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...
estate planning
Limiting (or avoiding) one’s estate tax liability
One of the main goals of estate planning in Ohio should be to take advantage of those strategies that will help one to minimize the liabilities against their estate. That way they preserve as many of their personal assets as possible to pass on to their...
Who is the right fit to serve as estate executor?
Ohio residents like you spend a lot of time working on estate management. Building up an estate plan takes a lot of time, effort and flexibility. However, you must start with a strong foundation. Otherwise, your plan will not last or remain stable. To this end, you...
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...
Benefits of estate planning for business owners
Ohio business owners should explore how estate planning can benefit them and their businesses. Estate plans can detail how a business is to be continued or disposed of after the owner passes away or becomes incapacitated. They can also ensure that anyone taking over...
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...
The benefits of creating a living trust
Ohio residents with assets to their name should start thinking about estate planning, even if they don't own anything of a particularly high value. When a person dies, a probate court typically oversees the distribution of the assets. This process can take years to...
When life changes mean estate plan changes
Certain life changes, such as a divorce or the birth of a child, can prompt a change in a person's estate plan. Despite this, people in Ohio and other parts of the country frequently fail to update their estate plan for these and other types of life changes....
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...

