We want you to know that during this difficult time we are here and available for any estate planning assistance you may need. Our law firm will continue to be open during regular business hours. We can offer evening or weekend appointments, as well.
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If you are dealing with a probate matter or you are preparing your estate plan, you are likely to encounter several terms that are unfamiliar to you. This is to be expected if you have not been required to handle probate matters. It can be a little overwhelming as attorneys, court staff, and judges begin using legal terminology that you may not fully understand.
As experienced Dayton, OH probate attorneys, we understand. Below are some common legal terms used in estate planning and in the probate process. If you have additional questions, we urge you to contact our office to speak with one of our Dayton probate attorneys.
When Prince died on April 21, it was a shock to many of his fans and those in the entertainment industry. However, a bigger shock was about to hit the news feeds — Prince died without a will.
How could someone that had achieved the fame and fortune of Prince die without a will. Wasn’t he surrounded by mangers, attorneys, accountants and other profession who would have advised the entertainer to have a comprehensive estate plan? You would think so, but for whatever reason, Prince did not have a will when he died, according to court papers filed by his family.
It is difficult to believe someone who was constantly dealing with contracts and other legal matters related to his music and his career would not take steps to ensure his estate was protected upon his death. Prince made one of the worst possible mistakes when it comes to estate planning — not having a will. Unfortunately, many people make this same mistake as well as other estate planning mistakes that cost their family time, money, and unnecessary stress.
Some people refer to them as “fur-babies” while others call them their “four-legged children.” However you refer to your pets, one thing is clear: our pets are part of our family. The thought of our pets being placed in a shelter upon our death or incapacitation is one we cannot tolerate. However, if you do not make provisions for your pet in your estate plan, that is exactly what could happen. Our attorneys can discuss several ways you can provide for your pet to ensure he or she has a long, healthy life, even if you are unable to be here to share it.
The old saying, “You get what you pay for,” is true in most areas including legal services. Good legal services are not cheap, it’s that simple. And cheap legal services are too expensive and risky in the long run. Attorneys with experience charge higher fees because their experience is of great benefit to their clients. An attorney with little to no experience can make costly mistakes—mistakes that may not be able to be corrected and that could eventually cost the client much more than the fee to hire an experienced attorney in the first place.
Estate planning for unmarried couples can be a bit tricky because Ohio’s marriage laws and probate laws do not afford the same protections for unmarried couples that they do for married couples. Therefore, unmarried couples must take steps to ensure that their partners are protected when they die. Otherwise, the partner may not be eligible to inherit property from the deceased partner according to Ohio probate laws.