Active Living
Fleischman Residence/Blumberg Plaza
We've put together the best recipe for preserving
the quality and dignity of life for our frail Jewish
older adults.
At Fleischman Residence, our programs and
services are tailored to meet the special requests
of our residents and their families.
daily estate planning, and in this
book, is to guide people through the
process of handling an estate as quick-
ly as possible, provide practical tips to
maximize inheritance, save time and
_ money, and help avoid costly mis-
takes."
Kass and Downie met more than
20 years ago at the Detroit law firm
of Barris, Sort, Denn t Driker. Kass
was mainly a tax attorney and
Downie was an estate administrator
who had just joined the firm from a
similar job as a vice president at
NBD Bank. Kass currently heads the
firm's Tax, Estate Planning and
Probate Department.
contact:
Tracey Proghovnick, m.s.w, c.s.w.
Director of Admissions
available evenings for appointments
■ Medication Administration
6710 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfiela
■Health Clinic
■ Safe, Secure Environment
■ Daily, Shabbat, and Holiday
Services in our Synagogue
Fleischman Residence,/
Blumberg Plaza
■ Adult Educational Classes
■Laundry, Housekeeping,
■Transportation
■Beauty I Barber Shop
■ Nosh Nook and Gift Shop
6/22
2001
82
a service of
Jewish Home & Aging Services
Personal Background
Kass, 54, attended Oak Park High
School, Wayne State University, get-
ting a BA degree in political science,
and the University of Michigan Law
School. He received a Fulbright-Swiss
University Fellowship to the Graduate
Institute of International Studies in
Geneva, Switzerland, and got a mas-
ter's degree in taxation from New York
University.
While practicing international law
in Brussels, Belgium, he took a
Hebrew class in 1975 and met his
future wife, Sonja, the daughter of
Holocaust survivors from Holland.
They dropped out of the class and
concentrated on each other, getting
engaged in 10 days and married in six
weeks. They have three children, all
products of Hillel Day School of
Metropolitan Detroit, Alissia, Jeremie
and Adena.
Downie, also 54, graduated from
Grosse Pointe High School and U-M,
and obtained an MBA from
Michigan State University. He has
taught at Wayne and the Midwest
Trust School. "We had collected a lot
of this material in our heads over the
years," says Kass, "so we decided to
finally write it all down. It started as
a pamphlet and evolved into a book
with 23 chapters."
They finished the book in six
months, working nights and week-
ends. Boasting that the book is written
in "plain English, with virtually no
legalese," Kass and Downie say legal
terms are used only when they are
clearly explained. The print is inten-
tionally large and the layout has plenty
of white space, so it's easy to read.
There are lots of checklists, boxes,
Web sites and case studies, some even
humorous.
Adds Kass: "It doesn't just cover the
financial aspects of the estate. We
begin the process much earlier and
continue beyond estate administra-
don as such, dealing with the con-
cerns of the survivors. We even cover
important issues involved in prepar-
ing for the funeral, how to notify
people of the death, grief support,
and all of the issues facing the sur-
vivors."
Simple things like planning the
funeral are covered. Usually, the funer-
al director will guide the family, but
the authors developed checklists to
assure that nothing is overlooked. "At
a funeral I attended recently, the
funeral director asked the pall bearers
to rise — and no one stood up," said
Kass. "The family probably forgot to
select pall bearers due to the stress of
the situation. The funeral director had
to ask for volunteers. Our checklist
prevents something like this from hap-
pening."
The book advises families not to
move too fast, or too slowly, in settling
an estate. "Those who rush in without
carefully analyzing the situation can
come to the wrong conclusions,"
Downie points out, "and literally lose
a fortune.
"In one case, the beneficiaries were
about to rely on the advice of the
deceased employer's benefits manag-
er. He said the second wife was enti-
tled to all of the 401(k) benefits.
They were persuaded to slow down
and allow proper evaluation of the
situation ... and it turned out they
were entitled to those benefits
instead."
For Michigan
The book is specific to Michigan law,
including the new estate and probate
law that took effect last year. The vari-
ous chapters cover the administration
of wills, trusts and intestate estates
(those without a will), showing sample
probate forms, a list of Michigan court
locations, explanations of Social
Security and veterans' benefits, life
insurance, dealing with creditors, fil-
ing tax returns and simply avoiding
loose ends.
Kass and Downie offer the following
practical tips:
• Avoid the urge to want the estate
settled immediately, without carefully
considering all issues.
• Review all investments promptly.
If they go up in value, the beneficiaries
may thank you, but won't offer you a
commission. However, if the value
drops drastically, you may hear from
their lawyers.
• Don't accept advice from friends