Tag Archive for: lifeplanning

Middle Class Families Go Broke Because “Experts” Broke Estate Planning

Elephants In The Room

Ever go to the zoo? Remember the Elephant House? Couple of big ole elephants in there… Elephants doing what comes naturally. Smelled strong, right? Tough to deny there is an elephant (or two) nearby. You can hear them breathing… moving around.

Now, if an elephant is sharing a room with you, wouldn’t that be significant? I tend to think it would be an important fact, don’t you? It is possible, perhaps, you would want to deal with your companion somehow. Well, I suppose you could pretend that there is no elephant. But wouldn’t that be foolish? Dangerous, even. Not good. You might step in something. Something might step on you. Either way… Squish!

Let us say you figured this one out. Using your five senses, plus common sense. Do you really need Sherlock Holmes, Columbo, or MacGyver for this one? And yet, various people, who claim to be experts, are trying to tell you there are no elephants. These people covered up the elephants with bedsheets. They talk about everything else. Minor stuff. Distractions. Everything except what is most important. But you cannot hide an elephant with a bedsheet! Yet they try. Why? What is going on here?

Long Term Care – The Biggest Elephant In The Room

What is the problem? Middle-class families go broke. All the time. Routinely. It is accepted and acceptable to the so-called experts. I think it is horrible. To work for a lifetime, saving, scrimping, economizing. And watch it all vanish in a matter of months. A nightmare.

“Do not worry!” say the experts, as they try to cover up that elephant. Trying to convince you that probate or interest rates or inflation or taxes are the “real” problem. Long-term care, they say, is something that happens to someone else.

I am no great fan of government information. But even a blind squirrel gets lucky sometimes. Here are a few chestnuts from the federal Department of Health and Human Services. At www.LongTermCare.gov, quoting:

  • Someone turning age 65 today has almost a 70% chance of needing some type of long-term care services and supports in their remaining years
  • Women need care longer (3.7 years) than men (2.2 years)
  • One-third of today’s 65-year-olds may never need long-term care support, but 20 percent will need it for longer than 5 years

You worked. You saved. You planned for your retirement. Time to relax. Travel. Spoil the grandkids. Not so fast. Not if you are like 70% of folks. You will probably need long-term care services for years. And leave your spouse destitute. And your legacy is…?

By ignoring the biggest, noisiest, smelliest elephant in the room, the burden of your care falls (like a ton of bricks) on your loved ones. If the caregiver is your spouse, they are as likely to die first as you are. Stressed out. Exhausted.

And the experts ignore all this. They want you to think that the real problem is how your kids get your stuff. As if there will be any stuff to get.

Yank the bedsheet off the elephant. Face the facts. Do not let fast-talkers distract you from the reality. Long-term care is the future for most of us. How are you going to deal with it?

Does It Matter To You? The Rich, The Poor, The Middle Class

Not everyone needs to worry about long-term care. Of the three large groups of Americans, only one really must be concerned. The Big Three are: The Rich, The Poor, The Middle Class.

Devastating Gut Punch. The Middle Class

Husband with some dementia. You can manage. Not much sleep. Stressful. But you can manage. Unfortunate fall. Broken hip. Hospitalization. Rehabilitation. Thank goodness for Medicare! And that Medicare Supplement insurance. Minimal out of pocket expense. Three weeks in rehab. Coming home? No.

You could barely handle him before. Now it is out of the question. He needs skilled care. At least for now… maybe he will get better… But Medicare is done. Insurance will not pay anymore. Now it is on you.

Letter in the mailbox. Looks like a bill. Return address: Nursing Home. First six weeks. $18,327. plus, tax. Your head hurts. You almost vomit. You have never seen a bill for this much. You have not spent $18,000 since you bought the house… What are you supposed to do? Better sit down. Quick.

It Don’t Matter To Me… The Rich, The Poor

The Rich. Your spouse transferred from rehabilitation to long-term care at the nursing home. The first bill came in today’s mail. Eighteen thousand dollars. Well. You did not think it would be cheap… actually pretty reasonable when you think about it. So, which account should you pay it from? The money market? Regular checking? Should probably ask the financial advisor… looks like this long-term care will be almost as expensive as maintaining the summer cottage and the ski condo, combined! Not counting the sailboat, jet skis or the golf cart, of course, let alone the horse boarding…

The Poor. Could not pay for the groceries without the Section 8 subsidized housing. Husband now in skilled nursing. How will you ever get transportation to visit? Hope there’s a bus line around there somewhere. Looks like a nursing home bill in the mail. Wow. That place is expensive! Eighteen thousand… and that’s just for the first six weeks. Sigh. Just put it on the stack with the other bills you cannot afford to pay. Have to prioritize… heat and groceries first. Good to know that with skilled nursing, his care is guaranteed. Even without Medicare or Medicaid or Medi-whatever, he will get the care he needs.

Long-Term Care Reality. Rich Man, Poor Man

It can be uncomfortable to look under the bedsheet and take a good hard look at the elephant everyone else is trying to hide. I do not apologize for that. Sometimes truth is not pretty. Facts can be inconvenient.

It is simply true that if you are wealthy, long-term care costs are manageable. You do not need me. Plenty of folks downtown in glass towers with expensive suits and ties are just dying to meet you. Original, incomprehensible art on the wall. Park in the ramp, bring your ticket for validation. Plan for long-term care or do not plan for long-term care, you are not going broke. Let those guys worry about your excess profit’s taxes, capital gains and all that…

It is also true that many families simply cannot begin to pay the costs of long-term care. A bill for $1200 is as much out of their reach as a bill for $12,000. And at that point, what does it matter? You cannot pay anyway. Social security cannot be taken from you. You will not be denied your housing assistance. Bills piling up are awful. Stressful. But at the end of the day, care will be given. Your personal property will not be taken. I cannot help you to preserve assets you do not have.

NOTE: The Medicaid system is extremely complex, with many variables, hurdles and hoops. It is not unusual for Medicaid to be denied to people who should qualify for benefits, often for technical reasons. Over the years, we have helped many such families resolve these issues and get the benefits. From time to time, we work with skilled nursing facilities to get the compensation they have earned by helping these families meet the legal requirements.

LifePlan™ Salvation For The Middle-Class

The rich do not need me. The poor I cannot directly help. That leave the middle-class. It is the middle-class savers, workers, builders that I can help. You get that bill: your guts turn to water, you are about to puke, and you are desperately searching for a place to sit down. Relax! Your LifePlan™ will take care of it. You saw the signs: 70% need long-term care services. One in Five need long-term care services for more than five years. You rejected nursing home poverty. You choose the path of reasonable optimism, while guarding against the potential downsides. Hope for the Best, Plan for the Worst.

