When someone passes away, their estate often goes through probate—a legal process for validating the will, settling debts, and distributing assets. The executor plays a central role in this process. Appointed in the will (or by the probate court if there is no will), the executor is responsible for managing the estate in accordance with…

Probate is the legal process by which a court validates your will and oversees the administration of your estate after death. This includes paying outstanding debts and taxes and ensuring your assets are distributed according to your wishes. In Ohio, probate can be time-consuming, public, and costly, especially for larger estates. Fortunately, several estate planning strategies…

Probate is the legal process that ensures a deceased person’s debts are paid and their remaining assets are transferred to the correct heirs. In Ohio, probate is required for assets that are solely in the decedent’s name and have no designated beneficiaries. Although proper estate planning can help avoid or minimize probate, many families in Montgomery, Ohio,…

The last thing anyone wants after the death of a loved one is to deal with bureaucracy, paperwork, and red tape. You need time to grieve, and you need time to comfort yourself and your family. Unfortunately, to carry out the deceased’s last wishes and distribute their estate according to their will, you need to…

Being in charge of settling someone’s final personal matters is a considerable responsibility. It is certainly not something that should be taken lightly because, depending on the nature of the estate, probate can be a long and complex process. In fact, if a person held property in Ohio and other locations, such as different counties…

When someone is the executor of an Ohio estate, the individual has a duty to close all remaining matters associated with that estate. Before any steps can be taken toward doing that, however, he or she must first open the probate process with the court. This step is necessary to ensure that the executor has the legal authority to handle the affairs of the…

Acting as the executor of an Ohio estate puts a lot of pressure on a person. Even if he or she willingly accepted the role and knew what it would entail, the probate process itself can still take much time and effort to complete. If the executor needs to sell remaining assets during the process, it can be…

The loss of a loved one is never an easy experience to go through. Even if individuals believe that they have had time to prepare themselves mentally and emotionally for the person’s passing, the event can often hit harder than many Ohio residents anticipate. Even the aftermath of the loss can be difficult as surviving…