Legal Expert Jehan Crump-Gibson Pens New Book to Build and Preserve Generational Wealth
In her insightful and informative book A Matter of Life and Death: How to Handle Family Affairs During Illness and Death and Keep Probate Court Out of Your Business, attorney Jehan Crump-Gibson offers comprehensive and invaluable insights on the importance of estate planning, particularly focusing on the African American experience. She addresses common misconceptions about estate planning, highlighting that anyone — not just the wealthy — needs a plan. The asset and property probate expert emphasizes the critical role of real estate in wealth transmission and the need for proper documentation to avoid disputes, which too often foster disturbing and disruptive family interactions upon the death of loved ones.
Recently, Crump-Gibson, the co-founder and managing partner at Great Lakes Legal Group PLLC, hosted a compelling discussion in Atlanta to guide attendees in managing matters that affect successful estate planning, navigating the legal hurdles of asset and property administration, and overcoming the emotional barriers many families grapple with in discussing estate matters and property disposition. Essentially, The Legacy Blueprint event provided a critical platform for for participants to foster intentional networking and engage in discussions regarding legacy planning.
Crump-Gibson emphasizes that every living person – regardless of the size of the estate or the perceived value of their assets – needs to plan for current and future quality of life for themselves and upcoming generations.
“People tell me all the time, ‘I’ll come see you when I get something. And my [response] is, if you had time to count in some clothes you need, you need a plan,” Crump-Gibson asserts. “You don’t need a large real estate portfolio and have investments and all this other stuff. But everybody has to start somewhere. So that is a misconception, particularly with our people,” she continues. “People love to tell me I don’t have an estate, and I think it’s the connotation associated with the word estate. But an estate is whatever you have … that includes Chime accounts, paychecks, bank accounts, insurance policies … you have money there,” says the impassioned professional. “As a matter of fact, I say that we people who aren’t rich can’t afford not to plan,” she adds enthusiastically.
Now a nationally recognized legal analyst who regularly works with families on the preparation of important estate planning documents and legal issues concerning estate administration, Crump-Gibson explained that her fervor for assisting community members stems from a stint she did working with Comerica while in law school, admitting that before that experience, wills and trusts were a relatively abstract notion.
“At the bank is where I really got exposed to how this stuff comes off the paper,” she recalls. “That’s where you get to see the crazy stuff that goes on. What happens when people can’t access accounts because somebody didn’t do their estate plan. They got to pay mom’s bills while she’s in ICU or rehab or [incapacitated] and they can’t get access because mom didn’t do her documents right, or, you know, this wasn’t designated properly. So I saw a lot of those issues come up at the bank, and that’s where my interest beats.”
Crump-Gibson has served as Faculty for the National Business Institute and the Institute of Continuing Legal Education concerning business, nonprofit, probate and estate planning matters. She is adamantly committed to ethics and professionalism in practice, and has been recognized eight times by the Michigan Super Lawyers Magazine as a Rising Star. The widely respected attorney has received several Martindale Hubbell ® Client Distinction Awards and Martindale Hubbell ® Client Champion Awards.
In 2017, she was appointed by United States Senator Gary Peters to serve on the Michigan Senate Judicial Advisory Committee, formed to assist in making recommendations to the President to fill vacancies on the federal bench. In 2022, she was selected to Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s Class of Leaders in the Law.
Attorney Jehan Crump-Gibson is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Great Lakes Legal Group PLLC, where she concentrates her practice in probate and estate planning, business, commercial and real estate matters. Great Lakes Legal Group is a growing black-owned law firm serving clients throughout the state of Michigan and in federal courts across the country. Prior to joining Great Lakes, Jehan served as Managing Member of C&G Solutions PLC (dba C&G Law). Founded in 2009, C&G operated as a specialized firm providing legal and consulting services.
Jehan has successfully represented clients through judgment in a variety of civil matters. She has also assisted a multitude of entities- both for-profit and nonprofit- with employment, contractual, compliance and operational issues, as well as performed legal and policy analysis on local municipal matters; including zoning approvals, government-sponsored tax incentives programs and contracts. Jehan regularly works with families on the preparation of important estate planning documents and legal issues concerning estate administration. She has served as Faculty for the National Business Institute and the Institute of Continuing Legal Education concerning business, nonprofit, probate and estate planning matters. Jehan is a legal analyst with Fox2 Detroit’s The Noon, a speaker and published author.
Jehan served as President for the Wolverine Bar Association (WBA) and Wolverine Bar Foundation (WBF) during the 2016-17 Bar Year. She currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southeast Michigan, Board Member for the Belle Isle Conservancy, Board Member for the Michigan Black Business Alliance, Member of the Institute of Continuing Legal Education Probate and Estate Planning Advisory Board and a Member of the State Bar of Michigan Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee. She is a Hearing Panelist for the Michigan Attorney Discipline Board, a member of The Renaissance (MI) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, Detroit Alumnae Chapter (formerly initiated at Epsilon Epsilon Chapter at Michigan State University). Formerly, she chaired the Board of Directors for CitizenDetroit Action Group, the Special Events Committee for the Wayne State Law Alumni Association Board of Directors, served as Secretary of the Rising Achievers Advisory Board for Junior Achievement of Southeastern Michigan and mentored with Women of Tomorrow Mentor & Scholarship Program (WOT).
After earning dual bachelor degrees in Political Science and English from Michigan State University, Jehan obtained her Juris Doctorate from Wayne State University Law School. Strongly committed to ethics and professionalism in practice, Jehan has been recognized eight times by the Michigan Super Lawyers Magazine as a Rising Star. She has received several Martindale Hubbell ® Client Distinction Award and Martindale Hubbell ® Client Champion Awards. She was also recognized as one of Michigan Chronicle’s ’40 under 40’ and as a Woman of Excellence. In 2022, she was selected to Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s Class of Leaders in the Law. Jehan is admitted to practice law in Michigan and before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.