Practice Areas

Our commitment and compassion to our clients’ legal needs drive our success and reputation in the community.  We focus on estate planning law, business law, and real estate law.

Estate Planning

The main goals of estate and asset planning include avoiding the time-consuming and expensive cost of court administration of your estate (known as probate), minimizing taxes and ensuring your loved ones have a smooth financial transition upon your passing.  

Everyone should have an estate plan, regardless of their income, age, or the value of their assets.  An efficient estate plan will help your family avoid unnecessary taxes, court costs, attorney fees, and hardships.

An appropriate estate plan will also help prevent disputes amongst your loved ones over the assets and belongings you leave behind.  Most importantly, however, a proper estate plan will provide you with peace of mind, and will provide your loved ones with security when facing a future without you.

Attorney Robert E. Robbins will work with you to develop an estate plan that will allow you to enjoy the benefits of your labor during your lifetime, while still providing your beneficiaries with the legacy you intended after your passing. Simply stated, we help you make certain that what you want, goes to who you want, when you want.

Services include:

• Wills
• Codicils to Existing Wills
• Trusts (revocable and irrevocable)
• Amendments to Existing Trusts
• Special Needs Trusts
• Lifetime Gifts
• Charitable Gifts
• Conveyance Documents
• “Lady Bird” Deeds
• Medical and Financial Durable Powers of Attorney
• Federal Estate Tax Reduction Planning
• Medicaid & Long-Term Care Planning
• Creditor Protection
• Probate Avoidance Planning

Business

We represent businesses of every size and type. 

Clients planning new businesses can expect expert advice on the various business entities available to them, including sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited liability companies and corporations.  Your business plan will then be developed and implemented with advice based on many years of legal experience.

Continuing clients have learned that we can advise them on every aspect of their businesses.  Whether strategic planning, stock sales, asset sales, labor relations or licensing, clients can expect a full portfolio of legal services to satisfy their business needs, including:

• Entity Selection
• Corporation and Limited Liability Company Creation and Maintenance
• Not-For-Profit Corporate Formation and Eligibility Compliance
• Name Reservation
• License Appropriation
• Local, State and Federal Filings
• Acquisitions, Sales, Mergers
• Stock Redemption Agreements
• Buy-Sell Agreements
• Membership Assignments
• Employment Agreements
• Severance Agreements
• Non-Disclosure & Non-Compete Agreements

Real Estate

An attorney’s involvement in a real estate transaction can and should be more than just reviewing your closing documents.

Everyone, from first-time homebuyers to established businesses, can benefit from an attorney’s involvement in a real estate transaction.  Every property is inherently unique and valuable.  As a result, Michigan law provides extensive property rights whether you’re a property owner, renter, landlord or neighbor.    Like any rights, however, you need to know these rights exist and you need to know when they can be exercised.

We have comprehensive knowledge of your rights under Michigan real estate laws.  From buying your first home to becoming a landlord, you can expect years of real estate experience to help you make the right decisions.  We also lead clients through the land development process, from obtaining initial zoning and planning approvals to addressing environmental issues.  Clients can also expect us to represent them before the Planning Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals, and other municipal and state regulatory agencies.  Our real estate practice includes expertise in the following areas:  

• Purchase Agreements
• Land Contracts
• Option Agreements
• Deeds
• Commercial and Residential Leases
• Real Estate Developments
• Easements and Access Rights
• Title Defects and Quiet Title Actions
• Condominium Developments
• Boundary Line Disputes
• Forfeitures and Foreclosures
• Zoning and Land Use
• Condemnation
• Eminent Domain
• Property Defects and Property Damage
• Tax Deferred Exchanges