"Anyone may arrange his affairs so that his taxes shall be as low as possible,” federal appeals court Judge Hand famously wrote in 1934. “[H]e is not bound to choose that pattern which best pays the treasury. There is not even a patriotic duty to increase one's taxes.”
Proper estate planning does exactly what Judge Hand promises. It allows you to take personal control over your estate, determining how your assets are handled during your life and distributed after your death.
A sound estate plan eliminates unwanted government involvement and minimizes the potential for disputes among heirs and beneficiaries. In short, it provides peace of mind.
Experience as trusted advisors
Foster Swift’s estate planning attorneys have decades of experience drafting estate plans, including:
- Foundational Estate plans, consisting of a will, revocable trust, and powers of attorney for medical and financial decisions
- Estate Tax Planning Trusts
- Marital Deduction and Qualified Terminable Interest Property Trusts
- Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts
- Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts
- Special Needs Trusts
- Charitable Trusts
- Pet Trusts
- Family LLC’s , Intentionally Defective Irrevocable Trusts and other Gift Leveraging Tools
- Business Succession Planning
- Estate and Trust Administration
Each plan is tailored to the individual needs of our diverse clientele. This includes the young family just beginning their life together to the affluent, well-established business executive concerned with the succession of the family business.
Whether the estate is simple or complex, the goal of the estate plan is the same: to achieve personal and family objectives and to minimize tax liability.
Recent Blog Posts
Publications & Alerts
- Understanding and Avoiding Post-Death Disputes, January 2019 Agricultural Law News, January 30, 2019
- When an Inheritance Gets Entangled in a Bankruptcy Proceeding, Smart Estate Planning Can Help, November 2018 Finance Real Estate & Bankruptcy Law News, October 31, 2018
- Your Initial Estate Planning Meeting: What to Keep in Mind, October 2018 Agricultural Law News, October 22, 2018
- Michigan Authorizes New Asset Protection Trusts, Foster Swift Finance, Real Estate & Bankruptcy News, February 7, 2017
- 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
Events
- Estate and Succession Planning Essentials for Family Farms: Don’t Procrastinate – Control the Future of Your Farm, Great Lakes Crop Summit, January 30, 2019
- Trusts 101: Estate Planning for the Disabled, November 14, 2018
- Trusts 101: Grantor Trusts and Ethics, National Business Institute (NBI), November 14, 2018
- ADMINISTERING THE ESTATE EFFECTIVELY and MAINTAINING AN ETHICAL BALANCE IN PROBATE PRACTICE, Probate Process from Start to Finish (NBI), October 16, 2018
- Step by Step Guide to Drafting Wills and Trusts, National Business Institute (NBI), September 13, 2018
- Life-cycle of Your Business: Learning How to Avoid the Most Common Business Pitfalls, Greater Farmington Area Chamber of Commerce, May 10, 2018
- You’re Just the Scrivener: How to Avoid Being a Witness in a Will or Trust Contest, May 2017
News
- Collins, DeLuca Named to ICBA's Top 5 under 35 Attorneys, Lansing Regional Chamber, March 22, 2019
- Firm Elects Executive Committee Members for 2019, Michigan Lawyers Weekly, March 7, 2019
- Foster Swift Elects New Shareholders, Lansing Regional Chamber, January 21, 2019
- E-book Covers Estate Planning Essentials, October 31, 2018
- Foster Swift Welcomes Krueger to the Firm, October 2, 2018
- Janssen Receives Community Foundation Philanthropy Award, Michigan West Coast Chamber of Commerce, June 6, 2018
- Foster Swift Launches Elder Law Blog, May 23, 2018