Kalamazoo Wills & Probate Lawyer, Michigan

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Includes: Estate Administration, Living Wills, Wills

Michael J. Willis Lawyer

Michael J. Willis

VERIFIED
Bankruptcy & Debt, Wills & Probate, Contract, Elder Law, Estate Planning
Dedicated to Excellence in Client Service

Michael Willis founded this firm with his brother, Shaun Patrick Willis. Their father, Hon. Frank D. Willis, is the probate judge for Van Buren Count... (more)

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CONTACT

800-909-2450

Jennifer Lynn Grahek

Adoption, Wills & Probate, Guardianships & Conservatorships, Estate
Status:  In Good Standing           Licensed:  17 Years

Joseph R. Hawver

Immigration, Wills & Probate, Estate, Wrongful Termination
Status:  In Good Standing           Licensed:  16 Years

Erin L. Majka

Medicare & Medicaid, Estate Administration, Elder Law, Insurance
Status:  In Good Standing           Licensed:  22 Years

Teresa Leona Rajala

Tax, Estate Planning, International Tax, Wills
Status:  In Good Standing           

Joseph M. Ammar

Power of Attorney, Real Estate, Wills & Probate, Banking & Finance, Business
Status:  In Good Standing           Licensed:  36 Years

Patrick D. Crocker

Other, Government, Wills & Probate, Credit & Debt
Status:  In Good Standing           

M. Charles Etter

Real Estate, Estate, Limited Liability Companies, Wills & Probate
Status:  In Good Standing           Licensed:  52 Years

Joseph W. Vander Horst

Wills, Wills & Probate, Family Law, Corporate
Status:  In Good Standing           Licensed:  31 Years

Stephen M. Denenfeld

Power of Attorney, Dispute Resolution, Social Security, Wills & Probate, Divorce & Family Law
Status:  In Good Standing           

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Free Help: Use This Form or Call 800-943-8690

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Call me for fastest results!
800-943-8690

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By submitting this lawyer request, I confirm I have read and agree to the Consent to Receive Messages from all messaging and voice technologies including Email, Text, Phone, Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy. Information provided is not privileged or confidential.

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LEGAL TERMS

PREDECEASED SPOUSE

In the law of wills, a spouse who dies before the will maker while still married to him or her.

GROSS ESTATE

For federal estate tax filing purposes, the total of all property owned at death, without regard to any debts or liens against the property or the costs of prob... (more...)
For federal estate tax filing purposes, the total of all property owned at death, without regard to any debts or liens against the property or the costs of probate. Taxes are due only on the value of the property the person actually owned (the net estate) plus the amount of any taxable gifts made during life. In a few states, the gross estate is used when computing attorney fees for probating estates; the lawyer gets a percentage of the gross estate.

IRREVOCABLE TRUST

A permanent trust. Once you create it, it cannot be revoked, amended or changed in any way.

BANKRUPTCY ESTATE

All of the property you own when you file for bankruptcy, except for most pensions and educational trusts. The trustee technically takes control of your bankrup... (more...)
All of the property you own when you file for bankruptcy, except for most pensions and educational trusts. The trustee technically takes control of your bankruptcy estate for the duration of your case.

BEQUEATH

A legal term sometimes used in wills that means 'leave' -- for example, 'I bequeath my garden tools to my brother-in-law, Buster Jenkins.'

LIFE BENEFICIARY

A person who receives benefits, under a trust or by will, for his or her lifetime. For an example, see AB trust.

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR

Someone appointed by a probate court to oversee probate proceedings when a person dies without a will or heirs, and his or her property is expected to pass to t... (more...)
Someone appointed by a probate court to oversee probate proceedings when a person dies without a will or heirs, and his or her property is expected to pass to the state. Some states have public administrators who are responsible for temporarily preserving the assets of an estate if there are disputes about specific provisions in the will or about who will be appointed the regular administrator.

DISINHERIT

To deliberately prevent someone from inheriting something. This is usually done by a provision in a will stating that someone who would ordinarily inherit prope... (more...)
To deliberately prevent someone from inheriting something. This is usually done by a provision in a will stating that someone who would ordinarily inherit property -- a close family member, for example -- should not receive it. In most states, you cannot completely disinherit your spouse; a surviving spouse has the right to claim a portion (usually one-third to one-half) of the deceased spouse's estate. With a few exceptions, however, you can expressly disinherit children.

SELF-PROVING WILL

A will that is created in a way that allows a probate court to easily accept it as the true will of the person who has died. In most states, a will is self-prov... (more...)
A will that is created in a way that allows a probate court to easily accept it as the true will of the person who has died. In most states, a will is self-proving when two witnesses sign under penalty of perjury that they observed the willmaker sign it and that he told them it was his will. If no one contests the validity of the will, the probate court will accept the will without hearing the testimony of the witnesses or other evidence. To make a self-proving will in other states, the willmaker and one or more witnesses must sign an affidavit (sworn statement) before a notary public certifying that the will is genuine and that all willmaking formalities have been observed.

SAMPLE LEGAL CASES

In re Temple Marital Trust

... Wallace Temple, Petitioner-Appellant, v. Clinton Probate Court Ralph Temple and Dean Temple, Respondents-Appellees. Docket No. 273911. ... Petitioner petitioned the probate court to construe the trust as not allowing Clarence to amend it after Florence's death. . . . ...

In re Smith Trust

... The respondent refused to sell the property to the petitioners. The petitioners filed a petition in the Sanilac County Probate Court, seeking to compel the sale of the land pursuant to the lease agreement. ... As a result, the probate court held that no enforceable agreement existed. ...

In re Kostin Estate

... In Docket No. 272767, respondent Camille A. Kent appeals as of right the probate court's judgment and order following a bench trial, interpreting a will and trust, determining heirs and devisees, and determining title to property after decedent Juanita Kostin's death in 2004. ...