Legal Coaching: A one-year anniversary promotion during March!
Taproot Law is redefining the role of general-practice law in the rural communities of the UP. Last summer, we began reaching out to communities that had few lawyers serving the area. We received warm welcomes, full workshops, and invitations to return. As we celebrate our first year at Taproot, we also want to celebrate you […]
Green Space: We love education and a conversation with Jeremy Hansen, Funeral Director
A lawyer and a funeral director walk into a bar. The bartender asks, “What happens when you die?” The two give very different responses that the bartender needed. This is education in the wild. Anytime someone asks a question, they are asking to be educated. They probably didn’t think much about the depth of the education […]
Taproot loves our pets! Tips on how to include them in your estate planning
Don’t forget your pets in your estate planning! Sometimes our pets do outlive us or we can’t take care of them if we become incapacitated. In either of those events, it’s important to include how they should be cared for and by whom to avoid possible contention and disputes between the human loved ones who will inherit […]
Green Space: We love our pets and an interview with Dr. Brauer (Marquette)
Pet planning, Aging with Aging Dogs, Dog Bite Protocol with Dr. Edward G. Brauer III (Marquette Veterinary Clinic) We started the year with divorce month, and the story of my divorce settlement: I got the dog, and he got the cash. During February, we’re covering the things we love in our blog posts, and we are […]
Green Space: Erica interviews Elder Law Attorney John Yonkers (Marquette) and Why Taproot does not do medicaid applications (“Elder Law”)
What is Elder Law anyway? Estate planning is a fluid process that occurs throughout life. As an estate planner, I’m trained in elder law techniques, but I do not dabble in elder-law planning because it’s a specialized area of the law that changes frequently. Elder law is a specialized type of estate planning that incorporates […]
Check your estate plan after divorce!
What does an estate actually mean? Have you noticed that lawyers use the word “estate” a lot? Probate estates, trust estate, marital estates, etc. An estate refers to a certain bucket of total assets and debts, and there are special rules that apply to that bucket. The rights of different estates are interwoven, and a […]
Green Space: Erica interviews Amanda Knaffla, J.D., CTFA, Range Bank, Marquette
Earlier this week, I wrote about ways Taproot Law can support unmarried couples with estate planning kits. Our latest Green Space article features Amanda Knaffla, J.D., CTFA who is the Chief Trust & Wealth Management Officer at Range Bank in Marquette. Amanda is also an attorney who previously practiced in the area of estate planning. […]
Cohabitation: estate planning and cohabitation agreements for unmarried couples are more important than you think
Meet Bill and Marilyn: Partners for Life Marilyn, who is in her early 70s, was distraught. Her life partner of the last 30 years, Bill, suffered memory loss and was not improving. His son became Bill’s guardian and conservator and just delivered an eviction notice to Marilyn. The son then moved Bill into his home to […]
Green Space: Erica interviews Attorney Marybeth Marin, divorce and custody attorney (Marquette)
As Taproot continues to redefine “general practice”, we are building a community with people who support our clients in other ways. Through our series, Green Space, we will feature interviews with people in our community that relate to what we’re writing and thinking about from week to week. To kick off our first interview, I […]
An open letter to Delta County and Schoolcraft County leaders and innovators: Join me to bring legal services to your community
Hello innovators and leaders across the UP! Not sure if we’ve met, yet. I’m Erica Payne and I’m an attorney, based in Marquette since 2012. I left my traditional firm in 2022 after chronic pain made it an uncomfortable place to work, and I opened my own firm, Taproot Law, in 2023. While I still […]