News

With the difference between Medicare and Medicaid straightened out (see my previous article if you missed it), it is good to explore what Medicaid actually covers. A person that is asset and income eligible has three main scenarios in which government benefits may be received. Skilled Nursing Care. I refer to the first as skilled

Last month, I wrote about the interest of business owners in developing a business advisory board to help them grow their companies. In this article, I want to focus on the how-to’s of this process and getting started. It fundamentally begins with the purpose of the board and composition of the group. The business owner

Comparing apples to oranges is like comparing Medicare to Medicaid. While the first two are fruits, and the second two are government programs – there are major differences from fruit to fruit and from program to program. But what is the difference? I first explored this question when I decided to practice Elder Law. Most

Business owners know that even the best plans can’t cover every possible situation and risk. However, there are some contingencies that owners should prepare themselves for. One of them is the possible death of another owner. This can be devastating in particular if the owner is a “key employee” in the business. Nothing can bring

Reviewing a commercial lease can be a daunting task for anyone who has not done it before. From the numerous pages of dense text to the typical overuse of legalese, these documents tend to be some of the least user-friendly that I come across as a business attorney. Yet, reviewing them is something that most

I’ve see an increased interest among my clients in creating a “business advisory board.” The purpose I hear most often in developing this type of board is to provide the owners with insight or expertise that they don’t have in house. A close second is that the board helps owners develop strategic perspective on the

Haans Mulder, an attorney and partner with Cunningham Dalman, P.C., recently authored an article in the Michigan Business Law Journal. The article is entitled “Synthetic Equity in S Corporations: Avoiding Tax Traps When Planning for Key Employees.” Haans has been named a Rising Star by Michigan Super Lawyers Magazine, has a Masters in Tax, is

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has interpreted the federal law barring workplace gender bias to include a ban on discrimination against gay workers. The EEOC said that “discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is premised on sex-based preferences, assumptions, expectations, stereotypes, or norms. ‘Sexual orientation’ as a concept cannot be defined or understood

A revocable trust is a key document for many estate plans. It usually is drafted to give the person setting it up (called the settlor) full control by naming them trustee and beneficiary during their lifetime. It also addresses how the assets will be distributed at the settlor’s death. But many clients ask how this

Estate planning is not exactly the best “get-together” conversation topic when you are with friends or family. For me and my wife, many of our friends and acquaintances have just started a family within the last few years or are getting close, and when my job comes up, the conversation shifts to “oh, you do