Legal Question in Juvenile Dependency in Michigan

Re: Inheritance

You or the grandparents should set up a trust of some sort, and to do that you will want to hire an attorney knowledgeable about tax and estate planning. If she is young, you will be the guardian of the money, but it's not yours to spend, it's hers. You should be able to spend it on her behalf, though. A spendthrift trust (which limits the amount she can access over a certain period, say a year) can work well, so please make sure that the attorney you hire is VERY knowledgeable about this area and your options, and has plenty of insurance for this type of work. You really don't want it to be done incorrectly. I don't usually recommend firms here, and RARELY big firms, but I know that Miller, Canfield has offices in Michigan AND in Florida, so at least talk to one of the attorneys there to get an idea of what they will charge you before deciding. Don't let the attorney double dip you though,--they should be able to handle it from start to finish for the same fee, and not have to pay specialists to do the work for them and don't pay for research. They should know what they're doing straight off. Get several quotes, don't just hire the first attorney you talk to, because anyone would want to handle that sort of account, since there's little risk of not getting paid! :o)) Good luck!