COA Affirms Conservator’s Ladybird Deed

By Doug Chalgian on January 20, 2023

  The important holding in this case is that a conservator can execute a ladybird deed without first asking for court permission.  The facts and other nuances of...

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Deed Case Feels Like Law School Question

By Doug Chalgian on October 18, 2022

  This is one of those law school question cases, mostly real property law but with a probate twist. Here we go: The Deeds A and B own...

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Federal Preemption Limits Probate Court’s Authority over Social Security Benefits

By Doug Chalgian on June 27, 2022

  This post is about a published opinion which looks whether, and to what extent, a probate court can exercise authority over Social Security benefits paid to a...

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COA Contorts Itself to Hold that a Conservator and Next Friend can Coexist

By Doug Chalgian on January 18, 2022

In this recently released unpublished opinion, Spouse A is conservator over Spouse B.  Niece has herself appointed next friend for Spouse B and initiates a divorce proceeding against...

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Published Opinion Clarifies Burden of Proof for Breach

By Doug Chalgian on March 5, 2021

  The burden of proof required to surcharge a fiduciary for breach of fiduciary duty in Michigan is a preponderance of the evidence.   This is made clear in...

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Two from the Asplund Clan

By Doug Chalgian on November 26, 2020

Two new unpublished cases from the Court of Appeals deal with Roberta Asplund and her malcontent child Randall. Roberta is subject to both a guardianship and conservatorship.  At...

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Reflections from a Costly Goose Chase

By Doug Chalgian on March 3, 2019

The crux of this unpublished opinion is whether the cost of litigation initiated by a conservator that turns out to be a big waste of money, should be...

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Capacity to Nominate

By Doug Chalgian on December 16, 2018

The question is this: When a person who is the subject of a petition for guardianship or conservatorship nominates an individual they want to serve in those capacities,...

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COA Sets the Record Straight on Priorities

By Doug Chalgian on June 8, 2018

This new published Court of Appeals opinion shouldn’t surprise anyone. The COA holds that where a professional guardian/conservator resigns, and the only adult child of the ward petitions...

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Better Than Nothing?

By Doug Chalgian on May 22, 2018

The Michigan Supreme Court has issued an Order denying leave in In Re Conservatorship of Rhea Brody.  However, this same Order “further notes” that the Opinion of the...

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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.