Probate, Estate Settlement, and Trust Administration

When death occurs, you need sensitive and efficient professional assistance to navigate the process of settling the decedent’s affairs. Most of the attorneys at Ferguson Widmayer are experienced in different aspects of estate settlement. We also have experienced, well-trained staff, working under attorney supervision, who are dedicated to helping you and your family get through this difficult time efficiently and with minimal frustration.

Some of the services we provide for estate and trust settlement and administration include:

• Probating Estates: If your estate passes through probate, we can help your personal representative manage and expedite the process. Most estates do not require appearances in probate court, but if disputes arise or probate court interpretation or intervention is needed, we lead you through the process.
• Trust Administration: After death, we assist the successor trustee with the process of locating and taking control of trust assets, allocating estate assets to trusts, complying with income and estate tax requirements, and distributing trust assets according to the trust document.
• Estate and Trust Disputes: Death of a family member can bring suppressed emotions and latent conflicts to the surface. We do our best to help avoid conflict both in the planning stages and when the plan takes effect. But despite best efforts, conflict is sometimes unavoidable. We handle all aspects of estate and trust dispute resolution, from adversarial probate litigation to mediation and collaborative reconciliation.
• Emergency Estate Planning: We are often brought in when a family member is near death, either to review the previous planning, ensure that all essential plan implementation has occurred, or create a plan where no planning has been done. We give priority to these situations whenever possible.

The probate court also may become involved when there is no plan for disability or incapacity or the planning fails. The court may be asked to appoint a guardian to make personal decisions or a conservator to handle finances. We handle all aspects of guardianships and conservatorships.

Knowledgeable, Experienced and Sensitive Michigan Probate, Estate and Trust Attorneys

An estate plan is only a beginning. You need thoughtful and skilled counsel to efficiently administer an estate or trust when the time comes to carry out the plan. Call us at (734) 662-0222 or contact Ferguson Widmayer PC online to schedule a consultation for estate or trust administration services.