The LifePlan™ approach is the least expensive, most effective solution to the harsh reality of long-term care. You opened your eyes when faced with long-term care costs. Accepted reality. Refused to allow your lifesavings evaporate like a snowflake on a hot griddle. Recognized the reality of the caregiver spouse dying first, almost half the time and fixed it. Rejected nursing home poverty.

Never Too Late

Sitting there with the nursing home bill in your hand, you say, “Coulda, shoulda, woulda… And now it is too late! Maybe that LifePlan™ Workshop or Webinar would have been a good idea.”

It is never too late. There is nothing inevitable about losing your home, cottage, business, lifesavings, independence. Planning is the best route, but not the only one. Even if the dementia diagnosis was your wake-up call. Even if your attention was finally focused by the slip and fall broken hip. Do not give up the ship! It is never too late for you to be the hero… to fight and win!

Not Chance, Your Choice. Uncover The Elephant!

There is nothing inevitable about nursing home poverty. Peace of mind and security are waiting for you. Right now. It is a choice. Despite what “everybody else” says. Despite their attempts to disguise the elephants in the room. For over thirty years, people have told me, “I’ve never heard of this before!” “If this is real, why doesn’t everyone do it?” “My lawyer/financial advisor/brother-in-law/accountant/tax person/banker/best friend/fill-in-the-blank never said anything like this…”

Well, here you are. Now you know. No excuses. Get the information, insight, inspiration. It is your turn. Ignore the message? Invite poverty? Or get the freely offered information. To make wise decisions. For you. For your loved ones.

No Poverty. No Charity. No Waste.

It is not chance. It is choice. Your choice.

Get Information Now. (800) 317-2812

Traditional Trusts Fail Families. Save The Cottage!

Summertime Stories

Remember Grandma’s Cottage? You learned to swim there. Caught your first fish (what do I do NOW?!). Stealing bacon for bait when you ran out of worms. The leaky rowboat. Crammed with your cousins in sleeping bags on the “living room” floor. Trading stories in the dark. Grownups yelling “Shut up and go to sleep!” from the patio. Waiting for the charcoal to get just right. Hotdogs on the grill. Toasting marshmallows. Fireflies. That particular musty damp smell. Whatever happened to that place?

Well, they put all us kids on the deed, but it was sold when… Grandpa went into the nursing home… Uncle Chuck went bankrupt… Aunt Susan’s kids kept trashing the place… Aunt Beth got divorced… Cousin Ed needed college money… We just didn’t go anymore… Many reasons, no more memories, no more stories.

But the Cottage can be saved. You can do it. Your kids and grandkids can live those stories, create those memories. Share experiences. Bond as a family. Build the stories they’ll tell the next generation. Crammed with their cousins, in sleeping bags, in the same “living room.”

Do Not Trade The Cottage For The Nursing Home

Most folks simply do not plan for long-term care. You have heard bits and pieces. Old lake friends forced sale to pay the bills. Horror stories. Bad luck. Tough. Sorry it happened to them. Could not happen to your family.

Clarity is the first step. Estate planning is not about the next generation. It’s about you. Right now. Preserving what you own. Protecting what you value. Traditional estate planning fails families. Most folks eventually need long-term care. Most folks eventually sell the Cottage to pay for it. Simple as that.

You can avoid nursing home poverty. Why isn’t it your top priority? How? LifePlanning™. This system acknowledges that middle class prosperity and independence are destroyed by long-term care costs. LifePlanning™ first protects the Cottage and other family assets. Once life savings are protected, the family can intelligently and purposefully plan for life choices respected.

Now the Cottage is protected and purposefully planned. Life choices respected. No threat from health care, lawsuits, or long-term care expenses. Now we are able to look to the future. Some fundamentals are key.

Estate planning is not about the next generation. It’s about you.

Cottage Life Cycle

Cottages have a life cycle that is remarkably consistent. Ignoring the Cottage Life Cycle practically insures failure. Most planning ignores the Cottage Life Cycle.

Little Kid: Grandma’s Cottage is a magical place: sunny days, puffy clouds, fish a-biting, campfires, friends, swimming. Let’s go! Glorious!

Teenage Years: Grandma’s Cottage is a stinky dump. Why do I have to go? Not cool. Get me outta here!

Young Adult: Bills, bills, bills. Cottage? Sorry: no time, no interest. Cash me in my share of Grandma’s Cottage. So, what if you have to sell it? I ain’t got time for that now.

Married with Children: Gee, whatever happened to Grandma’s Cottage? Too bad our kids won’t have that experience. We can’t afford a Cottage at today’s prices. Even the rentals are outrageous. Too bad.

Grandma’s Cottage begins and ends as the most desirable place in the world. But in the meantime, urgency overrules importance, and the Cottage is sacrificed. Bad luck. And it doesn’t have to be that way. You can have both nostalgic memories and today’s adventure.

Two Traditional Techniques, Two Ways To Fail

Families have failed for generations to protect the family Cottage. I blame the lawyers who advise poorly. You think they would have learned by now. You would be wrong. For generations, the most popular techniques are “last man standing” and the “corporate model.” Both facilitate failure.

Last Man Standing

By far the easiest, cheapest, most popular, and least likely to succeed: “Putting the kids on the deed.” Usually as joint tenants with rights of survivorship. Sometimes (usually by mistake) as tenants in common. Disaster! Joint tenancy equals no rules. Everyone can do anything. No one must pay. And you cannot get out of it. Except by death. Example: Grandma and Grandpa put Aunt Sue and Uncle Chuck “on the deed.” They pass on. Aunt Sue pays all the taxes, utilities, upkeep. Uncle Chuck brings his 30 closest outlaw biker chums for the weekend. Every weekend. Aunt Sue cannot prevent it. Cannot stop him. Cannot make him pay his “fair share.” And if Uncle Chuck lives longer than Aunt Sue, he owns it all. It happens. Failure. But it does avoid probate… whoopee!

Sometimes, when one kid has great financial need (real or imagined), the others will agree to sell the Cottage. Failure again.

