Estate Planning Attorney

Are Your Parents in a Nursing Home? Here Are Ways to Prevent Medicaid Estate Recovery

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Medicaid crisis planning has become a hot topic in estate planning. More people need Medicaid to survive the issues and problems of old age but very few actually take the time to address and plan for this all too important need. Contrary to popular belief, Medicaid is not free money. Medicaid is a needs based state and federal program which applicability is primarily focused on recipient income and assets. By waiting too long, though a person may have a sever need for Medicaid support, in the eyes of the program, they’re “too rich” to qualify. At this point, they are left waiting in a state of poverty or sacrificing a lifetime of investment and savings, the spend down, to qualify. Don’t let this happen to you.

Since Medicaid enrollment is surging across the country and the baby boomer generation is aging, the significance of Medicaid enrollment and planning cannot be understated. As always, contact a local Cleveland estate planning attorney to find out how to plan your estate to maintain eligibility for Medicaid, preserve the maximum amount of assets possible while still maintaining that eligibility, and avoid or proactively plan around the Ohio Medicaid Estate Recovery program, “MER”. The MER program is something not a lot of people have heard of, but it can potentially effect millions of senior citizens every year. The government doesn’t care that you’ve heard of the law, only that it is followed.

What is the Medicaid Estate Recovery Program?

The Medicaid Estate Recovery program is a federally mandated program which dictates that when a Medicaid recipient dies, the MER program, carried out by the Ohio Attorney general’s office, will attempt to recover from the estate what Medicaid paid for the services provided. Generally, the program will attempt to recover any medical assistance paid by Medicaid if 1) the Medicaid recipient was aged 55 years or older, 2) the Medicaid benefits were correctly paid, and 3) the recipient was permanently institutionalized, like residing in a nursing home or PASSPORT facility.

What assets are recoverable?

For purposes of the MER, the state uses an expansive definition of “estate assets,” which includes any property a Medicaid recipient had any legal ownership interest in at the time of death. Such as assets in a living trust, assets owned jointly, real property tenancies, and TOD and POD designated assets. After death, even property Medicaid determined exempt during a recipient’s lifetime, such as a house accompanied with an intent to return, household goods, or life insurance policies, are subject to recovery. That is why to be aware of the Medicaid lookback period and plan asset ownership and transfer accordingly.

What assets are except?

As a starting point, remember that to qualify for Medicaid, an individual’s countable resources must be below $1500. The good news, however, is that exempt resources and assets do not count towards this total, at least initially. The following is a non-exhaustive list of exempt resources from Medicaid.

  • One automobile – if less than $4500 or any value to the non-institutionalized spouse. This is associated with the Community Spouse Resource Allowance, consult your estate planning attorney for more information.
  • Household goods – plates, clothes, books, etc.
  • Burial plots – burial plot, gravesite, casket, urn, etc.
  • Prepaid burials
  • Qualified Medicaid annuities
  • Qualified Long-term Care Insurance Policies – these are special insurance products that most insurance companies don’t carry, contract your insurance agent. These polices provide LTC in order to avoid depleting assets spent on Medicaid for long-term care.
  • Primary residence – exempt if non-institutionalized spouse or child under 21 who is blind or disabled is living there. Institutionalized spouse can claim primary residence exemption if obtain affidavit of intent to return.
  • Sale of a house – very nuanced exemption rules but, in a nut shell, if actively attempting to sell a house and if you follow Medicaid regulations, though technically you still own property that would make not you Medicaid ineligible, this ownership and sale won’t effect eligibility.

Exemptions to Medicaid countable resources aren’t really considered in most estate plans, even those specifically geared towards preserving assets and ensuring Medicaid qualification. They do, however, become of critical importance in the context of Medicaid crisis planning. Those situations where Medicaid support is needed immediately but no proper estate planning took place in the proceedings years when Medicaid eligibility wasn’t a concern. At this point, every avenue and tactic of getting into Medicaid and sheltering estate assets is analyzed, all at the expense of the family who failed to plan is now scrambling. As any estate planning attorney or financial planner will tell you, the up-front cost of proactively planning is nothing compared to doing everything last minute in a time of dire need.

