Probate can be expensive and time-consuming for your descendants. With careful planning, however, you can potentially avoid probate, allowing your executor to independently administer your estate. Review common strategies for probate avoidance in Ohio. Establish a...
Year: 2020
Why should you update your estate plan after a divorce?
Ohio residents like you put time and effort into building up your estate. The estate plan is of equal importance and it makes sense that you prioritize it, too. After all, your estate plan determines how your estate gets handled after your death. Because of that, you...
5 tips for storing your estate planning documents
A comprehensive estate plan is good for you and your heirs. While your plan may include other items, four documents are a good place to start. After completing your plan, you must find the right place to store the documents. Even though many places may work, the...
Compliance with the Open Meetings Act
Along with the Public Records Act, the Open Meetings Act is one of Ohio's two "sunshine laws." The purpose of the Open Meetings Act is to encourage openness in the government's activities and general conduct by allowing public access to meetings when conducting...
Serving as the executor of an estate
Probate courts in Ohio follow steps similar to what occurs elsewhere in the United States. The reading of a will reveals "who gets what" while also revealing the executor of the estate. Any person who finds themselves named the executor must become aware of the duties...
Why and how to identify interested parties in will litigation
When people in Ohio are considering challenging a will, they need to identify who the interested parties are. This includes all the individuals who are named in the will. It is not uncommon for people to underestimate just how many interested parties there may be...
Why young people should consider an estate plan
Young adults in Ohio may want to consider creating an estate plan. They might assume they are too young to do so, but in case a tragedy does occur, it can save their loved ones additional problems. Estate planning is not just about who gets certain assets. It is also...
Understanding the three basic approaches to estate planning
Many people in Ohio think they do not need an estate plan when they do not have extensive financial assets to protect, but the truth is that everyone needs some form of estate plan because of family impact. There are three basic approaches to establishing an effective...
What are special needs trusts?
Estate planning involves extra considerations when you are the parent of a child with special needs. If you are not careful when creating your estate plan, you risk having the assets you leave behind disqualify your child from receiving certain need-based government...
What to do when an estate administrator goes rogue
Estate administrators in Ohio and elsewhere have a fiduciary responsibility to the beneficiaries of the estates that they oversee. If an administrator fails to act in a beneficiary's best interest, it may be possible to have that person removed from his or her...

