In addition to estate planning through wills and trusts, attorney Danielle Streed provides her clients in Southwest Michigan with advice and counsel regarding other important services as well, including partner planning, prenuptial agreements, domestic partnerships agreements, and business succession planning.
Partner Planning
Michigan law offers committed couples the ability to define the legal status of their relationship before or during marriage or as domestic partners. For couples contemplating marriage, a pre-nuptial agreement can pave the way for a successful marriage by providing security and peace of mind to the prospective spouses. With a prenuptial agreement, the couples can decide in advance how issues such as the division of property or the payment of spousal support will be decided in the event of separation or divorce. Where the parties are going into marriage with different assets and income levels, a prenuptial agreement can also add an extra layer of security for couples who have been married before and experienced a difficult divorce. Persons who have gone through a tough divorce are sometimes reluctant to remarry, and a well-drafted pre-nuptial agreement can allay those fears.
Similarly, for domestic partners and other couples who either cannot marry under Michigan law or who choose to live together but remain unmarried, a contractual agreement is necessary to establish the rights between the parties and prevent complicated legal disputes from arising at a later date.
We help clients enter pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements and domestic partnership agreements that protect their rights and ensure they are treated fairly in the event of a change to the relationship.
Business Succession Planning
Another essential component of planning that is often overlooked or neglected is business succession planning. For a family business, closely held business, or any other business or corporate ownership interest, providing for the transfer of business interests and payment of taxes to guarantee survival of the business, while at the same considering the needs of heirs for financial security, requires thoughtful, deliberate planning with lawyers experienced in advanced estate planning.
We can advise you on a program of corporate or business succession and the succession or disposition of business interests that reflects your interests for the future of your business and the distribution of your estate. We can prepare the legal documents that meet those needs, including:
A solid business succession plan can help anytime a business is sold or transferred, if a family member retires from the business, or other similar contingency. Let us advise you on the use of Limited Liability Companies (LLCs), Family Limited Partnerships and other methods for ensuring an orderly succession that meets your needs. For comprehensive estate planning, partner planning, and business succession planning in Southwest Michigan, contact attorney Danielle Streed of Danielle Streed & Associates, PLLC.