New Dollar Limits for Small Claims -- File a Lawsuit Without a Lawyer

The Michigan Legislature recently increased the dollars limits for small claims lawsuits.  As you may know, the parties in a small claims case cannot be represented by attorneys in court.  The new jurisdictional limits of small claims court are --

• September 1, 2012 to December 31, 2014 -- $5,000
• January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2017 -- $5,500
• January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2020 -- $6,000
• January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2023 -- $7,000
• Beginning January 1, 2024 -- $7,000

I have a complete guide to file a small claims lawsuit on my web site.  Feel free to use the forms and instructions posted there. 

New Michigan Law Limits Collective Bargaining for Public School Employees

Collective bargaining by public school employees is not really related to estate planning, but there is a great deal of news coverage on the topic.  Therefore, I thought it might be informative for readers to see how Michigan has decided to handle this issue.  Click here for the text of the new statute that limits collective bargaining for public school employees.  Section (3) of the statute contains the topics that can no longer be the subject of bargaining by teachers and school employees.

Bankruptcy Facts You May Need To Know

I am not a bankruptcy lawyer, but I get so many questions about this topic that I decided to educate myself on the basics. I have posted a primer on bankruptcy law at http://jtlaw.us/bankruptcy. My site is not designed as a "how-to manual" for filing bankruptcy without a lawyer, but simply as a starting point for reference. I have links for bankruptcy forms and means testing, and a table of exempt assets. Please pass it on to anyone that may need this information.