Overview
As an experienced estate planning, probate and trust administration, business, and real estate lawyer, Jonathan (Jay) David focuses on providing high quality legal representation to help his clients achieve their objectives. He understands the importance of responding to a client's needs quickly and efficiently and will begin working for a client immediately upon being retained. His practice areas include:
- Estate (and Lifetime) Planning: Providing advice on and preparing a wide variety of lifetime and estate planning related documents including Wills, Trusts (Revocable, Irrevocable and Pet Trusts) Durable Powers of Attorney, Living Wills, Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements, and Trust funding documents.
- Probate and Trust Administration: Representing personal representatives in the administration of a decedent's probate estate and trustees in the administration of a decedent's trust.
- Business Entity Selection, Organization and Planning: Helping clients determine the right type of legal entity and structure for their business and preparing the formation documents.
- General Business: Serving as general counsel to businesses, which includes, advising on the governance, management and ongoing operations of the business entity, succession planning, as well as preparing contracts, buy sell agreements, applications for beer, wine and liquor licenses, and documents for merger and acquisition transactions.
- Commercial and Residential Real Estate: Preparing purchase agreements, conveyancing documents, mortgage and security documents, leases, and other real estate-related documents for both residential and commercial real estate.
His clients include:
- Dentists and dental practices
- Restaurants
- Retail businesses
- Real Estate professionals
- Health care professionals
- Automobile and boat dealerships
- Manufacturing companies.
In addition to his practice, Jay is a published author on estate planning issues. He regularly contributes a question-and-answer column through a nationally syndicated news service for senior publications.
In response to questions such as, "How can probate be avoided?", "How can I protect my pets?" and "How can I protect my family if something happens to me?", Jay wrote an e-book, Estate Planning: You Have to Start in Order to Finish. This e-book is free and available for download below.
A lifelong Grand Rapids resident, Jay is a writer, a voracious reader, a runner and a sports enthusiast. He is married to a dog and animal lover, and they have two adult children.
Honors & Recognitions
Best Lawyers in America® 2024 (Trusts and Estates)
Affiliations
Memberships & Affiliations
Legal Affiliations:
- Grand Rapids Bar Association
- Justice Foundation of West Michigan
- State Bar of Michigan
Industry & Professional Associations:
- West Michigan Estate Planning Council, Past Board Member
- RunGR.com, Past Board Member
- ALS of West Michigan., Past Board Member
Communications
Recent Blog Posts
Equine Law Blog
Estate Planning & Elder Law Blog
- Parents: The Three Essential Legal Documents Your Child Should Have Before Leaving For College
- Executing Estate Planning Documents Outside of Attorney's Office
- When It Comes To Estate Planning, Coordination Is Key
- Importance of Durable Powers of Attorney
- Should Your Family Business Keep a Corporate Minute Book?
- Survivor's Checklist: What to do When a Loved One Passes Away
- Resource to Keep Senior Caretakers Organized
Publications
- Should You Keep a Corporate Minute Book?, Foster Swift Business & Corporate Law News, December 3, 2021
- Corporate Conundrums, Foster Swift Business & Tax Law News, November 19, 2019
- Estate Planning for Small Businesses, Grand Rapids Business Journal, July 20, 2019
- Estate Planning: You Have to Start in Order to Finish, 2019
- Legalease: Choosing Correct Power of Attorney for a "Control Freak", West Michigan Plus, March 28, 2016
- So That’s What Those Legal Terms Actually Mean, go60.us, July 2015
News & Events
Speaking Engagements
- Farm Succession and Estate Planning, Michigan Farm Bureau, April 29, 2015
News
- David & Vredenburg Named to Best Lawyers in America, Best Lawyers in America, August 17, 2023
- Foster Swift Attorneys Named 2024 Best Lawyers in America, Best Lawyers in America, August 17, 2023
- Don’t Let Your Child Leave for College Without Signing Three Critical Documents, Global Newswire, August 2, 2022
- Elder Law Month: Estate Planning Still Important to Seniors in Wake of COVID, Global Newswire, May 4, 2022
- What Happens When You Pass Before Your Pets?, Global Newswire, April 11, 2022
- Estate Planning: Answers to Essential Questions, Automation Alley, May 24, 2021
- What Will Happen to a Pet When Its’ Owner Dies?, Automation Alley, May 10, 2021
Practice Areas
Education
Thomas M. Cooley Law School, J.D., 1981
University of Michigan, B.A.,1978, cum laude
Bar and Court Admissions
Michigan
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan