Family Law

• Guardianship
  Estate Planning is the process of arranging your affairs for the orderly and tax efficient transfer of your assets to the beneficiaries of your estate. The estate planning process often includes wills, trusts, powers of attorney for financial matters, powers of attorney for medical decisions, living wills for end of life decisions and guardianships for minor children.

Criminal Law

• Criminal Defense
  Tammy D. Gallant joined the law firm in 2017. Her current primary duties focus on Real Estate Law and Business Law. In addition to her primary duties, Tammy assists with evictions, estate planning and litigation. In 2012, Tammy graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Legal Studies and brings with her over 10 years’ experience not only in Real Estate Law and Business Law but also Bankruptcy Law, Family Law and Criminal Law.
• Wrongful Death
  John C. Johnson is Of Counsel to the firm. Mr. Johnson has had a distinguished career assisting Clients with matters of personal injury, business and real estate litigation. Mr. Johnson received his Juris Doctor degree cum laude from Wayne State University Law School. John assists the firm with cases in personal injury, worker’s compensation, Social Security Disability, business, commercial and real estate litigation. John is a member of the Michigan Association for Justice, State Bar of Michigan and Berrien County Bar Association. John is available to serve clients in all state and federal courts in Michigan as well as federal courts in northern Indiana and the federal Sixth and Seventh Circuit Courts of Appeals. John is active with Lions Clubs in Michigan having served as Council Chairman, District Governor and as President of St. Joseph Township Lions Club. John received his undergraduate degree in mathematics from Central Michigan University. John is married with one child. Business Litigation and Arbitration Civil Litigation Commercial Litigation and Arbitration Personal Injury Litigation Real Estate Litigation Social Security Disability Worker’s Compensation Wrongful Death Litigation Read More

Business and Corporate Law

• Corporate Law
  Should you form a corporation and stay as a C Corporation, convert it to an S Corporation or set up as an LLC? Which type of business formation is right for you? This is where you need expert legal, accounting and taxation advice to decide what is best for your particular business operation. We will be glad to consult with you to help you decide what type of corporate formation is right for you. Below we will give you some basic information to help you better understand your options and also to see why you need expert legal advice when setting up a business.
• Business Formation
• Business Disputes
  Rebecca Zarzecki graduated from River Valley High School in 1989 and attended Aquinas College in Grand Rapids. Following receipt of her Bachelor Degree, she began her legal career in the Chicago Loop as a paralegal/legal assistant in insurance defense. She attended the UIC/John Marshall Law School evening program and graduated in 2005. During law school, Ms. Zarzecki was chosen to argue in the prestigious National Competition and served as Associate Justice on the Moot Court Honors Counsel. Ms. Zarzecki graduated from UIC/John Marshall Law School and as admitted to practice in the State Bar of Illinois. She focuses her practice on family law, business disputes and general trial work. Having over 20 years of experience in litigation, Ms. Zarzecki routinely negotiates emotional and highly charge situations to final settlement with efficiency - achieving beneficial results. Ms. Zarzecki has handled hundreds of evidentiary hearings and trials in her tenure. She has now had published opinions by both a Supreme Court Rule 23 opinion by the First District Court of Appeals and Second District Court of Appeals. In 2021, Ms. Zarzecki expanded her practice to her hometown community and was admitted into the Michigan State Bar. She continues to fight for her clients on a daily basis in trials, evidentiary hearings and court appearances.
• Construction Contracts
  Mr. Miller has concentrated his legal practice in the areas of Business Law and Real Estate. Mr. Miller has assisted numerous clients start new businesses, purchase or sell businesses and run existing businesses. Along with the Miller Johnson Schroeder legal team, he has assisted numerous businesses resolve legal issues faced in the ongoing operation of a business such as contract drafting and review, employment disputes, financing, product and payment issues and business separations. Mr. Miller uses his business and legal background as a member of the Board of Directors of a company that is over 100 years old serving the steel and aluminum industries. The company has facilities in Michigan and Alabama. Further, Mr. Miller has assisted in the purchase, sale and development of all types of real estate. Mr. Miller on a regular basis assists clients buy homes on Lake Michigan and in other resort areas in Southwestern Michigan. Assistance with the resorts and Lake Michigan homes often come with numerous special issues that need attending such as easements, zoning, building restrictions and boundary questions. With experience he is able to quickly work though such matters. Mr. Miller has also assisted with major residential, commercial, industrial and resort projects in the St. Joseph, Benton Harbor and the surrounding Southwestern Michigan area. For example, Mr. Miller has been heavily involved in assisting Harbor Shores Golf Resort acquire property for the course and obtain zoning permits for portions of the greater Harbor Shores project. Mr. Miller has been honored to assist with development of numerous residential and commercial condominiums where hundreds of people now live and work. And on one project, Mr. Miller assisted community development organization accumulate 35 parcels of land, vacate numerous streets, move a water course, and build a new factory on a former brownfield site. This project brought employment right into the city and saved the need to use new green space. Mr. Miller has assisted numerous builders and owners with construction contracts and issues. Mr. Miller has given numerous seminars on matters involving real estate, finance, business organizations, business succession, employment, construction and contracts.

Employment Law

• Employment Litigation
  Mark Miller graduated from University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. Mr. Miller concentrated on Marketing, Accounting and Finance. Mr. Miller followed that degree with his Law Degree (Doctor of Jurisprudence) from Indiana University McKinney School of Law with honors. While in Law School, Mr. Miller was a clerk for the Indiana Supreme Court and an Assistant Hearing Officer for the Indiana Public Service Commission. Mr. Miller is a founding Member of the firm, having started the predecessor firm of Klute Miller, PLC in 1996. Mr. Miller is proud to have the opportunity to work with the other members of the firm, now known as Miller Johnson Schroeder, PLC. Mr. Miller has concentrated his legal practice in the areas of Business Law and Real Estate. Mr. Miller has assisted numerous clients start new businesses, purchase or sell businesses and run existing businesses. Along with the Miller Johnson Schroeder legal team, he has assisted numerous businesses resolve legal issues faced in the ongoing operation of a business such as contract drafting and review, employment disputes, financing, product and payment issues and business separations. Mr. Miller uses his business and legal background as a member of the Board of Directors of a company that is over 100 years old serving the steel and aluminum industries. The company has facilities in Michigan and Alabama. Further, Mr. Miller has assisted in the purchase, sale and development of all types of... Read More
• Non-compete Agreement

Property Law

• Real Estate Litigation
  Real estate law is a specialty area of law covering all the federal laws, local regulations and legal codes related to real estate, which is legally defined as land, and any immovable improvements on that land, such as buildings. Real estate law therefore covers purchase and sale transactions, leasing or rental agreements, property development and management, and commercial property use. Real estate law is extremely complex, with different regulations and ordinances for residential, commercial and industrial property, which are constantly updated and are specific to each local area.
• Construction Litigation
  Answer: You appear to have had problems with two highly regulated professions/trades in Michigan. You say that your information is well organized. This being the case, I would call the State of Michigan's Department of Labor and Economic Growth, Corporations Division, Residential Builders Board http://www.michigan.gov/cis/0,1607,7-154-10557_12992_13953---,00.html This is the web site to check out. I recommend that you call the Builders licensing board and make an appointment to review your problems. It also appears that you may have concerns about the legal counsel that you have worked with. If this is the case, I can tell you that the Michigan Bar Association and the Attorney Grievance Commission takes such claims very seriously. See http://www.agcmi.com/ If that is the case make an appointment to see them also. Good luck with your problems. Also, I would recommend that you retain a lawyer with experience in construction law to help you out.
• Real Estate Transactions
  Any real estate purchase, sale or rental is too important and expensive for you to learn from your mistakes. Instead, you must make sure that you always make the right decisions the first time, for the continued growth, prosperity and safety of your family or business. Michigan Lawyers & Attorneys has a specialized real estate legal team at your service, with the skills, expertise and experience to make your real estate experience stress-free and successful, from start to finish.
• Easement
• Land Use and Zoning
• Landlord-Tenant Disputes
  I need to have a question answered about a domestic dispute? My boyfriend and I have had our house in Southwest Michigan, since 2003. He wants to evict my children and me. This is the second time this has happened. Could you please let me know what my and my children's rights are? He is trying to use the landlord tenant issue; however there was never a lease. Thank you so much

