State Rep. Doug Wozniak on Thursday saw the House unanimously pass his plan to make technical fixes to Michigan estate planning laws.

Wozniak, a licensed attorney specializing in elder law and estate planning, worked with the State Bar of Michigan’s Probate & Estate Planning Section to develop the bill. The plan makes technical changes to statutory law that will aid attorneys in reading and drafting trust documents. These changes would bring greater clarity to the process and avoid the need for the courts to step in and eliminate confusion or contradiction between well-established common law practices and statutory requirements.

“This legislation makes it easier for Michigan attorneys to create trust documents representing the intent of their clients,” said Wozniak, R-Shelby Township. “No one wants to worry that their wishes will not be honored after they pass because the court interprets a document differently than the person for whom it was created.”

House Bill 4864 now moves to the Senate for further consideration.

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