Corporate Calamity

So how about some rules? Great idea! And that is the basis for the “corporate model.” Create a limited liability company (“LLC”). Now there are rules. But a new problem. The corporate model gives each beneficiary the right to leave. And to be paid off. Compensated for their share of the Cottage. That is when the corporate model fails. Sooner or later, someone wants out. And they have a right to money. Which the family does not have. Forced sale of the Cottage. Failure.

Remember the Cottage Life Cycle. At some point, each beneficiary will “need” the money more than the Cottage. My experience is that it only takes one. One kid to say “Cash me in.” And then the Cottage is sold. Memories last forever, but that’s the end of the Cottage experience.

A New Hope: The National Park Model

Weaknesses of the Two Traditional Techniques are painfully obvious. And have caused great pain in thousands of families. New hope comes in the National Park Model. It is simple.

Grandma and Grampa want future generations to have magical, irreplaceable experiences. Grandma and Grampa know Cottage Life Cycle. They have seen it in operation. They want to guarantee their legacy.

Here’s the idea: National Parks were established to preserve the irreplaceable. Fill in the Grand Canyon? There isn’t another one. Pave over Yellowstone? Gone for all time. But. Set these treasures aside. Prohibit selfish or short-sighted decisions. Focus on the far future. Now things look different.

You can’t “cash in” your share of Yellowstone or Yosemite, just because you don’t plan to go. Why should you be able to “cash in” the Cottage? And wreck it forever?

You can’t just throw down a tent and sleeping bag in a national park. You have to pay the expenses you create. Why should anyone freeload on the Cottage? Why not establish a budget and other mechanisms that will ensure long term viability?

That’s how dozens of families are now protecting the Cottage today. Rules for harmony. Preserving the past for the future. Pay as you go, while building reserves. No desperation. No leaky roofs. No unpaid taxes.

The National Park Cottage Trust works well in many contexts. The hunting property. The family farm. The townhouse. Clarity eliminates family strife. Reliable rules cement family relationships. In a world of conflict and chaos, wouldn’t it be nice to establish a safe haven? Traditions that will endure. Memories down through the ages. Without regret.

In a world of conflict and chaos, wouldn’t it be nice to establish a safe haven?

Taking Care Of Yourself Is Taking Care Of Your Family

Too many families have the story of the Cottage, the Farm, the Hunting Cabin that “got away.” Your family does not have to suffer a similar fate. You can be the author. Rewrite the future story of your life and your family’s. The National Park Model approach preserves resources, strengthens relationships, achieves your highest goals. And when your great-great-great grandchildren laugh with delight, learning to swim, fish and camp on the Cottage you provided for them… Well, I expect you’ll hear it, all the way over on the other side of the Great Divide.

Call (800) 317-2812

An Estate Planning Story: Failure To Plan Is Planning To Fail

Seventeen years ago

Springtime in Michigan. Sunny, warm breezes, promise of summer. But a cold winter for Lansing Car Assembly. For 120 years, the factory churned out REO Speedwagons, tank cannons, aircraft machineguns, millions of artillery shells, muscle cars, and the last Oldsmobile convertible. GM’s most efficient plant. But the last Olds, a sporty Alero, drove off the line on April 29, 2004. It was over.

Fred and Barney walked away. Friends since their Lansing Technical High School days. They hired into the plant soon after graduation in the 60’s. Married to Wilma and Betty, Lansing Central girls they met at a Junior ROTC dance. The girls joined the steno pool soon after the boys went to work.

Many years later, the two men retired from the plant Ransom E. Olds founded so long ago. Pure Michigan. These older gentlemen were very much alike. Team players. They got the job done. Both had better-than-average careers. Personable, well-respected, and secure. Revered members of their church. Paid-for home in a nice neighborhood: $175,000. Savings of $200,000 from the days before 401(k) plans. Life insurance: $75,000. No debt. Conservative investments. Three kids. Three grandchildren. No bad habits (except spoiling the grandkids).

As new retirees so often are, both were filled with dreams for the future. Time to spend more time with the important people. Wives, kids, grandchildren. Tinkering in the shop. Volunteering at church. Traveling. Enjoying the retirement freedom and security they worked for, looked forward to, earned.

Last week. Still the same…

Every year, when the weather begins to turn, Fred and Barney return to visit. Nothing to see, really. Just memories.

They were still very much alike. Both healthy. Still devoted to their wives. Not all marriages thrive for fifty years. Both primary caregivers for their high school sweethearts. At home. Sadly, just a few short years into retirement, Wilma and Betty were stricken with Alzheimer’s.

But there are enormous differences.

Barney struggles to make ends meet. Living in subsidized senior housing. “On duty” 24 hours per day until his health broke. Exhausted. Retirement savings, Life insurance, Comfortable home – all gone. Betty went to memory care first. Now, the nursing home. Bank account emptied, retirement benefits cut, Barney needs every penny of social security.

Fred recently hosted his favorite (his only!) granddaughter’s wedding. “Uncle” Barney was an honored guest. Nothing high society, but really nice. One hundred and twenty close family and friends. Life savings intact. Independent, secure. Yes, he is Wilma’s primary caregiver. But she still lives at their home. And he has plenty of help.

Fred’s superpower is the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). PACE is the Medicaid program that provides services at home. No worries. COVID emergency rules let him keep the home, workshop, life savings.

Why Is One Desperate And The Other Secure?

Have you ever wondered, as I have, what makes this kind of difference in a person’s life? It does not seem to be natural intelligence or talent or dedication. I do not believe that Fred wants security, and that Barney does not.

Doesn’t the difference lie in what each person knows and how he or she uses that knowledge?

Every week we offer LifePlan™ Workshops and Webinars. Each week you are given a precious opportunity. You can say “Yes.” Yes to planning, security, choice. Middle class folks do not have to go broke. But traditional estate planning is broken. And that is the difference.

What is knowledge without action?

Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and Determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “Press On” has solved and will always solve the problems of the human race.

Calvin Coolidge

Years ago, Fred and Wilma invited Barney and Betty to join them at a LifePlan™ Workshop. Barney and Betty were too busy. Fred and Wilma made the time. Learned the lessons. Established their LifePlan™. It cost money. And effort. But Fred and Wilma (to be honest, it was mostly Wilma) persisted. And those law firm people made sure Fred and Wilma understood every step along the way.

When Alzheimer’s struck Wilma, Fred was ready. Health Care documents: Patient Advocate, Advance Directive, HIPPA releases. Even a funeral representative paper. Locked and loaded. Financial documents: Pantry Trust, Protection Trust, Financial Power of Attorney, Assignments, Deeds. Fort Knox safety.

