Estate Administration and Litigation

Skilled Michigan Estate Administration and Litigation Attorneys

Estate planning is one of the most important things you can do for your family — now and in the future. Properly done, estate planning makes your final wishes easy to understand, clarifying who will take over the family business and who will inherit your vacation home on Lake Michigan. If you own many properties, a thriving business or corporation, or have significant inherited wealth, it is even more important to start planning now to avoid future tax burdens and estate litigation.

At the law firm of Howard P.C. our attorneys focus a large part of our practice on estate planning, estate administration and litigation, and probate. We want to be the attorneys you turn to for complex estate planning concerns.

For a free initial consultation with a qualified estate administration and litigation attorney, contact our Grand Rapids, Michigan, law offices.

Estate Administration and Litigation Issues

Our attorneys represent the interests of heirs and the personal representative or executor of the estate. We handle the following legal issues at Howard PC, including:

Breach of fiduciary duty: failure to provide notice to the beneficiaries or to the trustees

Will contest: challenging legality of a will, based on the deceased's mental capacity, a false belief or undue influence by others, including caregivers or family members

Trust contest: you can create a trust in your will to provide for your spouse and family members after your death. Like a will, a trust may be challenged by an heir who believes that the trust is not valid.

Conflict of interest: a trustee owes a duty of loyalty to the trust, and must avoid giving himself or herself a financial advantage in dealing with the assets of the trust

Valuation of assets: establishing fair market value for the decedent's property

Mismanagement of assets: challenges made to the executor or personal representative of the decedent by his or her heirs

Seasoned Estate Administration and Litigation Counsel