Most people have spent a lifetime amassing wealth, property, and possessions that they want to leave to friends and family. Assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and hospice care, however, are often possibilities no one contemplates, let alone proactively prepares for. Federal and state assistance programs such as Medicaid often play a critical role in providing the necessary financial support in our elder years. The MER program, however, means that the use of these programs is not without cost. A cost that is regularly not understood when the need is greatest and rarely known by the surviving family when estate assets are taken by the government for services rendered. An estate planning attorney has the knowledge and can formulate the appropriate strategies for your goals and worries to ensure that the most amount of assets go where you want them to go and not to Uncle Sam.

You don’t have to be rich to protect what you’ve spent a lifetime trying to build. To find out whether a trust is right for your family, take the one-minute questionnaire at www.DoIneedaTrust.com. There are a number of different trusts available and the choices are infinite. With every scenario, careful consideration of every trust planning strategy should be considered for the maximum asset protection and tax savings.

Baron Law Cleveland Ohio

Planning for Crisis: Advance Directives

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Estate planning is an expansive concept. Fundamentally, estate planning seeks to create a detailed plan for your finances, healthcare, and assets for the reminder of life and after death, to the extent physically possible and within the means of the estate planner. Though it would be nice if a crystal ball existed and told us what to do, how to do it, and when to do it, estate planning must resort to educated guesses and client preference.

An experienced Cleveland estate planning attorney knows there are limitations on his abilities. Some matters can’t be foreseen or preplanned for, such as changes in relevant law or undisclosed heirs or assets. There are also limitations brought on by estate planning clients themselves, such as financial restrictions or outright refusal to take the advice of experienced counsel or professionals.  These limits aside, most people looking to plan their estate are concerned with the usual issues affecting us all. Principally, ways to ensure money exists for the rest of life and instructions and preferences regarding necessary medical care. For most, the extent necessary medical care is planned for extends only to telling adult children whether or not they want to be kept alive in the event of a coma or other traumatic injury. Needless to say, this is not good enough and will most likely be forgotten or disregarded. Any Ohio estate planner worth their salt would not let you get away with such half-measures regarding critical medical treatment, and this brings us to advance directives.

What are advance directives and why do I need them?

Simply put, advance directives are legal documents that provide detailed instructions about who should oversee your medical treatment and what your end-of-life or life-sustaining wishes are. Thus, in the event you are unable to speak for yourself, such in the event of coma, traumatic injury, or terminal disease, your family and medical professionals can refer to your advance directives and find out what you want to do.

There are multiple advance directive documents which convey your medical wishes and/or gives authority to another to make medical decisions on your behalf. Which particular document is needed is highly dependent on your medical circumstances, usually focusing on the type of medical treatment contemplated/needed and whether or not you have capacity to make medical decisions yourself. Though there exists many advance directive documents out there, the two most common are healthcare powers of attorney and living wills.

Durable Healthcare Power of Attorney

A healthcare power of attorney allows you to appoint a trusted person to make all healthcare decisions in the event that 1) you become terminally ill and are unable to make your own healthcare decisions or 2) are either temporarily or permanently unable to make medical decisions for yourself. The person you designate with this authority has the power to carry out your wishes and make all other necessary decisions about your medical treatment and other healthcare matters.

Make sure after completing your healthcare power of attorney to at least file it with your primary care physician/provider. The document cannot act to protect you if no one knows about it or knows where it is. Though similar to your financial power of attorney, a healthcare power of attorney only concerns issues of medical treatment. Both work in concert to provide whomever you chose to act in your best interest the legal authority to do so. Talk with your Cleveland estate planning attorney to make sure your powers of attorney are valid and up-to-date.

Living Will

Your living will, sometimes called a healthcare proxy, is almost always paired with your healthcare power of attorney. A living will is a document that conveys your particular instructions to certain medical situations, principally impending death or prolonged terminal conditions, i.e. accepting or declining of life saving medical care. Lesser issues, such blood transfusions or non-life threatening organ or tissue transplants are covered under a healthcare power of attorney. That is why it is important to have both in effect, so all your bases are covered.

Often estate planning clients say that they have communicated their wishes about life sustaining treatment, however, often how it really turns out, friends and family are unaware of an incapacitated person’s medical directives or they may choose to discount or ignore previous conversations, believing that you will pull through against all odds and medical advice. By memorializing your medical directives via a living will, medical staff will consult the document at the appropriate time and carry out your wishes. This takes the stress of critical care decisions off the shoulders of loved ones and removes any opportunity for foul play or misinterpretation. Be sure to consult with your Ohio estate planning attorney to make sure your living will is up-to-date and complies with any recent changes in Ohio law.