Trusted professionals who do not charge by the hour. Everything quoted in advance. Friendly, reliable paralegals and attorneys. They sure seem willing to help. They say, “Always a free phone call. Always a free visit.” Maybe it is all just an act! But it is a pretty convincing act. Over all these years. And they have been darn helpful. Like with that wedding planner’s contract… Maybe they mean it…

“Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose” — Janis Joplin

Barney and Betty’s son-in-law told them about free fill-in-the-blank estate planning forms and cheap on-line services. A dedicated helpful son-in-law, he even printed them out on his own computer.
Free!

Free. Except for the $200,000 of life savings. Free. Except the $175,000 home. Free. Except the $75,000 life insurance. Yes. Free. Except for a lifetime’s worth of work and savings. Free. Except for that.
Maybe Janis was right. The most expensive things in the world are “free”.

LifePlanning™ works for you, your loved ones, your greater circle of friends. Have you heard about PACE or the new COVID emergency rules anywhere else?

Heartfelt Thanks To Geraldine T. Richardson – Special Contributor

I wish to recognize Geraldine T. Richardson (not to be confused with the other Geraldine Richardson who is a fine person but has no middle initial) for her inspiration. Geraldine has personally experienced, in her own family, the difference LifePlanning™ can make. I think it is fair to say that she is a little frustrated that more folks do not take advantage of these opportunities. (Hey, I’m doing the best I can!) When I asked Geraldine what more we could do, she said “Tell them, David! Tell them!” “How?” I replied. “Tell them about real families! But change the names…”

Call The Lifeplan™ Hotline Today at (800) 317-2812

The Middle Class Is Broke Because Estate Planning Is Broken

How The Rich Do Long-Term Care

Spoke with a smart person last week. She works for a gigantic financial services company. You know the name. The company is excellent. She is excellent. Her team’s job is to look out for about 150 families. “Wealth Management.” They are good at it. Her families do not go broke.

I was curious… “How do you deal with long term care?”

“A cornerstone of our work, of course. You cannot ignore it.” She said.

“But how do you do it?” I persisted.

I was disappointed in her reply. She talked about “asset allocation.” Used the same words and phrases I had heard from other financial professionals. Stuff I have seen fail over and over again. Very disappointing. Burst my bubble. No insight here. And she had seemed so perceptive. But it was the same old, same old. Recycled stuff. Your own financial advisor gave you the same advice. Put so much over here, so much over there. Et cetera.

“That’s all well and good,” I said, “But don’t your folks go broke?”

She laughed. “No, never.”

“Never? I find that hard to believe. Long-term care is expensive.”

“Yes, it is,” she agreed. “But fifty million dollars is quite a bit of money.”

Demonstrating my keen intelligence, I replied, “Huh?”

“Well, our minimum is fifty million of investable assets…”

And then the lightbulb moment…

“Ohhh!”

How the rich do long-term care. From their (minimum) fifty million, their team of professional investors allocates a few million to long-term care issues. Problem solved. For them. Unfortunately, that is what your financial advisor is doing for you. That is why your family faces nursing home poverty.

We Are Not The Rich. Their Solutions Do Not Work For Us

Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me. [U]nless you were born rich, it is very difficult to understand.

—F. Scott Fitzgerald

Why aren’t your advisors looking out for you? Why all the parrot talk about asset allocation, hybrid insurance products, investment strategies? Why the outright denial and plain avoidance? Why won’t they level with you?

Maybe they do not know any better. Maybe they think that the same strategies that work for the wealthy will work for the middle class. Maybe they are doing the best that they can. Maybe they cannot help it.

Consider the possibility that your advisor learned “best practices” from a “wealth management” guru. Your advisor’s teacher excelled at preserving and growing “old money.” Your advisor was inspired by someone who hobnobs with wealthy folk day-in and day-out. The result: Your advisor may know how to deal with rich people. But what does that have to do with you?
Exactly nothing. According to Ernest Hemingway, the rich are different than you and me. “Yes, they have more money.” Planning for $50,000,000 is not like planning for $500,000. How is that not obvious?

Broken: How The Middle-Class Does Long-Term Care

You spend. And spend. And keep on spending. $12,000 each month for skilled care. $6-7500 each month for assisted living. $25 each hour for companion care at home. More if you want a certified nursing assistant or nurse. Asset allocation? Hardee-har-har.

And then you are broke. Medicaid to the rescue!

Your estate plan is meaningless. Your financial plan is out the window. Your lifetime of work and savings has evaporated. Middle class planning that fails is broken. Let us be honest.

What if we faced the fact that you are not the Great Gatsby? That you do not have a couple million to allocate to long-term care? That long-term care for middle class people like us means Medicaid? Sooner or later, Medicaid will be the solution. Four out of five people in skilled nursing facilities are on Medicaid. 80%. That is reality. Thousands of families receive at-home care through Medicaid. That is also reality.

Fix It: The Middle-Class Can Win Long-Term Care

Recognize that long-term care is a reality for the vast majority. Two-thirds of women, half of men are eventually institutionalized. Accept that Medicaid is the way America pays for long term care.

Anticipate. Plan to preserve your lifesavings. For yourself. For your spouse. For the next generation. The world needs you and your values. Dying in poverty is no way to demonstrate success.

There are 3 goals of LifePlanning™
#1 No Poverty. You will not go broke. Your choices will matter. Your family will succeed.
#2 No Handouts. You have paid into the system with every paycheck, every IRA Required Minimum Distribution, every tax payment. You are not looking for charity or a free ride. Only a bit of fairness.
#3 No Waste. Your hard-earned savings will not be wasted on probate. Will not be thrown out the window. Will not be intercepted by predators or creditors. Your legacy will be of life well-lived. And support for the next generation.

There is no problem with rich folks being rich or planning that takes account of wealth. Good for them.

There is a big problem with advisors giving the same advice to middle class workers and savers that they give to those rich folks. Do not fall into this trap. Learn how. It is super easy. Barely an inconvenience. On your schedule. In the comfort and safety of your own home. In the comfort and safety of one of our workshop rooms. In the comfort and safety of wherever you find comfort and safety.

Sending Just Money To The Next Generation – Easy. Worthless.
Sending Money With Values To The Next Generation – Difficult. Priceless.

Sixty minutes to personal control. Because you earned it. Avoid Nursing Home Poverty. Thousands of middle-class families have learned and use these techniques. Why not yours? Transmit your values along with your stuff.

