Blue Ash Estate Lawyers

Estate planning involves creating directives to protect your loved ones and your wishes regarding managing and distributing your assets after death. According to a recent Caring.com survey, despite its importance, over 34 percent of Americans do not have an estate plan.

Estate planning is the crucial process of creating legal documents such as wills, trusts, and powers of attorney to ensure your wishes are honored. Through careful planning, you can protect your assets, provide care for children, and ensure your own healthcare in the event you become incapacitated.

Proper planning requires working with a knowledgeable and experienced estate planning lawyer to tailor a plan that encompasses your unique circumstances and specific goals. At Wolterman Law Office, our skilled Blue Ash estate lawyers can help you make crucial decisions and develop a plan that protects your wishes and provides valuable peace of mind.

What Are the Benefits of Having an Estate Plan?

Whether you have children or substantial assets, estate plans benefit everyone in numerous ways. Estate planning enables you to make financial and medical decisions during life and plan for your estate following your death. Some benefits of estate planning include:

Choosing your own executor.
Providing financial security for your loved ones.
Protecting your children and grandchildren.
Minimizing estate taxes.
Selecting guardians for your children or grandchildren.
Establishing living trusts.
Preventing creditors from seizing your assets.
Distributing your assets to intended recipients.

What Estate Planning Services Does Wolterman Law Office Offer to Blue Ash Residents?

At Wolterman Law Office, our Blue Ash estate lawyers offer a complete range of estate planning services, including but not limited to the following:

Traditional planning for modest estates, including wills, revocable trusts, powers of attorney, and advance medical directives.
Advanced estate planning for clients with a high volume of assets, including additional services and components, such as irrevocable trusts and detailed tax directives.
Powers of attorney regarding your medical and financial decisions in the event you become incapacitated and after death.
Guardianships and conservatorships of minor children to provide care for them after your passing, and extensive services to assist special-needs dependents with life care decisions and managing finances.
Probate and trust administration to avoid the time and expense of probate, along with strategies for distributing property after your death without probate.
Special needs trusts to protect your assets for a child with special needs without affecting their entitled government benefits and services.
Charitable planning to distribute some of your assets to charitable organizations through nontaxable private foundations and charitable trusts.

No two estate plans are alike. Each client’s needs and directives are unique to their circumstances. Our knowledgeable estate planning lawyers will talk with you extensively and craft tailored recommendations to suit your needs and situation.

What Happens If I Die Without a Will in Ohio?

If you die in Ohio without a will, the state will distribute your assets according to intestacy laws, which may or may not benefit your immediate family. If you have minor children, the court will appoint a guardian and administrator to handle your estate and oversee the distribution of your assets.

Should I Appoint an Executor?

Choosing the right executor is crucial to ensure your directives are carried out as intended. An executor should be someone you trust, typically a close family relative or friend. The executor is responsible for managing your estate, including filing tax returns, paying your remaining debts, and distributing your assets as directed in your will. To be effective, choose an executor who is responsible, trustworthy, and capable of handling legal and financial matters.

How Should I Prepare for My Initial Estate Planning Meeting?

To establish a comprehensive plan that meets all your needs, your lawyer will need plenty of information regarding your finances, assets, and directives. Before your initial meeting, it is helpful to consider those you wish to execute your plan and compile the necessary information to bring, such as:

Government-issued identification, such as a driver’s license, social security card, or birth certificate.
Complete list of assets, including bank accounts, investments, retirement and pension accounts, real estate and business holdings, insurance policies, and any other relevant information.
Names and contact information for individuals you wish to name as executor of your will, power of attorney, and guardian of children or pets.
List of beneficiaries and what assets they are to receive.
Names and contact information for trusted individuals to make critical medical and financial decisions as power of attorney.
Outline of medical directives and interventions.
Complete list of passwords and login information for all digital accounts, including financial, email, bills, social media, and other relevant digital services.
Funeral and burial arrangements, including names and contact information regarding churches and funeral homes.

What Are Common Mistakes People Make When Estate Planning?

The biggest estate planning mistake is not to have a plan at all. Other common estate planning mistakes include not naming beneficiaries or naming only one, choosing a poor executor, neglecting to establish powers of attorney, not including funeral arrangements, forgetting digital assets, not communicating wishes with family members, and regularly updating your plan following significant life changes. To avoid serious mistakes, hire an experienced Blue Ash estate lawyer to help you prepare a plan that best suits your needs.

How Can Wolterman Law Office Help Me with Estate Planning?

An experienced estate planning lawyer can offer numerous invaluable services to protect your loved ones, assets, and children and provide peace of mind that your wishes will be properly carried out. Our experienced team can help you prepare:

Advance healthcare directives
Business succession planning
Charitable remainder trusts
Customized plans
Durable and limited powers of attorney
Estate and gift tax determinations
Life insurance trusts
Ongoing legal support
Revocable and irrevocable trusts
Simple and complex wills
Special needs trusts

Working with a Blue Ash estate lawyer at Wolterman Law Office ensures that your wishes are carried out, reduces the burden on your family, and protects your legacy for future generations.

The Blue Ash Estate Lawyers at Wolterman Law Office Help Clients Protect Their Family and Assets

Now is the perfect time to begin estate planning. Our experienced Blue Ash estate lawyers at Wolterman Law Office can help. Call today at 513-488-1135 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation. Located in Loveland, Ohio, we serve clients throughout Hamilton County, Fairfield, Norwood, and Forest Park.