Other Types of Advance Directives: DNR’s and Donor Registry Forms

 It is worth noting a few additional advance directive documents as well, namely Do Not Resuscitate Orders and Organ/Tissue Donor Registry Enrollment Forms. Both documents respectively seek to further clarify your medical wishes. DNRs are used when a medical emergency occurs and alerts medical personnel that a person does not wish to receive CPR in the even that the heart or breathing stops.  Organ/Tissue Donor Registry Enrollment Forms supplement your healthcare power of attorney and living will in that it ensures your wishes concerning organ and tissue donation will be honored.

 The general rule is advance directives only come into effect when you are unable to make you own decisions about medical treatment. All advance directive documents allow you to plan ahead by sharing your healthcare instructions with your doctors and family if you become unable, even only temporarily, to make medical decisions yourself. Advance directives help ensure your wishes are followed if you become seriously injured or unconscious. Contact a local estate planning attorney and make sure your have these important documents in place.

About the author: Mike E. Benjamin, Esq.

Mike is a contracted attorney at Baron Law LLC who specializes in civil litigation, estate planning, and probate law. He is a member of the Westshore Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar Association, the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, and the Federal Bar Association for the Northern District of Ohio. He can be reached at mike@baronlawcleveland.com.

Family Law

Divorcing Late In Life? Estate Planning Considerations You Need To Know.

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Unfortunately, “till death do us part” doesn’t seem to have the same weight or meaning that it had back in the day. Per the American Psychological Association, more than 90 percent of people marry by the age of 50, however, more than 50 percent of marriages end in divorce. Further, the divorce rate for subsequent marriages is even higher. An often-neglected aspect of divorce is the chaos it often makes of a well-crafted estate plan. Usually, the consequences of divorce in the context of estate planning isn’t realized until too late and significant time and money are wasted. The good news, however, is that these problems are easily avoided with a little foresight, or at least competent counsel from your Ohio estate planning attorney. Note, your estate planning attorney can only protect you if he knows what is going on, so, if any significant life events have occurred recently in your life, call your attorney and see if anything needs to be done.  

  • Why divorce matters in estate planning.  

First step in fixing or avoiding a problem is understanding what the problem is. So, why is divorce so significant in the context of estate planning? At the end of the day, it all focuses around who gets what and when. With marriage, in the eyes of the law, two people become one. Thus, both are owners, and both have entitlements when they split. Figuring out a fair split of all the property of marriage is regularly a contentious, long, and expensive process.  

This commingling of assets is what makes divorce so difficult, even if prenuptial agreements are in place. What’s considered separate property? What’s considered joint? Definitions vary by state, but in general separate property includes any property owned by either spouse prior to the marriage and any inheritances or gifts received by either spouse, before or during the marriage. Trusts can be used to house assets in separate ownership from a spouse, but this is not an airtight defense. Careful management and access restrictions must be drafted in the trust documents because, in the event of divorce, you can bet your bottom dollar your soon-to-be ex-spouse’s attorney will use all his wit and guile to get at whatever is in trust. 

On the opposite side, marital property is typically any property that is acquired during the marriage, regardless of which spouse owns or holds title to the property. This is almost always subject to equitable division during divorce, again, a prenuptial is no guarantee, recent case law is full of court decisions disregarding these agreements for a variety of reasons.  

Always remember that marital property isn’t just houses and cars but also pension plans, 401(k)s, IRAs, stock options, life insurance, closely held businesses and more. Further, if separately owned property increases in value during the marriage, that increase is also considered marital property. As a rule, if something holds value, it will be fought over during divorce.  Due to the complexities involved when it comes to dividing assets, a marital property agreement can help clear up any confusion surrounding the ownership of assets, but this alone is insufficient protection if you fall on the wrong side of the 50 percent divorce rate.  

  • Divorce Estate Planning Strategies  

After the long and arduous task of dividing assets, the next step is to reorganize an estate plan to match the new realities of your life. After divorce, but especially if remarriage is a possibility trusts should be established to protect your self-interests and children of your previous marriage, wills must be rewritten, often to at least counter an existing will which named a now ex-spouse as executor, and beneficiary designations must be changed, designations which often were made years ago and given little, if any, thought.   

