CBH Attorneys & Counselors

Origins and reach in Michigan

Steve Bylenga and Carol Chase co-founded the firm in 2010 under the name Chase & Bylenga, PLLC. CBH Attorneys & Counselors now has offices in Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo. Its stated service area includes West Michigan and other parts of the state.

The two-office structure gives clients a choice of locations for in-person contact. The firm also offers virtual consultations and remote meetings for clients outside the immediate area. That option can help when travel, work, health, or family duties make an office visit hard to arrange.

The firm has developed a broad set of services since its founding. Its listed areas are bankruptcy, personal injury, business law, tax law, estate planning and probate, civil litigation, and family law. Several of these fields can overlap when a financial dispute affects a business owner, a family, or an estate.

Bankruptcy and financial matters

Debtors, creditors, and business debt

The firm represents debtors and creditors in consumer and commercial matters. Steve Bylenga's work includes bankruptcy, commercial workouts, corporate restructuring, and adversary proceedings. This mix covers several legal positions that can arise when an individual or company faces debt pressure.

A debtor usually begins a bankruptcy case by filing a petition and detailed schedules with the court. Those schedules address assets, debts, income, expenses, contracts, and other financial matters. Creditors may review those filings, submit claims, object to proposed treatment, or seek rulings about their rights.

Commercial workouts take place when the parties try to resolve business debt through negotiated terms. Such work may involve loan documents, payment records, collateral, , and cash flow information. Corporate restructuring may also require decisions about ongoing operations, contracts, ownership duties, and the treatment of different creditor groups.

Disputes within bankruptcy cases

Adversary proceedings are lawsuits connected to a bankruptcy case. A debtor, creditor, trustee, or another party may file a complaint in bankruptcy court and ask the judge to decide a defined dispute. The process can involve pleadings, document exchange, witness testimony, motions, settlement talks, and trial.

Representation of both debtors and creditors gives the firm work on each side of the bankruptcy system. A debtor may need relief, a workable reorganization, or a defense against a creditor's claim. A creditor may need to preserve a claim, address collateral, or respond to a proposed plan.

Business law and civil disputes

Governance and transactions

Steve Bylenga also represents businesses in corporate governance and commercial transactions. The firm's business clients include individuals, sole proprietors, limited liability companies, nonprofit entities, and corporations. That client list covers several ownership and management structures.

Corporate governance concerns the rules and records that guide a business. Typical documents include formation papers, operating agreements, bylaws, meeting records, written consents, and ownership records. These materials can define voting rights, management authority, financial duties, and procedures for major decisions.

Commercial transactions often depend on careful contract terms. Parties may need to identify payment duties, delivery terms, warranties, default rights, confidentiality terms, and methods for resolving disputes. Lawyers may review drafts, revise clauses, organize closing documents, and record the final agreement.

Civil litigation

The firm lists civil litigation as a separate practice area, and Bylenga's profile also names civil litigation in his business work. A civil case usually starts with a complaint and an answer. The parties then exchange information, question witnesses, ask the court to decide legal issues, discuss settlement, or present the dispute at trial.

Business litigation can grow out of contracts, governance records, transactions, or payment disputes. The documents created before a disagreement often shape the later case. Clear records can help a court identify what the parties agreed, who had authority, and whether each side met its duties.

Tax, estates, families, and injury claims

Tax audits and debt

The firm's tax work includes IRS audits, tax debt settlements, and litigation with taxing authorities. These are distinct stages of a tax controversy. Each can call for close attention to records, response dates, and the taxpayer's legal position.

During an audit, the IRS may request returns, bank records, receipts, payroll materials, or documents supporting deductions. A taxpayer can provide records, explain disputed entries, and respond to proposed adjustments. Written notices and filing dates often control the available next steps.

Tax debt negotiations can require a detailed account of income, expenses, assets, and liabilities. The taxing authority reviews that information under the rules for the requested form of relief. If the parties continue to dispute liability or collection, litigation may place the issue before a court.

Estate planning and probate

The estate planning work covers wills, trusts, and powers of attorney. These documents address different needs. A will directs the handling of property through an estate, a trust places assets under stated terms, and a power of attorney grants another person defined authority.

Probate is also part of the firm's listed work. A probate court may appoint a personal representative, receive an inventory, address creditor claims, and oversee the transfer of estate property. The will, asset titles, beneficiary designations, debts, and family relationships can affect that process.

Family law and personal injury

The firm also lists family law and personal injury. Family cases may involve divorce, property division, support, parenting time, custody, or enforcement of prior orders. Courts use financial records, parenting information, sworn statements, and prior orders to decide the issues placed before them.

Personal injury matters often turn on proof of fault and proof of harm. Common records include incident reports, photographs, medical files, employment information, and insurance correspondence. The parties may exchange evidence, evaluate liability, negotiate a claim, or ask a court to decide the dispute.

How the team is built

The website identifies five partners: Steve Bylenga, April Hulst, Mike Hanrahan, Justin Maxim, and Andrew McInnis. Dan Bylenga holds an of counsel role. The attorney menu also names Emily Gudwer-Ceric and Steve Rayman.

Those titles show a team with several partners and an additional counsel role. They also give prospective clients a clear list of the lawyers associated with the firm. The published material provides the fullest professional detail for Steve Bylenga.

In my opinion, Bylenga's profile gives the clearest view of how the firm's bankruptcy and business services connect. His listed work joins debtor and creditor representation with workouts, restructuring, governance, transactions, and civil litigation. Those fields can meet in a single commercial matter when debt, contracts, ownership, and court proceedings affect the same client.

Published credentials and service profile

The firm's record identifies its founding year, original name, office cities, attorney roster, and seven practice areas. It also describes concrete tasks within bankruptcy, business law, tax law, and estate planning. Clients can use those details to compare their legal issue with the work the firm states that it handles.

Steve Bylenga earned his Juris Doctor from Marquette University in 2006 and his Bachelor of Arts from Miami University in 2003. He gained admission in Wisconsin in 2006 and Michigan in 2009. He co-founded the firm with Carol Chase in 2010.