Barbara provides strong advocacy for her clients in cases of high conflict divorce. She uses her experience in property matters to assist clients in the negotiation of their most important financial assets. It is her belief that clients must be informed of their options and how the court will perceive the specific facts of the client’s individual case in order to successfully navigate through the divorce process. Barbara provides effective and sensitive guidance through that process, assisting her clients in resolving the often-difficult issues of child custody and support, parenting time arrangements, and the complex issues of spousal support, pension and retirement, inherited and gifted property, and other issues that arise in divorce.
Barbara also practices in the area of collaboratively-mediated divorce for those clients who desire to work out settlements outside of the court process. Collaborative mediation in a divorce is implemented via a contract signed by a divorcing couple and their attorneys and other professionals if desired, including child psychologists and financial planners, who agree to work outside of the court process. The professionals work as a team to assist clients to engage in creative problems-solving aimed at reaching a negotiated equitable settlement agreement delineating the legitimate needs of both parties and their children. Barbara is a member of the Collaborative Law Institute of Michigan.
Barbara also provides effective guidance to clients who are mediating a divorce settlement through a private mediator, and counsels her clients smoothly through that process to a satisfactory settlement.
Reasonable rates are offered for uncontested divorce cases.
Barbara has developed relationships with other professionals, including accountants, financial planners, psychologists and social workers and property appraisers, and will put a team together or make a thoughtful referral to insure that her clients get thorough and effective consultation and representation.
Prenuptial agreements are carefully drafted with an understanding of how divorce and property law may impact any such agreement at a later time.
Barbara handles Estate Planning matters dealing with the distribution of her client's property at his or her death. Wills, testamentary trusts, joint trusts and revocable grantor trusts are drafted to best preserve both the client's assets and his or her wishes. Special care is taken with medical directives to make sure that these protective devices are enduring and properly executed.
Barbara has successfully completed the Institute of Continuing Legal Education's Probate and Estate Planning Seminar Program, consisting of over ten courses in advanced estate planning and probate topics, including estate planning for second marriages and non-traditional families.
Barbara efficiently administrates the probate process and will either personally handle the estate administration of a deceased family member,
or will guide the family though an informal probate process. Assistance is also provided for non-probate transfers of the deceased's assets.
When a parent or other loved one becomes unable to make competent decisions for himself or herself due to mental or physical disability, Barbara efficiently manages the legalities of court procedures and statutory requirements, enabling the appointment of an adult child or other caregiver to manage the finances and to make decisions regarding the physical well-being for their incapacitated loved one.
Barbara's knowledge as a real estate attorney, combined with her 21 years as a licensed Real Estate Broker, provides unique experience and expert assistance to her clients in the purchase and sale of residential homes, including drafting or review of contracts, review and evaluation of Title work, financing and closing documents, and the preparation of land contracts and option contracts. Barbara works well with "For Sale by Owner" clients, as well as those who have employed the services of a Realtor.
Barbara has extensive expertise in all aspects of condominium law, including assistance with the purchase and sale of individual units, drafting of condominium documents for developers, and representation of condominium associations as retained counsel.
Barbara provides legal services assisting clients through the process of custom home construction, including negotiation of the building contract, warranty review and evaluation, condominium master deed and by-law review, subdivision covenants review, and assistance with issues and problems during construction. Vacant land evaluation is also provided to ensure that it can be used for the proposed home within the price anticipated by the future home-owner. Barbara also provides services dealing with post-construction problems.
Barbara has assisted with multi-million dollar commercial property transactions, including the negotiation of partnership contracts, construction contracts, and leases of all types.
Barbara's practice includes tax-deferred exchanges and quiet title actions.
Barbara guides her clients through the process of understanding the best entity choice for their particular business needs, whether it is a Limited Liability Company or an S Corporation, and then drafts the appropriate business documents to ensure proper licensing. Barbara also drafts post-formation documents, such as contracts, leases, and non-compete agreements.
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