Estate Planning Attorney in Rochester

Bebout, Potere, Cox & Bennion, P.C. has been serving the Rochester for over 20 years. We recognize that working with an attorney with compassion and experience handling sensitive family and marriage issues is of vital importance to us. You’re never just another number. We care about you and your family.

In order to provide you with individualized representation, we get to know you on a personal level and your struggles become our struggles. We help them through their emotional and financial issues, so that they can maintain control of their legal situation and their lives.

Whether we’re handling a difficult family law issue or helping you and your family manage an estate plan, we will always seek the best possible solutions that make sense for your unique situation. We will guide you through the process ahead and keep you informed at all time. We want you to feel like you’re in control of the situation, not the other way around.

The compassion our attorneys show to our clients is only matched by their experience handling a variety of legal issues. Each lawyer at our firm brings a unique set of skills and talents that benefit our clients and helps them gain closure.

The attorneys at Bebout, Potere, Cox & Bennion, P.C., have handled countless cases over the years and have helped individuals and families resolve even the most challenging family law issues, including:

We take a common-sense approach to resolving issues through collaboration and amicable negotiations. However, when court becomes necessary, you can trust that you have an aggressive advocate on your side. We understand our clients because we truly care about their needs and future situations. The solutions we find are always in the best interests of you and your family.

Our lawyers get to know you on a personal level and act as a supportive guide throughout the divorce process. We will answer any and all of your questions, making sure you understand exactly how to address important divorce issues, such as:

For more than 60 years, Bebout, Potere, Cox & Bennion, P.C., has guided people throughout Oakland County and Southeast Michigan through a variety of legal matters, including drafting estate plans. We have experience utilizing a variety of tools to meet the needs of you and your family, such as:

We can walk you through the process of drafting an estate plan, making modifications to an existing one, handling administration of an estate plan and navigating probate. We have considerable experience with intestate succession cases and, thanks to our family law practice, we can also help individuals update their wills after divorce.
We care about your legal needs and will make sure you have the information you need to make the right decisions about you or a loved one’s estate plan, which is why we will make ourselves available to address any question or concern you may have.

At Bebout, Potere, Cox & Bennion, P.C., we understand that the only way to make smart and informed decisions about an estate plan is to ask the right questions and get answers from someone who fully understands the law, the legal process and how to do things right the first time around. Serving Oakland County and communities throughout southeast Michigan, Our attorneys use their knowledge and experience to do just that, even dispelling estate planning myths that can cause people to hesitate to start their estate plan.

Here is a list of some of the more common myths we hear:

You have to be a retiree in order to start thinking about your estate plan

False. You can draft an estate plan at any age, though it’s best to start the process when you start accruing substantive assets for yourself and would like to direct to whom they go.

You have to have a will in order for your family to get your estate.

False. If you die without a will, your property and assets pass into what is called intestate succession. This is a process whereby the state decides which family members will receive the property and in what amount.

Probate isn't necessary if the decedent had a will.

False. Probate may be necessary in certain cases, even if a person died with a will. In situations where a will is contested or if a person dies with property in their own name, then probate proceedings may be necessary.

You only need an estate plan if you're wealthy.

False. You should have an estate plan in place regardless of the size of your wealth. The state of Michigan allows individuals to create small estate plans that can help ease the legal burdens handled by loved ones after someone passes away.

Regular maintenance on a will isn't necessary.

False. Unless your estate never changes and you go through no major life events such as the death of a beneficiary or marriage – which is highly unlikely in most cases – then you should consider speaking with an estate planning lawyer about making updates to your will.