Michigan Lawyer Blog

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On July 22, 2026, the Michigan Supreme Court released its decision in Frownfelter v Esurance, Docket Nos. 168356 and 168357, wherein the Court overturned its 2013 decision in Grange v Lawrence, and set forth a new standard for determining the domicile of children of divorced parents within the auto insurance context.  Under the new standard, domicile is determined by…

Watch SMDA associate Sean Serafini’s April 9, 2026 argument before the Michigan Supreme Court in Frownfelter v Esurance Property & Casualty Co., et. al. This case involves a minor child of divorced parents who was involved in an auto accident while she was a passenger in a car driven by her brother. Since her brother…

SMDA, PC is proud to announce that one of our founding partners, Phillip Serafini, has once again been selected as a Super Lawyer for Plaintiff’s Personal Injury Attorneys for 2022. Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Their patented attorney selection process…

SMDA is proud to report that survivors of catastrophic crashes and their loved ones, including a number of my clients at Serafini, Michialowski, Derkacz & Associates, PC, won a major victory in the Michigan Court of Appeals today. The Court issued its long awaited decision in Andary v USAA and held that benefit reductions passed…

We at Serafini, Michalowski, Derkacz & Associates, P.C. are sad to learn of the loss of a Detroit original, Bob Allison. Bob, passed away, recently, at the age of eighty-seven (87), following a fall at home. Our condolences go out to his wife Maggie and their three (3) sons. His long and storied career as…

In compliance with the governor’s order regarding shelter in place and stay safe at home policies, the firm has implemented the following policies consistent with Executive Order 2020-21. Pursuant to Section 4 paragraph (b) the firm has identified its essential employees necessary to conduct minimal business transactions, like banking, payroll processing, employee benefits and ensuring…

The SECURE Act (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Act) passed into law effective January 1, 2020. Although it is uncertain how the act was named, it is certain that this act will significantly impact estate, tax and income planning for baby boomers and their children. This act will force Americans with IRAs and other…

A year into the “new VA regulations” it is clear that planning for VA benefits is still a viable longterm care planning strategy. On October 18, 2018 as part of a comprehensive plan to help reorganize the Department of Veterans Affairs and benefit programs themselves, the VA finally adopted new regulations affecting the non-service related…

If your parents are at the age when illnesses and medical conditions are a concern, you will have worries about the costs of long-term care. One of the biggest problems confronting senior citizens today is the extraordinary cost of this care. Such costs can exceed one’s entire lifetime savings. When proceeds come to an end,…