Health Law

• Personal Injury
  John C. Johnson is Of Counsel to the firm. Mr. Johnson has had a distinguished career assisting Clients with matters of personal injury, business and real estate litigation. Mr. Johnson received his Juris Doctor degree cum laude from Wayne State University Law School. John assists the firm with cases in personal injury, worker’s compensation, Social Security Disability, business, commercial and real estate litigation. John is a member of the Michigan Association for Justice, State Bar of Michigan and Berrien County Bar Association.
• Auto Accidents
• Social Security Disability
  If you have been unfairly denied Social Security disability benefits, litigation can also help you present your case in front of a court of law, who will determine whether or not you have entitlement, and if so, enforce payment to you.

Trusts and Estates

• Estate Planning
  Your goals and objectives will determine whether you need a simple or complex estate plan to accomplish your objectives. Estate planning is not just about money. It can give you peace of mind that your objectives will be carried out; that your children will be cared for by the guardian you chose.
• Wills
  A living will, also known as an advance medical directive, deals with what will happen should you become terminally ill and unable to communicate your wishes about your own medical treatment. A living will details what kind of life-sustaining treatment you wish to receive, in cases where you are terminally ill, with little to no hope of recovery, only the possibility of being maintained in your incapacitated state. Although different states have varied regulations regarding when living wills can take effect, a living will is always the best way to ensure your wishes are followed as far as legally possible.
• Trusts
  There are several different types of trusts, which are applicable in different situations. In a living trust the major benefit is your wishes are followed as in a will, but probate is avoided. It also protects the beneficiaries because a trustee is in charge who will follow the exact instructions set up in the trust for dispersing the assets. A living trust can be revocable, which means it can be changed, altered or terminated by you at any time; or irrevocable, which means it is permanent and cannot be terminated.
• Power of Attorney
  Answer: First, I want to pass on my condolences for the loss of your Husband. If I can help in this small way I am glad to. Under Michigan law, property owned by a Husband and a Wife, as Husband and Wife by the "entireties" passes automatically to the survivor. I presume that this is what the bank is talking about. Also, property owned "jointly" by a Husband and Wife passes to the survivor. I have only run into a problem when I came across a case where an unmarried couple bought a home as "tenants in common" and then after the purchase got married. They still owned the home individually and the wife had to Probate her husband's estate to have his interest in the home transferred to her. I doubt this last scenario applies to you, but pass it on for purposes of a full explanation. If you owned all property jointly, then they all pass to you as the sole owner upon your Husband's death. I hope this helps. However, I would recommend that you see an Attorney to have this reviewed and get complete peace of mind about this. If you have any questions about what the Attorney tells you, then you can write me back and I will give you a second opinion. Also, you should probably prepare a new Will, Trust, Power of Attorney and Health Care Power of Attorney and HIPPA Medical Release Form. If you became ill, disabled or passed away, these documents would be very important to have in place.
• Probate
  Probate Law is the specialty area of law that deals with the disposition of a person's estate after they have passed away. This is always a... Read More

Finance Law

• Bankruptcy
• Foreclosure
  We were served an eviction notice from our home in Royalton Township, Michigan, by the bank. We are just the tenants of the building and paying rent to the landlord, who has been in foreclosure since Feb 2005. We signed a month to month lease with the landlord in Sept. 2005. I need some information fast. We do not have the money to move let alone pay for an attorney.
• Tax Law
  Tax Law is the specialized area of law that deals with the federal and state laws and regulations governing personal taxes and estate taxes, business taxes and even tax preparation.