Got Questions? Get Answers! (800) 317-2812

A Star Wars Story – Your Estate Plan Is Surrender to the Death Star

But You Can Save the Universe!

What if Estate Planning were like Star Wars? Who is the bad guy? Who is the hero? How do you win? No technicalities. All the realities. For purposes of this parody (must call it a parody for copyright purposes), we assume you are familiar with Star Wars (only the first one).

You Are Luke Skywalker

Regular folks. Working hard on the farm. Faithful to your family. Life is boring, but you have ambitions. Wanting to make things better. For yourself right now. Then for the next generation. But the evil Empire is in your way. How can you win?

Nursing Home Poverty Is The Evil Empire

You face the future. Aging and disability are out there. Real. No kidding. Bad news. Darth Vader level bad news. Most families die broke. Most folks wind up in long-term care. You do not have to worry about probate because you spent everything on at-home care, assisted living or skilled nursing. But you are not cowardly. No running away. Heroic. You are not going broke! But what to do? How to beat the bad guys?

We Are Obi-Wan Kenobi

Obi-Wan has been down this path before. Offering insight. Delivering your light saber. You have to save the day, but you are not alone. We can help, but that is all. Remember, you are the hero!

The Hero Needs A Plan… Here It Is!

Is it hard to beat the Evil Empire? To secure your lifesavings and protect your family? For a hero like you, it is super easy! Barely an inconvenience…

Every week Obi-Wan Kenobi will personally guide you along the path to victory. Sign up today for a Workshop or Webinar. Some are listed on this page. Call the Rebel Alliance directly at 800-317-2812.

Slack Off And Watch Darth Vader Take Over Your Universe

Can you afford to have the Death Star blasting laser beams at your planet? Can you afford $10,000 to $15,000 per month for skilled care? (Aren’t those the same question?)

If Darth Vader takes over, your choices are gone. No freedom for you! If your lifesavings are gone, what choices do you have? How have you provided for those you love?

With the Evil Empire in the saddle, life for future generations is bleak. If you allow Nursing Home Poverty to strike your family, who is going to help with your grandkids’ tuition? Bleak.

LifePlanning™ Is The Light Saber of Righteousness!

Luke Skywalker does not leave home without it. His light saber. LifePlanning™ is your light saber. LifePlanning™ is your arsenal to defeat Nursing Home Poverty. To preserve lifesavings. To stand up for Truth, Justice and the American Way! (That’s another hero…)

Still, you are not sure exactly what to do. As I see it, you have three options:

First Option: Same Old, Same Old

Look for an estate planning attorney. They still have Yellow Pages, don’t they? Research online. Ask your friends. Look at billboards on the highway. Call several and set up appointments. Go through the interviews. Ask questions, get fuzzy answers and pages of legal jargon. Work through that entire process to perhaps find yet another lawyer offering something similar to what you already have. Or maybe 4,5,6 lawyers offering the same old thing. Check out a few online internet services too! Sounds so easy… Then wind up back on square one. Still no peace of mind. No comprehensive plan. No security.

Second Option: Do Absolutely Nothing

Why does anyone plan their estate? Why bother spending all that time and money for a will or trust? Most people plan for peace of mind. Maybe you do not need that security. Stay exactly where you are. Getting exactly what you have always gotten. Acid indigestion. Insomnia. Migraines. Accept that what you have is as good as it gets. Suck it up, buttercup!

Third Option: Explore LifePlanning™

Give it a try. No need to give up your current plan. Just come to a LifePlanTM webinar or workshop. See what it is all about. What could you accomplish? Is it better than what you have now? Easy? Sixty minutes. At home. At one of our four locations. At your convenience. At your service!

Sure, the future is uncertain, but you are not helpless. LifePlanningTM means that your life’s work serves you. And your families or loved ones. LifePlanningTM never becomes obsolete.

Be The Hero, Save Your Universe
Get It Done In Twenty-One!

Luke was hibernating or something in 2020. A whole year of wasted opportunity. Darth Vader running rampant! Wake up… Take a stand. Be the hero! Use the Force…
Sixty minutes to personal control. Because you earned it. Avoid Nursing Home Poverty. Thousands of middle-class families have learned and use these techniques. Why not yours?

Got Questions? Get Answers!

GET ANSWERS NOW… THE CALL THAT CHANGES YOUR LIFE…
COME TO AN IN-PERSON WORKSHOP…
LIVESTREAM ON-LINE AND GET ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS
WHATEVER IT TAKES TO SERVE!
(800) 317-2812

Is a “Pinto” Plan “Good Enough” for Your Spouse and Family? For You?

Why Don’t You Deserve “Cadillac” Planning? Is the “Cadillac” Plan Too Good for Your Spouse? Your Family? Why?

Thousands of middle-class families have used LifePlanning™ to get the peace of mind that comes from loading your family into the safest, most comfortable vehicle possible. Without thorough planning you will spend yourself into Nursing Home Poverty. You get what they feel like giving. Not what you have earned. Not what you want. Not what you deserve. With a whimper, not a bang. Quieter than a flaming fireball of dramatic death, but just as devastating. To you. To your family.

Without LifePlanning™ , you are driving a Pinto.do not have good answers to the questions. No one has your back. Maybe things will work out. Maybe you will get home today. Maybe. Why not be sure?

LifePlanning™ preserves your lifesavings. You never go broke. Your earnings serve you throughout your lifetime. And that means…

You stay home. Longer. You get the help you need, that your spouse needs. Clear-eyed. Relevant. Participating in your own care.

Things Everybody Knows, That Are Not So!

Everybody Knows: Wills Avoid Probate!
Reality Check: Wills Require Probate…

You are an expert for certain things. You know how to quilt. Or fish. Or woodwork. You might have learned on the job. Or as a hobby. But you are an expert. You know how this stuff works.

And then you hear someone else talk about it. A friend. A neighbor. Your brother-in-law. Maybe in the newspaper. And they get it wrong. Oh boy, so wrong. All wrong. A genuine achievement. Give that guy a blue ribbon! For wrongness.

Happens all the time, right?

It ain’t ignorance causes so much trouble; it’s folks knowing so much that ain’t so.
— Josh Billings, 1882

Announcing a New Feature on The Reporter: Things Everybody Knows, That Just Are Not So!

Things regular folks say and believe. That prevent effective action. Setting the record straight, one issue at a time. Shall we begin?

Reading Of The Will:
Who Gets The Leftovers?

For many folks, the question is: When I am dead, who gets the leftovers?

