Corporate Veils and Trust Creditors

By Doug Chalgian on July 13, 2023

  In this case we dive into the murky area of creditor rights in Michigan Trust administration, and more specifically, the relationship between creditors of business entities v...

Read More ›

COA Examines Restraints on Alienation

By Doug Chalgian on June 30, 2023

  In Re Estate of Virgil F. Hoppert is a published Michigan Court of Appeals decision.  And while Hoppert arises out of a probate court decision in a...

Read More ›

COA Spits on Fancy Trust Assignment

By Doug Chalgian on June 24, 2023

  What if A creates an irrevocable trust appointing B and C as immediate co-Trustees, and A, B and C all sign a so-called “declaration of trust ownership”...

Read More ›

The Case of the Double Sold Grave

By Doug Chalgian on June 18, 2023

  We can only speculate about whether Nathan Gathright felt awkward, curious, or took any interest at all in the fact that a strange woman had been planted...

Read More ›

Deed with Oral Trust Add On Upheld

By Doug Chalgian on June 17, 2023

  X deeds real estate to Y with understanding that Y will hold the subject property for the benefit of Z, and convey the property to Z at...

Read More ›

COA Dives into Temporary Fiduciaries

By Doug Chalgian on May 30, 2023

  I would be going too far to say that this recently released Court of Appeals opinion is one of the most important cases of the year.  But...

Read More ›

Nuances of the Presumption

By Doug Chalgian on May 27, 2023

  In this age of exploitation of vulnerable adults, undue influence is often the only legal theory available.  It functions (even thrives) in a grey world where weakness,...

Read More ›

Worst Medicaid Case Ever gets Published

By Doug Chalgian on May 21, 2023

  It’s hard to imagine what the lawyer who handled this appeal was thinking. Facts are: In February, Deborah created an irrevocable trust.  The terms of the trust...

Read More ›

A Saturday Twofer

By Doug Chalgian on May 13, 2023

  In the cases released by the Michigan Court of Appeals this week, I find two cases that combined provide just enough meat for one juicy nut (aka,...

Read More ›

Important Guardianship Case Going Up

By Doug Chalgian on May 6, 2023

  I posted about In Re Guardianship of Mary Ann Malloy when the Court of Appeals issued a published opinion last fall.  The question in the case is...

Read More ›

Doug Chalgian

About The Author: Doug Chalgian

I am an estate planning, probate litigating, elder law attorney. This is a blog for clients and professional colleagues. In it I offer my ideas about the state of the law and the practice of law. I believe we are living through a unique period during which the law (which is traditionally slow to change) and society are attempting to evolve to address the explosion of people living long lives. I find these developments fascinating and enjoy being involved in this evolution.