Estate planning involves creating a roadmap to manage your assets and ensure your wishes are carried out after you pass away, or if you become incapacitated. It’s more than just writing a will – it’s a comprehensive strategy for protecting your wealth and your loved ones.

Even if you have a modest estate, estate planning offers numerous benefits in Ohio.  Here are a few:

• Avoid probate: Probate is a lengthy and public court process that distributes assets according to state law, not necessarily your wishes. Estate planning tools can help minimize or avoid probate altogether.
• Protect your assets: An estate plan can safeguard your assets from creditors and ensure they’re distributed according to your desires.
• Plan for incapacity: Designate trusted individuals to make financial and medical decisions on your behalf if you become unable to do so.
• Ensure your wishes are followed: Clearly outline your preferences for healthcare, asset distribution, and guardianship of minor children.

While it’s not mandatory to have a lawyer for estate planning, it’s highly recommended.  An experienced attorney can guide you through the legal complexities, tailor a plan to your unique situation, and ensure your documents are legally sound.  This can save you time, money, and potential headaches down the road.

• Will: A legal document that outlines how you want your assets distributed after your death.
• Trust: A legal entity that holds assets for the benefit of beneficiaries. There are various types of trusts, each serving a specific purpose.
• Power of Attorney: Grants someone legal authority to make financial decisions on your behalf if you’re incapacitated.
• Living Will/Advanced Directive: Specifies your wishes for medical care at the end of your life.
• Guardian Designation: Names an individual to care for your minor children if you become unable to do so.

Estate planning allows you to designate guardians for your children, ensuring their well-being and upbringing if something happens to you.  You can also establish trusts to provide for their financial needs.

While online forms can seem like a convenient option for estate planning, they come with significant drawbacks.  Firstly, these forms may not be specific to your state’s laws.   Secondly, the forms themselves might not address your unique situation.  For instance, if your assets are already set up with transfer-on-death designations, a standard will wouldn’t impact those assets.   Additionally, complex situations like protecting vulnerable beneficiaries with trusts or granting comprehensive financial power of attorney for estate planning purposes require legal expertise that online forms simply can’t provide.  Using generic forms for such matters is akin to self-diagnosing a medical condition – the average person lacks the legal knowledge to navigate these complexities effectively.  An experienced attorney can guide you through the process, ensuring your plan is legally sound and tailored to your specific needs.

The cost of estate planning in Ohio varies depending on the complexity of your situation and the attorney’s experience. It’s an investment in your future and the security of your loved ones. At Krugler Law, we offer flat fee pricing so there’s no questions about how much your services will be.

1. Gather your financial information: List your assets and liabilities.
2. Consider your goals: Who do you want to inherit your assets? What are your wishes for end-of-life care and guardianship of minor children?
3. Contact our office to schedule your consultation and complete your personalized questionnaire. We will discuss your specific needs and goals, then advise you on the best course of action and guide you through the process.

Long-term care planning involves anticipating your future needs for assistance with daily living activities. This could include in-home care, assisted living facilities, or skilled nursing homes.  Planning helps you explore options, understand costs, and ensure you have the financial resources for the care you may need.

Medicaid is a government program that can help cover long-term care costs. However, Ohio has income and asset limitations for eligibility. Pre-planning with an elder law attorney can help you explore strategies to potentially qualify for Medicaid while preserving assets for yourself or your loved ones.

An experienced elder law attorney can provide several benefits:

• Expertise: They understand complex Medicaid laws and regulations in Ohio.
• Guidance: They can help you explore long-term care options and costs.
• Planning Strategies: They can develop a customized plan to maximize your chances of Medicaid eligibility while protecting assets.
• Minimize Risk: They can ensure your plan complies with Medicaid rules to avoid disqualification.
• Peace of Mind: They can guide you through the process, easing stress and allowing you to focus on your loved one’s well-being.

• Will I qualify for Medicaid? An attorney can assess your financial situation and advise you on your eligibility prospects.
• How much can I give away before I qualify for Medicaid? Gift transfer rules are complex. An attorney can explain the regulations and guide you on compliant strategies.
• What happens to my spouse’s finances if I need Medicaid? An attorney can help protect your spouse’s assets while ensuring you receive needed care in a nursing home.

The sooner you start planning, the better.  Early planning allows you to explore more options and potentially qualify for Medicaid sooner.  However, even if you’re facing a last-minute situation, we can still help. We offer crisis planning for long-term care.

The probate process typically involves these steps:

• Filing the Will: If a will exists, it’s filed with the probate court.
• Appointing a Representative: The court appoints an executor (named in the will) or administrator (if there’s no will) to manage the estate.
• Identifying and Valuing Assets: All assets owned by the deceased have to be located, identified and appraised.
• Paying Debts and Taxes: Outstanding debts and taxes are paid using estate funds before assets are distributed to beneficiaries.
• Distributing Assets: The remaining assets are distributed according to the will or Ohio law.

The probate process in Ohio can take anywhere from six months to years, depending on the complexity of the estate.

Probate costs vary depending on the size and complexity of the estate.  Court costs are typically no more than $350. Executors are entitled to a fee: 4% for the first $100,000 in assets, 3% for the next $300,000, and 2% for any amount over $400,000. However, family members acting as executors sometimes choose to waive this fee. Attorney fees can be charged either hourly or as a percentage of the estate’s total assets. Generally, you can estimate attorney fees to be around 3-5% of the total assets. Both probate attorney fees and fiduciary fees are usually paid from the estate assets and cannot be charged until the probate process is complete.

There are several reasons to consider avoiding probate in Ohio:

• Time-Consuming: Probate can be a lengthy process, delaying access to assets for beneficiaries.
• Costly: Probate fees, attorney fees and expenses can significantly deplete the estate’s value.
• Public Process: Probate records are public, revealing details about your assets and beneficiaries.
• Loss of Control: If you don’t have a will, Ohio law dictates how your assets are distributed, potentially contradicting your wishes.

Several strategies can help you avoid probate in Ohio, which we implement in the estate planning process:

• Joint Ownership with Right of Survivorship: Assets owned jointly with another person with right of survivorship automatically pass to the surviving owner(s) upon death, bypassing probate.
• Transfer-on-Death (TOD) Registrations: You can designate beneficiaries for certain assets like bank accounts or investment accounts, allowing them to inherit directly without probate.
• Living Trusts: A living trust allows you to transfer ownership of assets to a trust while retaining control during your lifetime. Upon your passing, the assets in the trust pass directly to beneficiaries, avoiding probate.

An experienced attorney can guide you through the probate process, ensuring it’s handled efficiently and minimizes costs.  They can also advise you on alternative strategies to potentially avoid probate altogether.