worth it. A revocable living trust lets you keep control of your assets during your lifetime and name a successor trustee to manage them during an incapacity and distribute them later under your instructions. Consider it if you want to control when children receive assets, own a home, or want continuity during incapacity.
A trust does not avoid probate on its own. It must be properly designed and funded, which means titling the right assets to the trust and coordinating beneficiary designations. Learn more about how a revocable living trust works or compare wills and trusts.
What a Clarkston Estate Plan May Include
The documents in your plan depend on your family. Doug may prepare:
- A revocable living trust, if appropriate
- A will coordinated with the plan
- Guardian nominations for minor children
- A durable financial power of attorney
- A patient advocate designation
- A HIPAA authorization
- Deed or title planning, where appropriate
- Trust funding and beneficiary instructions
Working With Doug: What Clarkston Clients Can Expect
It helps to know what the process looks like. Doug’s process follows these stages:
- An in-person meeting at the West Bloomfield office
- A conversation about your family, property, and the people you trust
- A recommended plan, with the flat fee explained before work proceeds
- Drafting, then time to review and ask questions
- An in-person signing meeting
- Instructions for funding your trust and coordinating accounts
Life Events That Should Prompt a Clarkston Plan Review
Consider updating your plan after:
- The birth or adoption of a child
- A child turning 18
- Marriage, divorce, or remarriage
- The death, illness, or move of a named guardian, agent, or trustee
- Buying or selling a home
- Retirement
- A move to Michigan from another state
In-Person Meetings for Clarkston Clients at Doug’s West Bloomfield Office
If you are looking for a Clarkston estate planning attorney you can sit down with face to face, Doug meets clients at 5755 Fox Hunt Lane, West Bloomfield, MI 48322.
He does not have a Clarkston office, and all consultations and signings take place in West Bloomfield. Learn more about Estate Planning Attorney Douglas Kuthy.
Talk with Douglas Kuthy about a plan designed around your family, property, and decision-makers. Consultations take place in person at the West Bloomfield office. Call 248-432-1612 to get started.
