If you have ever worried that your kids will be stuck paying off your credit cards or medical bills after you pass away, this episode will set the record straight. Most people do not realize the bigger risk is not the debt they leave behind, it is the DIY planning they have already done. Adding your children's names to your bank accounts or your home can expose your assets to their divorces, lawsuits, and creditors in ways you never saw coming.

Michael Rutkowski, a Michigan estate planning and elder law attorney, breaks down exactly which debts die with you, which creditors can actually force the sale of your home, and why keeping assets out of probate is your strongest protection against all of it. He walks through real scenarios, from a son's divorce draining mom's bank account to Medicaid liens as priority creditors, and names the specific tools that fix it: trusts, beneficiary designations, pay on death accounts, lady bird deeds, and powers of attorney. This one is for anyone who has already put a child's name on an account and needs to know what to do next.

Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:13) The Divorce Scenario

(02:14) Tools That Solve This Problem

(03:19) Debt and Your Kids After You Die

(05:41) Can a Creditor Force a Home Sale

(07:11) Probate and Creditor Protection

(07:45) Liability for Trustees and Agents

Michael says never put your kids' names on your accounts. Have you already Taken this or other proactive steps that could put your family at risk? Comment below.

To see how my team can help, call 248-927-2930 today

or visit our website at https://rutkowskilawfirm.com/contact

Free Resources: https://rutkowskilawfirm.com/resources/downloadable-guides

Connect with Me

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikelrutkowski

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelrutkowskiesq

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rutkowskilawfirm

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mikelrutkowski

If you recently lost a parent or loved one and have no idea what to do next, this episode walks you through the entire process step by step. Most families feel pressure to act fast, pay bills, turn in cars, start dividing things up. That urgency can lead to costly mistakes, like a $30,000 to $50,000 surprise bill from turning in a leased car the wrong way.

Michael Rutkowski, an estate planning and elder law attorney with over 20 years of experience, hosts On the Record to make these conversations simple and human. In this episode he covers how to inventory assets, where to look for estate planning documents, how the six-month creditor notice period works, what to do with titled property, and how to avoid fraud after someone passes. He walks through a $500,000 estate example to show how bills get paid before distributions. Whether you are settling a probate estate or just trying to figure out where to start, this one is for you.

Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:55) How to Inventory Assets

(03:50) Tracking Down a Trust

(05:28) Filing with Probate Court

(07:15) A $500K Estate Example

(08:19) Freezing Accounts and Avoiding Fraud

(09:47) Titled Assets and the DMV

(10:24) Pets and Pet Trusts

(11:21) Final Takeaways

To see how my team can help, call 248-927-2930 today

or visit our website at https://rutkowskilawfirm.com/contact

Free Resources: https://rutkowskilawfirm.com/resources/downloadable-guides

Connect with Me

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikelrutkowski

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelrutkowskiesq

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rutkowskilawfirm

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mikelrutkowski

Nursing home care averages $15,000 a month, and without proper planning, your home and savings are exposed. Most families find out too late that gifting assets to kids or grandkids can actually disqualify you from the Medicaid long term care benefit and put your house at risk. This episode breaks down exactly how that happens, what the five year look back really means, and the specific trust strategy that can protect everything you have worked for.

Michael Rutkowski is an estate planning and elder law attorney with over 20 years of experience, and On the Record is where he teaches this stuff in plain English. In this episode, he walks through the three things you need to qualify for Medicaid long term care, the asset thresholds for married couples and single individuals, and how a Medicaid Asset Protection Trust protects your home, retirement accounts, and savings if set up at least five years in advance. Whether you are planning ahead or watching a parent's health decline, this is the episode to watch before you make a costly mistake.

Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction

(00:46) How DIY Medicaid Planning Backfires

(02:30) The Five Year Look Back Explained

(04:07) Pre-Planning vs Crisis Planning

(06:35) Planning Ahead: What It Looks Like

(07:53) The Three Prong Medicaid Qualification Test

(09:30) Asset Thresholds and the MAPT

(11:46) Why You Need to Act Now

Michael explains you can protect 100% of assets with five years of planning. Have you implemented any of these strategies yet? Comment below.

To see how my team can help, call 248-927-2930 today

or visit our website at https://rutkowskilawfirm.com/contact

Free Resources: https://rutkowskilawfirm.com/resources/downloadable-guides

Connect with Me

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikelrutkowski

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelrutkowskiesq

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rutkowskilawfirm

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mikelrutkowski

If you die without a will, your state already has a plan for your estate, and it probably looks nothing like what you would choose. Probate court can cost 5 to 10 percent of your estate, freeze your assets for 9 to 18 months, and force your family into a public process where fighting often tears people apart. Most people have no idea this is what happens when there is no estate plan in place.

Michael Rutkowski is an estate planning and elder law attorney with over 20 years of experience, and On the Record is his weekly show breaking down everything you need to know in plain English. In this episode he walks through what probate actually looks like step by step, explains Michigan's intestate succession rules, and lays out the tools that keep your family out of probate court: wills, trusts, powers of attorney, beneficiary designations, and lady bird deeds. If you have been putting off estate planning, this episode is where to start.

Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction

(00:46) What Is Probate Court

(02:09) Notice to Interested Parties

(05:03) The Probate Process Step by Step

(08:48) Tools That Keep You Out of Probate

(10:32) Why This Matters Even After You Are Gone

Probate can cost 5 to 10% of your estate if you are not properly prepared. Do you Currently have a plan in place? Comment below.

To see how my team can help, call 248-927-2930 today

or visit our website at https://rutkowskilawfirm.com/contact

Free Resources: https://rutkowskilawfirm.com/resources/downloadable-guides

Connect with Me

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikelrutkowski

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelrutkowskiesq

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rutkowskilawfirm

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mikelrutkowski

Most people put off estate planning because they do not know what to expect when they sit down with an attorney. Michael Rutkowski walks through a full estate planning consultation using an AI agent as the client, covering every question you would might ask in an estate planning consultation and every answer you need to hear right now.

To see how my team can help, call 248-927-2930 today

or visit our website at https://rutkowskilawfirm.com/contact

Free Resources: https://rutkowskilawfirm.com/resources/downloadable-guides

Connect with Me

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikelrutkowski

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelrutkowskiesq

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rutkowskilawfirm

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mikelrutkowski

We are all going to die, and most families are completely unprepared for what comes next. On The Record with Michael Rutkowski tackles the topics most people avoid: estate planning, wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and what actually happens to everything you have built.

My name is Michael Rutkowski. I am an estate planning attorney with over 20 years of experience helping families protect what they have worked their entire lives to build. This show exists because the legal system is complex, most lawyers make it more confusing than it needs to be, and the cost of doing nothing is far higher than most people realize. If you do not have a plan in place your state already has one for you.

Come back every week and I will give you something you did not know before, explained in plain language, so that when the time comes your family is protected and the people you love are not left paying for what you put off.

To see how my team can help, call 248-927-2930 todayor visit our website at https://rutkowskilawfirm.com/contactFree Resources: https://rutkowskilawfirm.com/resources/downloadable-guidesConnect with Me Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikelrutkowskiLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelrutkowskiesqFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/rutkowskilawfirmTiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mikelrutkowskiListen to On The RecordSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033QdUF0rYW0URk2Aa8wgwApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-record/id6805281114