It is fairly common for an aging parent to add a child’s name (sometimes more than one child) as a joint owner on the parent’s bank accounts.  The arrangement is usually viewed as a simple and inexpensive solution to the concerns, such as someone needing to be able to pay bills when the parent is ill or hospitalized, funerals are expensive and money will be needed immediately, the account will […]

Most parents know — in theory, at least — that their children are no longer children when they turn 18. They are considered legal adults with legal responsibilities. This is an abrupt transfer of power and the full significance may not be apparent until something happens that drives that reality home. The start of the school year is right around the corner, which means many recent high school graduates will […]

Curt Benson, an attorney in our Grand Rapids office, hosts a popular syndicated radio program, The Lawyers, which airs on Newsradio WOOD 1300 and 106.9 FM.  On the program, Mr. Benson interviews professors, judges, lawyers and lawmakers on legal issues in the news. He recently sat down with Gene Richards, a partner in our Livonia office, to discuss a variety of estate planning and elder law issues, legal updates, and […]

It’s a travesty when the court process designed to protect seniors is manipulated by unscrupulous professionals for personal profit. Without immediate, aggressive advocacy a person can be stripped of all legal rights in less than 30 minutes at a court hearing. Admittedly, it is appropriate for a judge to appoint a conservator or guardian if an individual cannot make decisions or needs to be protected, but it should only happen […]