Results

Creating a client’s first LLC with them is a really rewarding experience. We see folks buying their first investment property, creating their first online shop, or even starting up a farmer’s market stall. Starting at the ground floor with them on their professional journey allows our firm to shoulder closely with our corporate clients as our relationship flourishes over time.

Earlier this year, Managing Partner Samuel R. Gilbertson prevailed in a three-day trial involving an alleged amendment to the decedent’s trust. The alleged amendment would have effectively disinherited our client and allowed another individual to receive the majority of the trust assets. Through the efforts of our trial team, which included one of the foremost handwriting experts in the world, the signature on the alleged amendment was proven to be a forgery and the document was declared void by the court. As a result, the decedent’s intent was preserved, and our client regained the right to receive the distribution it was always meant to have.

We wrapped up a trust administration matter that had been three years in the making. At the end of it, one of the beneficiaries shared with us some homemade brownies. That alone made it all worth it (and shows how much we connect with those we serve!)

I recently helped support a client in getting her father’s death certificate fixed. Even administrative changes that seem small to an outsider mean quite a bit to our clients, and to us as a result. It was a privilege to get to walk with her, to learn about her family, and to see her relief as we got the outcome she desired.

We recently helped a family in Paw Paw navigate probate for a loved one who had every sort of curveball (greedy creditors, unhappy relatives, a property with title issues), yet still wrapped things up on schedule and within a narrow budget.

Being able to visit with clients in nursing homes and hospices, when they need an estate planner the most, is always a fulfilling experience. I find that it brings both our clients and their loved ones the greatest comfort to know that they have our firm in their corner, doing all we can to ease the transition.

It’s always an exciting change of pace to work with young couples and young families with their estate planning needs. We worked with an engaged couple not long ago to prepare powers of attorney. Effective on their wedding date, they will be both husband and wife and each other’s POA!

We recently advised a neurosurgeon in developing a comprehensive wealth-preservation and estate-planning strategy tailored to the unique liability risks associated with a high-exposure medical practice. By integrating asset-protection structures with advanced trust planning, we helped safeguard substantial investment assets while preserving flexibility for future needs. The plan also coordinated inherited family wealth with long-term goals, including funding children’s education, preserving generational wealth, and promoting responsible stewardship of assets. Through thoughtful estate and trust design, the strategy was structured to minimize future probate burdens and reduce potential estate-tax exposure for future generations.

Our team assisted a family with substantial real estate, investment, and business holdings, including farmland spanning multiple states, in developing a coordinated estate plan focused on preserving wealth across generations. The plan addressed tax efficiency, asset protection, and the long-term stewardship of family assets while remaining grounded in the family’s values and vision for future generations. By incorporating flexible planning strategies, the structure can adapt to changing family dynamics, economic conditions, and future opportunities.