We Always Take Care Of Our Clients Seriously
At Dakroub Law, your peace of mind is our priority. We listen carefully, provide clear guidance, and handle every case with dedication and respect. Serving Dearborn and all of Southeast Michigan, we are here to protect your future and your family.
Trusted Legal Excellence
Recognized by leading legal organizations and media
Our Probate Legal Services
Comprehensive legal solutions for all aspects of probate and estate administration, providing peace of mind during difficult times.
Estate Planning
Protect your future with a custom estate plan. Avoid unnecessary costs, delays, and stress for your loved ones.
Estate Planning With Deeds
Own a home but not much else? Use deeds to avoid probate without a trust.
Trusts And Estate Planning
Trusts are not just for the wealthy, they are powerful tools for everyday estate plans.
Estate Planning With Wills
Wills are simple and cost-effective, but they require probate. A trust may save more over time.
Planning For Children
Secure your children’s future by naming guardians and protecting assets, even if they are modest.
Special Needs Planning
Ensure long-term care for loved ones with disabilities through a tailored special needs trust.
Probate / Estate Administration
We help guide you through the court process to manage and distribute a loved one’s estate.
Guardianships And Conservatorships
Protect adults who cannot care for themselves due to illness, injury, or disability with legal guardianship.
We Have Answers
Common Questions Families Ask
Every family facing probate has similar concerns. Here are the questions we hear most often.
What is Estate Planning?
Estate planning is the process of organizing your estate assets and establishing a plan to bequeath those assets to particular individuals known as beneficiaries. Estate planning consists of preparing documents such as a will or a trust to carry out your objectives and intent.
Why is it important to establish an estate plan, and what happens if you do not have an estate plan?
One of the main reasons to establish an estate plan is to avoid the probate court process. The probate court process is lengthy and costly, requiring the personal representative of your estate to administer it under court supervision and according to the court’s timeline. This process is public, and your estate planning documents become public through the probate court.
Establishing and funding a trust can help avoid probate court, the associated costs, and the headaches that come with it. It is also important to establish an estate plan to ensure that your intent is carried out and your assets are protected or distributed to the beneficiaries you choose.
If you do not have estate planning documents, your assets will be divided according to the laws of the state where you live. This means state law will dictate who receives your assets and how much they receive, all through the probate court process.
Overall, an estate plan carries out your goals and structures the way you want your assets distributed. It can also provide tax advantages, flexibility, privacy, and, if trust-based, can be administered without probate court supervision.
What does my estate include?
Your estate is everything that you own, which includes the following:
- Any real property, such as your residence
- Any businesses or interests in those businesses
- Bank accounts
- Stocks, bonds, and mutual funds
- Life insurance policies
- Personal property, including vehicles, boats, and other assets
Which is the better estate planning document, a will or a trust?
A will does not avoid probate court and is less flexible than a trust. Although a will is typically less costly to draft than a trust, it may be more expensive to have a will as your controlling estate planning document because your personal representative would have to admit your will to the applicable probate court. That means your personal representative will likely have to hire a lawyer to help with the process, which can be lengthy and includes court fees.
Trusts are more advantageous than wills in several respects. Trusts are private documents and do not need to be registered. They can be administered privately. Trusts are flexible in that you can choose to give your beneficiaries the assets of your estate outright after you pass away, at certain age intervals (for example, 25% at age 25, 25% at age 30, and the remainder at age 35), or keep the assets in a lifetime trust to protect the beneficiaries against their current or future creditors.
There are many more advantages to having a trust than a will.
What estate planning documents should I have?
An ideal estate plan should consist of the following documents: a trust, a pour-over will, a durable power of attorney for health care (also known as a patient advocate designation), and a durable power of attorney for finances.
Other ancillary documents, such as a funeral representative document, assignments of business interests, a certificate of trust, and more, should also be included in your estate planning portfolio.
When should you consider having a Lady Bird Deed?
Suppose you are looking for a cost-effective approach to estate planning that is less expensive than a trust and avoids probate court upon your passing. In that case, a Lady Bird Deed may be an alternative, but only in specific situations. Lady Bird Deeds are effective and often used if your main valuable asset is a home, you do not want to pay for a trust, you have adult children, and you want your family to avoid probate court upon your passing.
This special deed gives your beneficiaries tax advantages upon your passing and, more importantly, allows you to keep control over your home throughout your lifetime. Once you pass away, it automatically transfers to your beneficiary. This differs from a typical warranty or quitclaim deed without Lady Bird Deed language, which would usually require your family to go through probate court to transfer the home out of your name after your passing.
Lady Bird Deeds are not flexible, however, and may not offer the same benefits as a trust or a will. Still, they can be helpful in certain situations. Lady Bird Deeds are also used in Medicaid planning, where you can avoid Medicaid Estate Recovery upon your passing so that Medicaid cannot claim your home for repayment of long-term care services provided during your lifetime.
A Lady Bird Deed is a deed that changes the title of your real estate. Although you maintain complete control of your property, the language of your deed changes significantly. An attorney should advise you before using this type of deed.
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What Our Clients Say
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Dedicated To Protecting Families Across Dearborn And Southeast Michigan
At Dakroub Law, we take every client’s needs seriously. From estate planning to probate and business law, we focus on providing clear, affordable, and personalized legal services without the hassle of litigation. Based in Dearborn, we proudly serve clients throughout Wayne, Macomb, Washtenaw, and Monroe Counties, offering guidance you can trust at every step.
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Areas We Serve Across Southeast Michigan
Providing comprehensive probate legal services throughout Southeast Michigan.
Select your region to see counties and communities we serve.
Counties Served:
Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, Monroe, Detroit Metro Area