The answer, for many folks: Read the Last Will & Testament! Preferably on a foggy evening. In a creepy old house. With a creepy old lawyer. Surrounded by heirs of mixed ages and questionable virtue. Reading dramatically from the Will in his creaky old voice, the lawyer delivers deeds, heirlooms, and sacks of cash. Virtuous, good heirs rejoice. Evil, bad heirs plot their revenge! And it is all over in just a few minutes.

Would you be surprised to learn that reality is a bit different than the movies? After 2020, are you still shocked when the “experts” get it wrong?

What Is Probate?

Probate is how society cleans up your mess. What mess?

Basic Truth: Middle Class Michigan takes care of business. Handles things. Gets it done.

Right now, most of us own our home (with some help from the bank). And savings account. Investments. Furniture. You pay your bills. And file your taxes. You take care of you. And yours. Humming along like a top… No Problem! A nice tidy picture. You are a responsible person acting responsibly.

But what if things go wrong? What if you cannot take care of business? How could that happen?

If you are incapacitated… stroke, auto accident, Alzheimer’s? If you die. Who is taking care of your business now? Your nice tidy picture is not so nice and tidy anymore. It is a mess. Who does what? Who gets what? Now what?

Probate is the answer when folks do not plan. And most folks do not plan. Most folks wind up making a mess. Probate is the cleanup crew.

You Go To The Supermarket.
For A Loaf Of Bread. One Loaf Of Bread.

Have you ever tried this? Have you ever gone to the supermarket for a single item? And then before you find that single item… You gather up a dozen more groceries you cannot live without. This is how most people go through life. Carrying around their stuff in their own name. Like the supermarket shopper without a cart.

That is fine, so far as it goes. But what if you slip and fall. What happens to the groceries?

Whee! Whoops! Big. Mess. Call the Janitor! Cleanup on Aisle 3…

Probate Court Is The Janitor!

Probate Court is Johnny-on-the-Spot to clean up the mess you made when you slipped and fell. Probate gathers up your groceries and tries to figure out what to do with them. Janitors have a Rule Book about who gets what. It is called the “Estates and Protected Individuals Code.”

The Probate Judge is the Lord High Janitor, Exalted Over All Deputy Janitors. The Personal Representative (or Executor) does the real work. Junior Deputy Janitor.
The Junior Deputy Janitor has 3 jobs.

  • 1. Marshall the assets. Gather up the leftovers.
  • 2. Pay the bills.
  • 3. Deliver the leftovers to the deserving beneficiaries.

 

But What About The Will?!?

Your Last Will and Testament is simply instructions to the Junior Deputy Janitor. It is a note, a piece of paper. Fluttering about betwixt and between the mess. Let us hope the Junior Deputy Janitor finds the Will. Let us hope Junior Deputy follows the Will. Let us hope.

Your Will ONLY works in probate. It is simply instructions to the Probate Court, through the Personal Representative, expressing your desires. Expressing your will as to who should be in charge. Who gets what. Deriving its powers from the Probate Court.

Your Will only “works” after you have died.

Your Will only “works” by going through Probate.

Your Will does not avoid Probate… it is a creature of Probate, part and parcel.

Wills Are Awful And No Good!
Probate Is Awful And No Good!

Kind of extreme, don’t you think? Wills and probate have their place. Some techniques of great benefit to many middle-class families only work in probate.

You know that a rush to judgment often leads over a cliff. Let us calm down. Sensitively and sensibly evaluate our options. And choose according to fact, not fiction. Planning success is a choice, not chance.

We Got Through 2020.
Time To Move Ahead In 2021.

Last year, the number of regular folks planning their futures dropped. Significantly. Could it be that you had other things on your mind?

At the same time, our Crisis Caseload skyrocketed. Special PACE rules mean more families than ever qualify for immediate help.

And fewer people focused on planning ahead, LifePlanning™. The Carrier Team has been busier than ever, but I fear 2020 was a year of wasted opportunity for regular families. I am extremely concerned. What do you think?

You can get the information you want. In-person workshops and one-on-one meetings. Recorded and live-streaming webinars. Like you, we have never stopped serving. As you seek out new ways to accomplish your life’s work, we are on the same journey. By your side. Making the rules work for the people who play by the rules.

Sixty minutes that to accelerate your success. An hour to put 2020 in the rear-view mirror. Avoid Nursing Home Poverty. Reject silly Spend Downs. Learn how to preserve your loved one’s lifesavings, business, cottage, life insurance. Thousands of middle-class families have learned and use these techniques. Why not yours?
Got Questions? Get Answers!

GET ANSWERS NOW… THE CALL THAT CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE…
COME TO A WORKSHOP… (800) 317-2812

Kent County Small Business Recovery

According to the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce, this fund helps businesses that have not been able to access, or have been declined for local, state, or federal relief funds, or need additional support to weather this crisis.

We are focused on businesses that may be dealing with additional barriers including but not limited to language, general business knowledge, and from underserved communities.

Consistent with the limitations of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, these businesses also must have been directly impacted and experienced losses due to business interruption due to COVID-19.

All distributions of funds are subject to the requirements of the CARES Act and Treasury Department guidance on the use of Coronavirus Relief Funds.

Who Is Eligible?

Programs differ in the details. But generally:

  • Private, for-profit business located and registered in the grant district
  • 25 or fewer full time equivalent (FTE) employees (that means you can have 50 half-timers)
  • Some have expanded eligibility to businesses with up to 50 FTE employees
  • Direct impact and loss from COVID (In other words, everybody)
  • In business before 2/15/2020

Your mileage may vary.

How Much?

Smaller businesses with 25 or fewer FTE employees may receive $5000 to $25,000. Twenty-six to fifty FTE workers? You may get $10,000 to $40,000.
Business owners know that money evaporates. Everything costs more. Everything breaks. At the worst possible moment.

Murphy’s Law: “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong”.

Small business Owner’s Law: “Murphy was an optimist”.

Still, these are grants not loans. No repayment. Now you can fix the refrigerator. Restock the supply room. Meet payroll for one more week. It helps!

How To Apply?

Get your financial documents together. You must provide any two of the following:

  • Tax return
  • Income statement
  • Sales report
  • Cash flow statement
  • Profit and loss statement
  • Balance sheet

Sole proprietor? They will need your individual tax return as well.

Most Small Business Recovery Programs have an online application process. And it is simple. Gather your financial documents, file the online application, keep on working your butt off.

How Long To Get An Answer?