  • Establish Trusts  

A trust, to put it simply, is a private agreement that allows a third party, a trustee, to manage the assets that are placed inside the trust for the benefit of trust beneficiaries. There are innumerable types of trusts, each with own its respective legal conventions and purposes. Trusts come in many forms and are established to accomplish many different things. A revocable living trust fits most situations and can serve as the foundation of your estate plan. While not all trusts are created equally and not all trusts afford the same level of protection, without fail trusts provide greater protection for beneficiaries than outright distributions. 

  • Update Beneficiary Designations 

To guarantee your estate planning goals are met and your money goes where you want it to, ensure that all beneficiary forms and designations are updated following marriage, divorce, or re-marriage. Life insurance proceeds and retirement accounts often represent significant portions of your estate, as such, beneficiary designations should generally pay the proceeds to your trust, if designated correctly. Trust utilization allows control while allowing these proceeds pass directly to an individual represents a risk of mismanagement or squandering. 

  • Update Last Will and Testament  

At the beginning of every will there is language specifically disavowing all previous wills and codicils. This is included as boilerplate language because people forget to do it regularly. In the same vein, especially in the context of divorce or remarriage, update your will to reflect your current familial situation. Personal property bequest, executor appointments, and guardian designations all should be current and accurately reflected in your will.   

  • Adequate Bookkeeping  

Knowledge is power and what you don’t know can hurt you. Regularly go through documents, make important designations current, and account for all of your assets. Outdated information and kill a well-drafted will, trusts, and/or beneficiary designation form. Oversights and neglect can cause estate planning headaches that are easily avoided with a little effort and regular meetings with your Cleveland estate planning attorney. 

Helping You and Your Loved Ones Plan for the Future

Daniel A Baron - Estate Planning Lawyer

What is an Irrevocable Trust?

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Cleveland, Ohio estate planning lawyer, Daniel A. Baron, offers the following information as to whether or not you should have an Irrevocable Trust as part of your comprehensive estate planning.

An Irrevocable Trust, by design cannot be modified in any fashion or terminated without the express written consent of the beneficiary or beneficiaries. Once the trust is created it stands AS IS and cannot be changed at all, notwithstanding a few exceptions.

  • Perhaps a beneficiary needs to be changed
  • Perhaps a financial institution may need clarification of a Trustees Identity
  • The beneficiary may need to terminate the trust early due to an immediate need for a large expense

Why would there exist a need for an Irrevocable Trust?

  • It protects your property held in Trust against creditors
  • It minimizes your estate tax liability
  • If you are looking to qualify for government assistance programs, i.e., Medicaid or Veterans Aid and Attendance benefits

There are three parties to a Trust:

First Party: The “Grantor” or “Settlor” who is the person or persons who establishes the trust. Keep in mind that when the Irrevocable Trust is established the “grantor” or “settlor” relinquishes all control of the assets held within the trust.

Second Party: The Trustee who are appointed by the “Grantor” or “Settlor” whose responsibilities include overseeing the assets, investments, etc., and to pay any expenses which benefits to beneficiary

Third Party:   The Beneficiary whose job it is, is to sit back relax and benefit from the income generated by the investments within the trust.

Let’s start the conversation to see if an Irrevocable Trust is the right tax planning strategy for you as part of your Comprehensive Estate Planning. For more information on reviewing your goals for your Comprehensive Estate Planning, contact Daniel A. Baron of Baron Law today at 216-573-3723.

Helping You and Your Loved Ones Plan for the Future

 

Daniel A Baron Estate Planning lawyer

What Is A Revocable Trust?

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Cleveland, Ohio estate planning lawyer, Daniel A. Baron, offers the following information as to whether or not you should have a Revocable Trust as part of your comprehensive estate planning.

When you decide it is time to do your estate planning, one decision to make is: Do I Need A Trust? If the answer is yes, then the next question is whether or not a Revocable or Irrevocable Trust is the right tool to use in your Comprehensive Estate Planning.  Although both of these are created to avoid probate, there are differences between the two.

