Mike Zahrt a business and trust and estate lawyer with Foster Swift Collins & Smith, PC. Mike shares in this interview with Jeffrey Mosher about MI Executive Order 2020-41 which encourages the use of electronic signatures and remote notarization.

Hear Mike and Jeffrey discuss this topic by clicking on the PodCast shared below:

Two of the most applicable situations is that it allows people to amend estate plans remotely and it allows title companies to close real estate deals.
1. Executive Order 2020-41 relaxes notary requirements. Why was this necessary?

2. Who benefits most from the order?

3. What should people using a remote notary expect?

Mike works with clients to prioritize their goals and works to provide a solution custom-tailored to achieve those goals. He understands his clients are best served by counsel who addresses legal issues and also helps further business objectives. He practices in the firm's Grand Rapids and Lansing offices working on the following areas:

· Business Formations and Transactions. Mike assists individuals and business throughout numerous industries in a variety of matters, including entity selection and formation; drafting shareholder and operating agreements; taxable and tax-free purchases and sales of businesses; and detailed analysis of corporate, individual and partnership tax issues.

· Business and Farm Succession Planning. He identifies tax efficient exit strategies for the owners of a wide variety of businesses to achieve their goals, including the sale of a successful business to fund the owner's retirement or charitable goals and passing a family-owned business on to the next generation. Mike is also familiar with the particular needs and goals of family-owned farming operations.

· Estate Planning. Mike assists on a wide variety of estate planning matters – from drafting wills and revocable trusts to complex planning strategies to reduce or eliminate federal gift and estate taxes. He also uses business succession strategies to accomplish the estate planning goals of the client.

Since 1902, Foster Swift Collins & Smith, PC has provided comprehensive legal services to businesses, municipalities and individuals. The firm employs 100-plus attorneys in Lansing, Detroit, Southfield, Grand Rapids, Holland and St. Joseph.  For more information about the firm, its attorneys and to access recent publications, visit www.fosterswift.com.