I am pleased you have chosen to visit my personal page of our firm website.  I have been a lawyer for over 40 years, practicing during that time mostly in Calhoun County and the adjoining counties, although I have also occasionally been involved in actions in many other areas of the state.  I have recently decided to reduce my practice to those types of law which I have most enjoyed and feel that I am best able to assist my clients with my training and experience.

Accordingly, I now spend most of my time engaged in the following areas of the law:

ESTATE PLANNING AND PROBATE

  • Wills
  • Trusts
  • Elder Law
  • Medicaid Planning
  • Probate
  • Powers of Attorney
  • Tax Preparation for Estates and Trusts

REAL ESTATE

  • Sales Agreements
  • Deeds
  • Land Contracts
  • Boundary Disputes
  • Leases
  • Easements
  • Vacation Property Planning

BUSINESS MATTERS

  • Incorporation of Businesses
  • Creation of Limited Liability Companies
  • Buy/Sell Agreements
  • Leases
  • Partnerships

You may also be interested in my background and how I chose to practice law in Battle Creek.  I was born in Battle Creek in 1947, and grew up here.  My father was a lawyer and came to Battle Creek in 1934 after clerking for a Michigan Supreme Court Justice.  After I graduated from Battle Creek Central High School in 1965 as co-valedictorian with one of my high school debate partners, I went on to the University of Michigan, where I graduated with a degree in Economics, magna cum laude.  Having spent my entire life in Michigan, I decided to venture out for law school and enrolled at Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  While at Harvard Law School, I met and married my wife, Cheryl, in 1971.  I graduated from Harvard in 1973 with a Juris Doctor degree, with honors.

Cheryl and I spent a great deal of time deciding where we wanted to go after graduation for me to start my legal career.  After much soul searching, I rejected job offers in several large cities and we moved back to Battle Creek to join my father and his partner in their law firm.  We have never regretted our decision and I have enjoyed my career and life here, where we raised our children.  Our firm now has four members, as you may have seen on another page, and we all enjoy working together in our legal practice.  We each have different skills and experience and I feel we complement each other very well.

I have continued to maintain my legal knowledge by attending numerous seminars in various areas of the law.  Much of my focus has been in the area of estate planning, trusts, and probate.  I hold a Certificate of Completion in the areas of Probate and Estate Planning issued by the Institute of Continuing Legal Education and the Estate Planning Section of the State Bar of Michigan.

The most enjoyable part of our practice is meeting others and hopefully being able to help them with their legal concerns and planning for the future.  I try to maintain a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere and want my clients to be comfortable with me, my partners, and our staff.  Initial conferences in estate planning are at no cost, so that you can discuss with me your unique situation and learn how we can help with your planning.  If you decide to have me prepare your wills, trusts, or other estate documents, we will do so at a reasonable cost.

Please feel free to call me about any legal issues you may want to investigate.  Our staff will be happy to set up an appointment at your convenience.  The phone number is 269/979-3990.  I hope we will have a chance to meet and discuss your legal needs.

 

 

Member:  Calhoun County Bar Association and State Bar of Michigan; Holds a Certificate of Completion in the areas of Probate and Estate Planning issued by the Institute of Continuing Legal Education and the Probate and Estate Planning Section of the State Bar of Michigan.