This article provides an overview of Medicare and Medicaid in Michigan, focusing on their implications for elder care and estate planning. The Michigan Estate Planning attorneys of Thompson Legal emphasize the importance of integrating these programs into estate planning to protect assets and ensure access to necessary care.

Discretionary trusts offer a powerful solution, providing flexibility and control over your wealth. The trustee has the power to decide which beneficiaries receive distributions, how much they receive, and when they receive it. Thompson Legal’s latest blog post delves into the world of discretionary trusts, exploring their benefits and how they work.

Enhanced Life Estate Deeds, also known as Ladybird Deeds, allow Michigan property owners to retain control of their property while alive and seamlessly transfer it to beneficiaries upon death, avoiding probate. This article explores the benefits, considerations, and steps involved in executing a Ladybird Deed, highlighting its advantages in estate planning.

Planning for unexpected health events is a crucial part of estate planning. Michigan law provides various ways to ensure your medical wishes are honored if you become incapacitated. This article explores Michigan's laws on informed consent, patient advocates, and Do-Not-Resuscitate orders, emphasizing the importance of healthcare directives in safeguarding your autonomy and providing clear guidance to loved ones and healthcare providers.

Certain assets require special considerations during estate planning, one of which being firearms. A gun trust provides a more complete estate planning option for those who have a variety of firearms and want to pass those firearms down as a legacy. In this post, Thompson Legal will discuss gun trusts, exploring their benefits, legal considerations, and how a gun trust they can safeguard your firearms for generations to come.

Michigan law generally protects adult children from being legally obligated to pay for their parents' nursing home care, unlike many states with filial responsibility laws. However, it's crucial to understand the exceptions and proactively estate plan to protect both yourself and your parents.

Estate planning is important, but even more so for affected by dementia or similar conditions. Upon diagnosis, it's essential to prioritize finalizing an estate plan promptly in order for your loved ones to actively participate in the process. In this post, the estate planning attorney at Thompson Legal discuss the sensitive nature of estate planning for individuals affected by this diagnosis and the special considerations they face.

While DIY estate planning options seem convenient, they may come with significant risks that could jeopardize or contradict your wishes. In this post, the estate planning attorneys of Thompson Legal will explore some of the dangers that can arise with DIY estate plans.

Blended families, composed of spouses with children from previous marriages, require careful consideration to ensure everyone's needs are met and potential conflicts are minimized. In this article, the estate planning lawyers Thompson Legal detail the special issues and considerations that blended families face, as well as the estate planning options they have to protect their legacies. 

Under Michigan law pets are considered property and cannot own or care for themselves. Pet Trusts provide a legal arrangement wherein your pet companions are to receive continued care, maintenance, and support, even after you are no longer there to provide it.

Michigan's Uniform Power of Attorney Act (UPOAA) is set to revolutionize how we approach standard Power of Attorney (POA) documents. The UPOAA expands agent responsibility and liability, creates guidelines for financial institutions, provides clearer terms for succession and termination. While the changes won't officially roll out until July 1, 2024, Thompson Legal has detailed what's in store and how it affects you and your family.

Understanding the various types of joint property ownership available to property owners is essential for crafting a solid estate plan. In this article, we'll explore three common forms of joint property ownership used in Michigan for estate planning purposes: Life Estate Deed, Joint Tenants with Full Rights of Survivorship, and Tenants by the Entireties.

Family LLC’s are a unique and flexible way to safeguard your family cottage or vacation home future generations to come. Family LLC’s provide owners with liability protection and privacy, while also being easier to control, maintain, and amend.

Estate planning for young individuals and families involves a unique set of considerations, from naming guardians to utilizing trusts and life insurance.

In this blog post, we'll explore the Michigan estate tax, the federal estate tax, and the anticipated changes in 2026 due to sunset of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA).

Fortunately, the U.S. Department of the Treasury provides a solution for correcting these mistakes through the use of FS Form 4000. In this article, we will guide you through the process of correcting mistakes on savings bonds and requesting a reissue using FS Form 4000.

Estate planning is a vital step in securing your family's future and ensuring your assets are distributed according to your wishes. Two primary tools used in estate planning are wills and trusts. In this blog post, we'll delve into the benefits and differences between these different estate planning instruments to help you make informed decisions about your estate plan.