Estate Planning

Helping You to Create an Effective Estate Plan

As you prepare for your family’s future and consider the assets that you will leave behind for them upon your passing, it is important to think about how your family and the government will perceive your wishes for your estate. A detailed estate plan can make difficult decisions easier and clarify your intentions for your property.

The process of disbursing your estate to creditors and beneficiaries could mean a decrease in the estate’s value. How can you ensure that you are leaving as much as you can to your intended beneficiaries? How can you establish legal documentation detailing your wishes for the estate that will hold up in court disputes? The Law Offices of Karen E. Hamilton can help you build an estate plan that will protect your assets and ensure that they are passed to your beneficiaries the way you want them to be. 

Our estate planning attorney offers assistance with:
  • Wills and Trusts
  • Living Wills
  • Power of Attorney
  • Survivorships      
  • Final Arrangements
  • Beneficiary Forms
Estate Planning — Columbus, OH — Law Offices of Karen E. Hamilton

About Probate and How It can Affect the value of Your Estate

Probate is the process by which the court proves the validity of a last will. Decisions about an estate are also made during the probate process when no will can be found or proven. The probate process is designed to ensure that the assets of an estate are distributed correctly between beneficiaries, creditors, and other parties of interest. However, the absence of an estate plan increases the likelihood of legal battles over property and increases the chances that property will not be distributed according to the deceased person’s wishes. Building an estate plan with an experienced attorney can provide guidance for the probate judge and save more of your estate for your beneficiaries.

Probate CanNot Be Avoided

The complete probate process is necessary even if a will is found and proven. There is no way to circumvent probate entirely, but your will, combined with other aspects of a detailed estate plan, can simplify the process and reduce the value of assets that are lost or misallocated during the process.
Some details that must be addressed during probate include:

  • Property Owned by the Deceased with No “Payable on Death” or “Transferrable on Death” Document
  • Small Property Lacking a Title Document
  • Any Inheritance that was Intended for a Now-Deceased Beneficiary

TAKE STEPS TO PROTECT YOUR ASSETS

You can minimize the loss of value of your estate by thinking ahead. Who do you want to leave property to? What bills will your estate need to pay before your beneficiaries receive the assets you are setting aside for them? Who is the family member or close friend that you would like to manage the distribution of your estate or care for the assets you intend to go to young beneficiaries? These are all questions that your family and others will have, unless you develop a plan with details and instructions that make your wishes clear.

To begin laying out an estate plan that will work, including a will, designation of a person to receive power of attorney, and other critical matters, you should schedule a meeting with our estate planning attorney. Call The Law Offices of Karen E. Hamilton at (614) 443-7920
to speak with an estate planning attorney in the Columbus, Ohio area.
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