Estate planning is the process of creating a strategy for the care and management of your property if you become incapacitated or upon your death. A common motivation of estate planning is to simplify the estate administration process and protect you…
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If you’re named as the Executor in a loved one’s Will, or as the Successor Trustee of their trust, you’ll need to be prepared to evaluate the estate with the attorney who will help you through the estate administration process. How the estate w…
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We get a lot of questions from people about the beginning of the estate administration process. We’ve provided some of the most common questions and the answers as a resource here for you. 1. How do I pay for the funeral expenses? Payment of the fu…
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If you’ve been named in a Will to serve as the Executor of someone’s Estate, you have a significant responsibility. As the Executor, you must ensure that the Estate is handled in accordance with Ohio law. One of the most important duties of the E…
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Last week we shared an article on planning for your Ohio vacation home. The bottom line of the article was that vacation homes have very specific and often troublesome issues, and it’s important to make plans for how these special properties are pa…
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Home is where the heart is. Our homes are very personal to us. One concern that many people have when they talk to me is how to protect their home from nursing home costs. They’re concerned that their home will be taken from them to pay for the nur…
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If you’re wondering what kind of estate plan is right for you, you might be feeling overwhelmed with all of the information out there about the different options you have. It can be hard sifting through all of the details to get to the bottom l…
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When people are looking to pay for nursing home care by qualifying for Medicaid, a big question they have is what assets they can keep. The answer to this question is determined by how Medicaid classifies the asset. Under Medicaid there are two kinds…
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Many times when I meet with families who have a loved one who was just admitted to a long term care facility, one of the first questions they have is whether Medicare will cover the costs incurred. They understand that the costs of the long term care…
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Put in its most simple terms, estate planning involves putting your affairs in order so as to maximize the benefits that your assets can provide to you during your life and to those you desire to benefit from it after your death. Estate pla… Read More
What Does a Proper Estate Plan Include?
A proper estate plan to provide for the needs of your family may include:
An adequate Will or Trust
A written agreement concerning the status of your assets
If you already have an estate plan, it should not be considered permanent. Conditions, as well as your desires, may change. Estate plans should be reviewed at least every two-three years but, additionally, any important change in your life demands… Read More
What Happens if You Don't Have a Will or Trust?
If you do not have a Will or a Trust and have not used other probate-avoiding techniques, upon your death your assets will pass according to the laws of the state which has jurisdiction over your assets. The “state plan” may not provide for th… Read More
What Other Probate Avoiding Techniques Are There In Addition to Living Trusts?
The following methods are often used to avoid probate: joint tenancy title, community property title, bank account trusts, pay on death accounts, life insurance proceeds, retirement proceeds (IRA’S, TSA’S, 401K’s, etc.), retirement pla… Read More
What Should I Bring to My First Meeting?
People often ask what they should bring with them to their initial estate planning consultation (we call this “the Discovery Meeting”) with one of our attorneys.
As we discuss in Our Planning Process, the Discovery Meeting is our oppor… Read More
I Already Have an Estate Plan. Why Should I Think About Changing It?
We find that many people already have an estate plan, but it does not meet their current planning needs. They may have a Will that was prepared many, many years ago, or they may have a trust that prepared more recently, but those plans may not be… Read More
What Does an Estate Plan Cost?
As you might imagine, we get that question all the time. It is a difficult question to answer because fees are determined by the type of plan we put together, and that is determined by your goals, objectives and asset mix. The planning fees can ra… Read More
How Much of an Estate Do I Need to Have In Order to Set Up a Trust?
There is no “bright line rule” for determining whether a person needs a trust as a part of their planning. The answer for any particular person will depend on their own planning needs and planning goals.