In Michigan, a court can issue an order for the transfer of assets from one spouse to another when one spouse is institutionalized. Such order is termed a protective order and is authorized under the state’s Estates and Protected Individuals Code. But what is required for a court to issue a binding order?

From new anti-clawback proposed regulations to pay transparency statutes, we have recently seen significant developments in estate planning and business law. To ensure that you stay abreast of these legal changes, we have highlighted some noteworthy developments and analyzed how they may impact your estate planning and business law practice.

As attorneys, we are in a fiduciary role and must be honest and fair with our clients. Our clients trust us with their lives, their families, and their savings. Hopefully, you don’t need to be told to not steal money from your clients because it is obviously egregious. But when a case comes out about an attorney who lost his way, it can serve as a reminder to keep us on our ethical toes.

An attorney out of Salt Lake City, Mr. Curtis, was just sentenced to 97 months in federal prison and assessed with almost $13 million dollars in restitution. The prosecuting team initially had reached a plea deal with Mr. Curtis for 6 years in prison, but the judge rejected those terms as unreasonable. Mr. Curtis plead guilty to wire fraud and money laundering. The clients he was charged with committing these crimes against were elderly or disabled folks.