Picture this scene of a courtroom... the person walks up past the gallery public seating, goes through the awkward swinging half door that feels much heavier than it looks, and nervously navigates pass the tables with the lawyers and other people she does not know. She briefly looks at the small pitcher of water on their table and wonder when she sits at the designated leather chair for her (behind another awkwardly swinging wooden door), will she have a water table too. Suddenly her throat is dry and she feels like she won’t be able to speak. This is especially puzzling because she has waited for this day to tell the “real truth”. She steps up to the uniformed officer who looks her in her eye as if she is not really there and says: “Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?” And she answers… This scene is a display that happens in courtrooms across our country, state and city everyday. Although it is a familiar scene, ...
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The Wayne County Probate Court has made several changes in the way it processes files and helps citizens. Whether you are a citizen who is filing for conservatorship to handle their parents' assets, a lawyer who is filing (or sending someone to file) a new probate estate, or you are a generous soul that is raising a child that is not your own and filing for limited guardianship - this information is for you. Please note the court has made the following changes: The Analyst Department has been eliminated. The persons formerly in the Analyst positions have become Service Clerks. The Probate Counter is staffed with 14 persons: 6 Counter Clerks and 8 Service Clerks. The Counter Clerks serve as Cashiers, Information Clerks and Case Initiation Clerks. The Service Clerks accept all petitions (initial and subsequent), motions, accounts, and other filings. They will also adjudicate and grant small estate petitions and applications for probate, accept inventories (and set bonds as nee ...
When I posted a version of this article on Facebook on the actual day of my 20 year business anniversary (January 5, 2015), for some reason it never dawned on me to share this in my website community. What I can say is that as I read the comments of people responding on the page, talked to people about the post, people approached me in many places around the city about this post... I simply became more grateful. Yes it has been 20 years of having the doors of my business open. Although I have practiced law for 22 years, when I consider having my doors open and the number of people and families I have served - I am blown away! Yes, I know I have skills, I know I am good at what I do, but there are lots of immensely talented people whose doors have closed, dreams have died, and who did not make it through the rough times. There are many un-named and un-appreciated who did not make it past year 1, year 5, or even year 15 of their business. There are many who gave up and threw in the towel of their lifelong drea ...