Meeting the various legal needs of both personal and business clients since 1993.
Situated in Hudsonville, Michigan close by to both Kent and Ottawa County clients, the Law Office of Ronald L. Foster, Esq., has been focused on the areas of adoption, business incorporation, contracts, employment law, estate planning, guardianship, probate of estates, non-profit organizations, real estate law — representing both buyers and sellers -- and wills and trusts, for the past 30 years.
Most legal services are available on on a fixed-fee basis or at a local market-based hourly rate of $350.
Please contact Ron Foster via email or text, or use the contact form at the bottom of this page.
Contact
➤ LOCATION
Terra Square Work Space
3380 Chicago Drive
Hudsonville, MI 49426
Mailing Address:
PO Box 12
Hudsonville, MI 49426
☎ CONTACT
rfosteresq@aol.com
(616) 667.2728 [text/call]
Areas of Practice
PROBATE
Probate is a legal proceeding to administer certain kinds of property (called probate property) owned by someone who has died (the decedent), and to see that claims, expenses and taxes are properly paid, and that the remaining estate is distributed to those entitled to receive it under the decedent's will or Michigan intestacy law. Probate property is all property titled in the decedent's name alone. It is distributed only under the decedent's will or according to Michigan law. A probate proceeding takes place in the probate court of the county where the deceased property owner lived.
WILLS & TRUSTS
A last will and testament is a legal document that describes how your property should be distributed to family, friends, and favorite charities upon your death. It should designate an executor to carry out the terms of the will during the probate process, and a guardian if you have minor children. A living will is a legal document that specifies what actions should be taken for your health in the event you are no longer able to make decisions due to illness or incapacity. A living will is one form of advance directive and typically accompanied by a medical power of attorney.
An ethical will, while not a legal document is a written, personal statement that helps pass your values on to the next generation. It may include:
Family history and cultural and spiritual values
Blessings, expressions of love, hopes, and dreams for children and grandchildren
Lessons learned and the wisdom that comes from life experience
Requests for forgiveness and ways to be remembered
Rationale for philanthropic and personal financial decisions
Stories about meaningful items left to heirs
Ethical wills are not new; the template can be found in Genesis 49, when a dying Jacob gathered his sons to offer them his blessing and to make his final requests. Today, ethical wills are often written documents shared with family and community while the author is still alive. Consider writing an ethical will at the same time you draft your legal will.
INCORPORATION
Steps required for incorporation in the U.S.
•The Articles of Incorporation (also called a Charter, Certificate of Incorporation or Letters Patent) are filed with appropriate state office, listing the purpose of the corporation, its principal place of business and the number and type of shares of stock.[1] A registration fee is due which will usually be between $25 and $1,000, depending on the state.
•A corporate name is generally made up of 3 parts: "Distinctive element", "Descriptive element", and a legal ending. All corporations must have a distinctive element and (in most filing jurisdictions) a legal ending to their names. Some corporations choose not to have a descriptive element. In the name "Tiger Computers Inc." the word "Tiger" is the distinctive element; the word "Computers" is the descriptive element; and the "Inc." is the legal ending. The legal ending indicates that it is in fact a legal corporation and not just a business registration or partnership. Incorporated, Limited and Corporation, or their respective abbreviations (Inc., Ltd., Corp.) are the possibilities for this legal ending in the U.S.
Usually there are also Corporate Bylaws which must be filed with the state. These will outline a number of important corporate housekeeping details such as when annual shareholder meetings will be held, who can vote and the manner in which shareholders will be notified if there is need for an additional "special" meeting.
ADOPTION
Can I Adopt in Michigan?
Applicants can be single, married, or divorced. You can own or rent a home. Parents need to be at least 18 years old in order to foster or adopt. While adoptive parents do not need to be rich, they need a stable income to support a growing family. Applicants must be in good mental and physical health. Members of an adoptive household must be in good health as well. Parents need to provide 3 professional references. Adoption training classes may be required in order to become a foster/adoptive parent. For a more complete list of adoption FAQ, visit michigan.gov.
REAL ESTATE
We offer a variety of real estate legal services, including but not limited to, purchase agreements, leases, notes and mortgages, evictions, land contracts, and real estate closings.
““Before people can be considered as members of Civil Society, they must first be considered as subjects of the Governor of the Universe.””
““Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘Letter from a Birmingham Jail’ understood the ‘dignity and worth of human personality,’ that human rights are ‘God-given,’ that ‘all men are created equal,’ that man is nevertheless haunted by ‘tragic sinfulness,’ but that we should be like Jesus Christ, ‘an extremist for love, truth, and goodness.’”
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“Is it not the great end of religion, and, in particular, the glory of Christianity, to extinguish the malignant passions; to curb the violence, to control the appetites, and to smooth the asperities of man; to make us compassionate and kind, and forgiving one to another; to make us good husbands and wives, good fathers and mothers, good friends;
and to render us active and useful in the discharge of the relative social and civil duties?”
Let's Chat.
Use the form below to contact us regarding your legal enquiry. Please be as detailed as possible. Include your industry along with any specific document requests. To help us best service your enquiry, we recommend that you first describe the issue you’re having before telling us what you want to achieve. You may also email or call us to make an appointment.