Legal Documents

Dear Clients and Friends, Like everyone else, at the Samuels Law Firm, we are closely monitoring the developments and recommendations regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19).  Therefore, I wanted to take the time to personally update you on the steps we are taking to ensure the well-being of our clients, visitors, staff, and communities during this viral pandemic. We understand that now more than ever, it is important for us to be here for our clients and the community as many of them are dealing with disability, illness, [...]

At our firm, we also help individuals and families with Medicaid Planning.  When applying for public benefits programs, such as Medicaid, there are financial income and asset limits.  When an individual is over the asset limit for Medicaid, one way to spend down their money may be for the individual to pre-pay their funeral costs. In addition to reducing your assets to qualify for Medicaid, pre-paying for your funeral can also ease the burden on your family following your death and make sure your wishes [...]

Happy New Year! We hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday season.  It is hard to believe that it is 2020.  We are in a new decade! I am sure many of you are already thinking about all of the goals you want to accomplish by the end of the year.  If you are like me, maybe you want to exercise more, travel more, or eat healthier.  As you begin to set your goals for the year, how about creating an estate plan? The beginning [...]

At our firm, a financial power of attorney is one of the most important estate planning documents we prepare for our clients.  One of the most difficult decisions for our clients is naming an agent.  For clients with multiple children, the task is even more daunting, especially when only one child is named as an agent in a power of attorney. A power of attorney allows someone to appoint another person -- an "attorney-in-fact" or “agent” -- to act in place of him or her -- [...]

Shortly after Aretha Franklin passed, we learned that according to court documents, the legendary singer did not have a will when she died. Franklin, who died August 16, 2018, at age 76, left behind four sons, but no guidance on how to distribute her reported $80 million estate. According to The New York Times, her sons filed paperwork in Oakland County, Michigan, indicating that she died intestate -- that is, without a will. The sons nominated Franklin’s niece to serve as the personal representative of the [...]