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COMPREHENSIVE PROBATE & ESTATE PLANNING ADMINISTRATION

Sarah M. Meinhart, PLLC is a client focused boutique law firm specializing in Trust & Probate Administration, Estate Planning, and Probate Court. Sarah M. Meinhart strives to provide professional services tailored to your specific state in life as you plan for your future and loved ones.

The firm’s goal is to give each client a path of the attorney representation and to provide clients with predictability and peace of mind regarding the process and fees associated with the services rendered. 

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MEET THE ATTORNEY

Ms. Meinhart served as the Co-Chair of the 2016-2018 Estate Planning, Probate & Trust Law Section for the Washtenaw County Bar Association.  She currently serves as a 2018-2019 Director at Large for the Washtenaw County Bar Association. She is a member of the State Bar of Michigan.  Her practice is focused on Probate & Trust Administration, and Estate Planning.  Ms. Meinhart serves her county as a Guardian Ad Litem, and has been appointed as an independent Trustee and Personal Representative by the Washtenaw County Probate Court.

 Ms. Meinhart knows that a death of a family member or friend may not only bring about legal issues, but also presents potential interpersonal dynamics.  As an attorney and counselor, she is able to navigate issues as they arise.  She is knowledgeable about the law and the rights of each member touched by the decedent’s life, and can address the “what and how” of intricate circumstances.  She is able to properly administer a decedent’s estate; through Probate with the Court or through Trust administration.

In her free time, Ms. Meinhart enjoys training for ½ & full marathons, discovering Michigan’s landscapes while hiking & camping, and spending time watching her little ones play sports.  

INITIAL ESTATE PLANNING CONSULTATION

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ESTATE PLANNING

Everyone already has an estate plan, whether they have something in writing or not. If someone passes away without a will or trust, their estate will be distributed by the laws of the State of Michigan through the Probate Court. An estate plan makes your wishes known for how you want your assets handled and distributed and designates who you appoint as a fiduciary to carry out the administration of your estate.


PROBATE

Probate is a legal process that helps one transfer his or her estate in an orderly and supervised manner. This takes place after a person passes away. Probate includes proving the validity of a will and any codicils, identifying what is included in a decedent’s estate, paying valid debts and taxes, and distributing the property to the beneficiaries according to the will.


TRUST ADMINISTRATION

Trust Administration is the process by which a Trustee manages and distributes assets through a private Trust document. A trustee’s duties are very similar to the Personal Representative in a Probate Estate, being that the fiduciary may be in control of real estate or a business, may need to collect and pay creditors, file taxes, and arranging for disposition of assets; or continue as trustee for a special needs or minor child. A trustee has a duty to follow state law and carries a fiduciary duty to the beneficiaries of the estate. Michigan law is state specific, especially when it comes to Charitable Trusts, and the fiduciary needs to timely and properly in the duties performed.