By Pam Fleming
STAFF WRITER

Are you a senior citizen with questions about wills and estates, but you don’t really want to pay a large fee for a consultation from an attorney?

Well, Karen Stewart has an answer.

Stewart, a Novi attorney and counselor, is helping local senior citizens in Novi by providing free monthly legal advice.

Stewart started offering free estate planning consultations in January. The consultations are provided from 2 to 4 p.m. the third Wednesday of every month at the Meadowbrook Commons Senior Center located at 25075 Meadowbrook on the west side of Meadowbrook Road between Ten Mile Road and Grand River Avenue.

“I’ve had people sign up every month but one so far,” she said.

She usually talks with two or three seniors during her two-hour visit to the complex.

“I just stumbled on to this idea,” she said. “I see Meadowbrook Commons on the way to my office.”

Her new office is located in a building by Local Color restaurant in the Main Street Novi project Business Center on Grand River Avenue between Novi and Meadowbrook roads.

“Actually, it’s easier to explain where Meadowbrook Commons is to my clients than my office,” she said.

Jean Hoerle, who lives at Meadowbrook Commons, recently talked to Stewart.  “I thought she was great.  She listened to me and asked questions that I needed answers for. She appeared to be knowledgeable, and it was nice that she came to the center so I didn’t have to go to her,” Hoerle said. “That was a big plus. Since her visit, she’s been able to draw up all the paperwork I needed and dropped it off here.”

Stewart use to work for a law firm, but eventually decided to open a private practice.

“I’ve been doing estate planning and probate law for 12 years,” she said. “When I went out on my own, I decided to move closer to home,” she said.

Stewart said one of the most important aspects of estate planning is managing funds for children left behind following a death in the family.

"It can all be done in a private manner if you have an estate planned,” she said.

"In second marriages, you really need a will and possibly a trust depending on the size of your estate," she noted.

An estate plan also avoids probate court and minimizes estate taxes, Stewart said.

She likes talking to seniors, and usually provides about a 30 minute free consultation at Meadowbrook Commons.

“I feel I’m providing a service to seniors. If they have a few legal questions, it’s not going to cost them anything,” she said.  “And, a lot of seniors are very cost-conscious.”

She also gives seniors who uses her legal services special discounts. “I only charge $50 for a Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare,” she said, which is a document that outlines one’s medical care wishes should a person become mentally incapacitated to do so.

Stewart said that this document, as well as a Power of Attorney document, should be kept current. “I recommend updating these documents every five years,” she said. “If not, you run the risk of them not being honored.”

The Novi attorney was born in Redford Township and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and business administration from Eastern Michigan University. She received her law degree from Wayne State University as well as a master's degree in business administration, and completed both degrees in four years.

“I worked in accounting for six years and was an auditor, which is very negative. Nobody likes to see the auditor,” she said.

“With this line of work, I feel like I am helping people, and I get to work with individuals and families. I get to see what their lives are like and what their goals are. I enjoy the personal aspect.”

Senior citizens don’t have to live in Novi to use Stewart’s free consulting service at Meadowbrook Commons. She feels she offers something unique to the Novi area.

“What is more common is companies doing seminars on estate planning. But this is more personal. It’s a private consultation,” she said.

Stewart has documents that potential clients fill out that tells their children where to find important documents in the event of their death.

“I try to help them communicate with their family members.” she said.

For more information about creating a will or planning an estate, contact Stewart at (248) 735-0900.