Estate Planning

Knowledgeable Grand Rapids Estate Planning Lawyers

Most people think about estate planning at the birth of a child, prior to a big vacation, and after a divorce. It is important to maintain an updated estate plan as assets change and circumstances and the law change. At Damon, Ver Merris, Boyko & Witte, PLC, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, we have extensive experience helping people create and maintain appropriate estate plans.

Comprehensive Estate Plans

An estate plan should involve more than a will. Our estate planning lawyers have extensive experience working with clients to understand their situation and helping them develop a comprehensive estate plan that meets their goals and objectives. Some of the estate planning tools our firm commonly employs include:

• Living will - A living will designates the person who will make the end of life decisions you want made on your behalf if you become incapacitated.
• Advanced medical directives - Only you truly know what medical decisions you want made. Advanced medical directives provide medical staff and relatives the blueprint for those decisions.
• Powers of attorney - Many people lose their ability to make sound financial decisions prior to their death. Powers of attorney give the person you designate the authority to make financial decisions on your behalf without having to seek that authority from the Probate Court.
• Trusts - Trusts provide a way to transfer property without going through the probate process. They also provide efficient means to delay the distribution of large amounts of property to minor children and others who may be unable or unprepared to handle it properly. Trusts can also help to minimize or eliminate estate taxes in larger estates. Our firm has set up many types of trusts including revocable trusts, revocable living trusts, special needs trusts, and irrevocable life insurance trusts.

In addition, we have extensive experience developing estate plans involving closely held and family owned businesses. Our attorneys can help clients develop succession plans for clients seeking to transfer the control of their businesses.

Contact Our West Michigan Estate Planning Lawyers

If you need a Grand Rapids estate planning attorney to help you develop a comprehensive estate plan, please contact the lawyers at Damon, Ver Merris, Boyko & Witte, PLC, for an initial consultation without obligation. Our firm can be reached by phone at 616-975-9951, by e-mail, or by filling out the intake form on our contact us page.