Check your email. They are trying to get the money out there quickly. Someday soon, you may get the notice that help is on the way.

But I Don’t Want Government Help!

Small business owners are independent do-it-yourself types. Government hand-out? Perish the thought! Understandable. But.

Government demands taxes. You pay taxes. You never thought you would see any of that money again, right? No return on that investment. This is a return on that investment. Unusual times.

Same approach applies to estate planning and elder law. You paid in, why shouldn’t you be paid back? If you need it. When you need it? Learn more. It is easy. Well, pretty easy.

Getting Started

COVID flaring up again? Today is the best time to plan. Begin by calling the LifePlan™ Hotline: 800-317-2812.

Get Information You Need: Your Life, You Choose!

COVID has not gone away. New challenges arise daily. The risks to what you have earned and built have not gone away. And we have not gone away either. It is your stuff… protect it. With complete control. LifePlanning™ means your choices matter, whatever life brings.

How can LifePlanning™ protect your middle-class life savings? How to get this information?

Are you like thousands of Michigan families who played by the rules and earned homes, cottages, farms, lifesavings? Would you like the rules to work for you, for a change? Why wait until it is too late?

GET ANSWERS NOW. CALL THE LIFEPLAN™ HOTLINE
(800) 317-2812

Estate Planning to Serve You | David’s Story

Folks like us begin working by age 10. Snow shoveling. Grass mowing. Babysitting. Dishwashing. Me, I began delivering newspapers at 7.

I have an older sister, two younger sisters and four younger brothers (8 of us altogether). Dad, a WWII Navy veteran, taught school by day, then worked the local brewery’s graveyard shift. Sixteen-hour days for sixteen years. Mom was an RN. She resumed practice when the youngest was 5. Both parents tracked our grades, chores, and college savings.

Paper route and dish-washing money paid for my first year at the University of Notre Dame. An Army scholarship and weekend pizza deliveries took care of the rest. Upon graduation, the Army kindly allowed me to get my first law degree from Boston University Law School. Like Dad, I worked third shift full time to pay the bills.

On active duty, the Army let me jump out of airplanes, argue murder cases, edit The Army Lawyer, and work at the Pentagon. The Army also paid for most of my Master of Law, Taxation degree from Georgetown University Law. Airborne wings, two Meritorious Service Medals and an Army Achievement Medal. Thank you for allowing me to serve!

A Different Vision Of Estate Planning & Elder Law

Two years at a large law firm were enough. For them. Thirty years ago, I founded my own firm. Dedicated to you. Middle Class Americans. Today, 40+ team members share the LifePlan™ vision:

  • 1. No Poverty. You do not go broke. You will keep your lifesavings. Keep your independence. Period. Money is choices. You decide. At home care, assisted living or skilled nursing?
  • 2. No Handouts. Middle class Americans are not looking for charity. Need long term care? Get the benefits you paid for with every paycheck.
  • 3. No Waste. Avoid probate? Of course. Make sure the beneficiaries get their inheritance, no matter what? Yes!

I reject traditional estate planning. Traditional planning sacrifices Middle-class Michigan to nursing home poverty. Everyone knows this. Your insurance agent, financial advisor, accountant, lawyer. It is no secret. Except to you. No longer. The Reporter gives you the straight story.

Over the years, tens of thousands of families have used the LifePlan™ approach. Simple fairness. You paid in. You get the benefit. Receiving the best care. Maintaining quality of life. Not going broke.

Service To Our Client Families

No billing by the hour. No billing by percentage of your estate. No surprises. We do not like surprises. We will not surprise you. Let’s talk… no charge. No charge for the workshop either. If you choose to protect yourself and your family, we will craft a plan and quote the fee. No risk. You decide. You get options, in writing, all fees disclosed up front.

Many lawyers claim to do everything from traffic tickets to trusts. Can that lawyer is be expert at anything?

Our singular focus is on you and your loved ones. Following through, getting the job done. I call it LifePlanning™. You may call it common sense. Other lawyers wish it would just go away.

GET ANSWERS NOW. CALL THE LIFEPLAN™ HOTLINE
(800) 317-2812

Goals of a LifePlan™

Too many middle-class families (one is too many and long-term care poverty smashes the security of thousands) go broke from endless long-term care bills. That does not happen to our LifePlan™ families.

It is simple: Three Goals, One Strategy.

1. No Poverty – You will not go broke.

When you are in control, life is good. You will not go broke from casinos, Bernie Madoff, or too many vacations. Long-term care rips the steering wheel from your hands and points you over the cliff. No choice, no chance. LifePlanning™ keeps you firmly in the driver’s seat. In control. Lifesavings intact.

2. No Charity – Caregivers get paid. You already “bought the insurance.”

America pays for long-term care through your taxes. Withheld from every paycheck you ever earned. More than your fair share over the years. You paid for other people. Folks you have never met. You, the middle-class, only want a fair shake. You paid in, you should get paid back if needed. Without sacrificing every red cent.

3. No Waste – Any leftovers go to your beneficiaries. Not wasted on probate or taxes.

Why shouldn’t your family, your loved ones, benefit from your leftovers? Why should probate, taxes, government soak up what is left? Wise plans avoid strife and insure family harmony.

For 30 years, the LifePlan™ strategy has achieved your goals.

The rules can work for you. LifePlanning™ makes the rules work for the people who play by the rules. Other so-called experts, attorneys, planners, financial advisors accept the status quo. They do what everyone else does. The LifePlan™ approach dives deep. Seeking out and securing your family’s future.

LifePlanning™ is middle class Michigan’s tool kit for winning the future. Comply with their rules? Yes, absolutely. If you want to win, you must know how to play the game. Thirty years of study, experience, testing and delivering results have produced the LifePlan™ system. Techniques and tools that preserve, protect, and defend your right to decide how you will live. You earned that right through decades of work and conscientious stewardship. Isn’t it ridiculous to suggest that impoverishing yourself, your spouse, your family is somehow noble? Isn’t it foolish to reject your own life experience for the defeatist counsels of the “wise”?

LifePlanning™ means your choices matter, whatever life brings. Are you like thousands of Michigan families who played by the rules and earned homes, cottages, farms, lifesavings? Would you like the rules to work for you, for a change? Why wait until it is too late?

