Communicating your estate plan with your loved ones can preserve family relationships after you pass away. You may not want to share details like your net worth or who is getting what, but you should consider talking about how your assets will be div…
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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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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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We plan for everything from dinner to vacation, but rarely do we plan for the cost or need for long term care. This failure to plan can have devastating effects on us and our family over a very short period of time.
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Many times individuals are confused about the Medicaid transfer rules. When individuals are preparing to apply for Medicaid for long term care coverage, they assume that they can transfer assets to their family or to a Trust without penalty. Or they…
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For many individuals the largest asset they have is their IRA. Many times IRAs will represent half or more of an individual’s assets by the time they reach retirement or are in need of nursing home care. Therefore, protecting that asset can be impo…
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As we grow older many of us will need more and more assistance. Once you choose your caregiver you need to think about setting up an agreement to compensate them for their services. Using a Personal Care Agreement or Care Contract is a great way to d…
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As we grow older many of us will need more and more assistance. The prospect of finding someone to help us and interviewing caregivers and then hiring them from a company or a service of some kind seems daunting and scary. This is especially true as…
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This is a question I often receive from clients. While the simple answer is often no, the timing of the planning affects the effectiveness of the planning, the cost of the planning, and how complicated the planning will be. As a general rule, the soo…
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Download our free “Estate Planning Checklist: The Essential Guide for Making your Best Estate Plan in Ohio.” The checklist walks you through the steps you need to address to have the plan that is right for you and your loved ones.
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.