CALL THE LIFEPLAN™ HOTLINE – 1-800-317-2812

Middle Class Estate Planning

What is so different about you? What enables middle-class folks to rise and win, time after time? Facing and beating challenges? At seven years old, I began helping another kid on his paper route. Lucky for me, there was a block of triple decker houses and Paulie did not like climbing stairs. A few years later, my next younger brother and I had our own route. Hot in the summer. Cold in the winter. Raining or snowing from time to time. On foot. We did not always whistle while we worked. But the Carrier boys delivered the Evening Bulletin 6 nights a week. And early Sunday mornings, before church, the Journal-Bulletin.

You have done the same. Throughout your life, you took the overtime. The second job. Doing what it took. My weekends at Notre Dame were spent delivering pizza. As a law student, I worked full time on the graveyard shift as a security guard. Just like you. What else could we have done? We had a job. We saw the need. We got it done.

We learned it from our folks. After beating the bad guys in WWII, our parents went to work. Dad taught school all day, came home, changed clothes, and put in 8 more hours at the Narragansett brewery. For 16 years. Mom was an RN. After raising 8 kids, she pinned her nurse’s cap back on and resumed nursing. Details vary, but your family lived the same values. How do I know? Thirty years of talking to and planning for your folks. And you.

And now COVID. The Elder Plague. Death rates: way down. Therapies: better and improving. So much winning. But we are not done yet. COVID is real. COVID can strike close to home.

By a series of commonplace coincidences, a team member tested positive for COVID. Since the beginning, the Carrier Law team has taken every recommended precaution. And come up with a few of our own. Hand sanitizer, videoconferencing, outdoor workshops, social distancing, masks, working from home, plexiglass barriers, temperature checks, screening protocols, Clorox-ing conference rooms, prudent behavior.

Not perfect. Last Friday, I spent a few hours (in the rain) climbing through trees on one of those courses. Team building with several paralegals. Outdoors, yes. Distanced, yes. Wearing masks, yes. Until that triumphant team photo at the finish. Mask off. Picture! Mask on. Well. Then we waited for the results. One more thing to be taken in stride.

Aren’t we all waiting on “test results”? What will your “Alzheimer’s test” reveal? Of course, there is no such “test.” We find out only as time goes by. With COVID, we face reality, we do not wish it away. Most of us will eventually face dementia. Personally. Not just our spouse or a loved one. Lots of statistics. One bottom-line fact.

The trouble in American life today, in business as well as in sports, is that too many people are afraid of competition. The result is that in some circles people have come to sneer at success if it costs hard work and training and sacrifice.
– Knute Rockne

We, the middle class, do not deny reality. We accept it, make our peace, and do the best we can. With optimism and good cheer. Lots of critics have lots to say about us baby-boomers. But all agree that when we see what we want, we go get it. Make it happen. Rejecting the counsels of gloom and doom. With open eyes and stout hearts.

When you are facing long-term care, dementia, end of life issues, there are a million questions and few reliable answers. Many people, including otherwise competent financial planners, well-known attorneys, and respected members of the community, seem to believe that you should go broke when facing these issues. Maybe they are unaware of the options. Perhaps they are in denial. Is there a moral imperative that you should go broke? Some “experts” seem to think there is.

Americans play to win all the time. The very thought of losing is hateful to Americans.
– George S. Patton

Like you, I completely reject the idea that losing is okay. Like you, I believe in winning. We all have challenges and sometimes we do lose. But we never “get used to it.” Why should we? Losing is a bitter pill. I may have to take my medicine, but I do not have to like it.

If you want to go broke, as some folks think you should, you do not need me. The state is very good at making a bonfire of your lifesavings. The state helps only when you comply with their rules. And for most folks, compliance means poverty, insecurity, loss. Unacceptable.

[W]ith firmness in the right as god gives us to see the right let us strive on to finish the work we are in…
– Abraham Lincoln

LifePlanning™ at Carrier Law

LifePlanning™ is middle class Michigan’s tool kit for winning. Comply with their rules? Yes, absolutely. If you want to win, you must know how to play the game. Thirty years of study, experience, testing and delivering results have produced the LifePlan™ system. Techniques and tools that preserve, protect, and defend your right to decide how you will live. You earned that right through decades of work and conscientious stewardship. Isn’t it ridiculous to suggest that impoverishing yourself, your spouse, your family is somehow noble? Isn’t it foolish to reject your own life experience for the defeatist counsels of the “wise”?

LifePlanning™ means your choices matter, whatever the test results. Are you like thousands of Michigan families who played by the rules and earned homes, cottages, farms, lifesavings? Would you like the rules to work for you, for a change? Are you waiting for the test results? Are you waiting until it is too late? Would you like to know now?

GET ANSWERS NOW… CALL THE LIFEPLAN™ HOTLINE
1-800-317-2812

Client Success Stories…

We were very happy with the information at the workshop on Estate Planning [LifePlan workshop]. Amanda was very helpful in explaining the options we could choose from to protect our assets from excessive taxes.

All questions were answered in depth and in a manner that was very understandable. I left feeling confident that we can contact them at any time for help navigating the system.

The staff are incredibly professional. My mother was treated with utmost respect. Her paperwork was organized and concise. I dealt with David and Jim and they spoke in terms my mother and I could understand.

I was totally lost when my husband’s dementia got bad. David and his group helped me feel in control again. They are there to help me whenever I need them. I should have done this sooner.

Perfect balance of pleasant and professional. Starting with workshops with targeted info, to chit chat with David (and all the staff we met) – great experience. Thank you!

My husband and I just returned from your workshop in Portage…We are so pleased we attended and came away with so much information and insight. The workshop was well organized, well presented and your staff was wonderful. Patrick made things fun, and as he promised, the time flew by. Thanks you again for 2 very well spent hours.

Donna & Stephanie are extremely professional, on top of everything, friendly and just a joy to work with. Very prompt on phone calls, emails, etc. I am very thankful for these two people!

We have been extremely pleased with the professional service of David and the staff. It has been a pleasure working with everyone to make sure our future is secure. David was also very helpful finding an out of state attorney to help our parent’s address their Elder law needs.

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“The Law Offices of David L. Carrier is an estate planning and elder law firm located in Western Michigan. Our main office is in Grand Rapids, and we have 3 other conveniently located offices in West Michigan. We specialize in medicaid crisis planning, estate planning, elder law, probate, wills and trusts.

Our Office Locations

Grand Rapids, MI

Norton Shores, MI

Holland, MI

Portage, MI

Practice Areas

Medicaid Crisis Lawyers

Estate Planning Lawyers

Elder Law Lawyers

Family Trust

Probate Lawyers

Trust Funding Center

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