A Revocable Trust means you can change things at any time such as;

  • Beneficiaries
  • Add items of value to the trust or remove items from the trust and so on.
  • Changing Trustees
  • Change what funds the trust
  • Eliminate the trust
  • Change amounts to be funded
  • Add Trustees

With a Revocable Trust – the Grantor or Settlor creates the trust AND can also act as the Trustee AND can be named as the beneficiary.

An Irrevocable Trust means no changes can be made (with a few exceptions) once the trust is created.

An Irrevocable Trust has three parties to the Trust; the Grantor or Settlor, the Trustee(s), and the beneficiary or beneficiaries.

  1. The Grantor or Settlor is the person who funds or establishes the Trust
  2. The Trustee is the person who oversees the trust, and
  3. The beneficiary reaps the rewards of the income generated by the investments of the trust. Although the Grantor / Settlor and the beneficiary can be the same, they cannot act as the Trustee

With a Revocable Trust you must remember if you are looking to keep investments, bank accounts, property, and any other such asset as part of the trust, the accounts must be set up in the trusts name and property must be titled to the trust.  Failure to do this while you are still living means that the assets still in your personal name at the time of your death will be subject to probate and a larger amount of estate taxes.

If you are having difficulty determining whether your situation calls for a Revocable or Irrevocable Trust, seek the advice of an experienced Estate Planning Lawyer. For more information on reviewing your goals for your Comprehensive Estate Planning, contact Daniel A. Baron of Baron Law today at 216-573-3723.

Helping You and Your Loved Ones Plan for the Future

Baron Law LLC Estate Planning Attorney

529 Plan For Your Grandchildren

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Baron Law LLC, Cleveland, Ohio, offers information for you to reflect upon while you are setting out looking for an estate planning attorney to help protect as much of your assets as you can. For more comprehensive information contact Baron Law Cleveland to draft your comprehensive estate plan to endeavor to keep more of your assets for your heirs and not hand them over to the government by way of taxes.

In order to become Medicaid eligible, generally, one must have $2,000 or less in assets and earn only $2,205 or less per month in income. There are, however, multiple exceptions which carve out excludable assets, such as the child caregiver exception and the community spouse resource allowance. With the recent upswing in U.S. financial markets, many individuals are asking their estate planners and elder law attorneys ways to save or invest their money but not run afoul of eligibility requirements for government assistance programs such as Social Security and Medicaid. Increasing in popularly and meeting this increased need for saving and investment, 529 and 529A plans are widely being used by Ohio estate planning attorneys to great benefit and profitability.

What is a 529 Plan?

A 529 Plan is comparable to a health saving account. Money is put in and receives tax-benefits if used for educational purposes. All of the contributions made to the account grow tax-free and withdrawals are free from federal and state tax if used for qualified higher education expenses. Significantly, contributions to 529 Plans are not tax deductible. 529 Plans allow money to accrue tax free for the benefit of a designated third-party beneficiary while still retaining control of the assets by the owner prior to distribution provided such funds are spent on education.

529 Plans are a countable Medicaid asset because the owner can take their money back out at any time. As such, an individual owning a 529 Plan will face eligibility problems for government assistance programs if the money within a 529 Plan isn’t spent before applying for such assistance. The critical question is who owns the account. If owner reserves right to revoke or take the money within a 529 Plan, Medicaid will require the money to be spent on healthcare, spenddown, before eligibility for Medicaid services. Further, improper distributions, i.e. spending the money in the 529 account for medical bills instead of college, will trigger deferred taxes, plus penalties of 10 percent.

One solution to a mandatory 529 account spenddown is to legally shift the account to a family member of the beneficiary, such as a grandchild’s parents. However, though this effectively transfers control of the money to a third party thus facially making it a noncountable asset, such a transaction is still considered a transfer of assets that triggers a Medicaid penalty period if it occurs within the 5-year lookback window.

At this point, 529 Plans are not a recognized federal exception and no Ohio regulations are on the books exempting 529 Plans as a countable Medicaid asset. As such, estate and Medicaid planners must be aware that even though 529 Plans are attractive vehicles for saving, 529 Plan use may have significant consequences for seniors and individuals in need of government assistance programs such as Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security. Contract a local Cleveland estate planning attorney to find out which saving accounts are preferable for your situation.

What is a 529 A plan?

Often referred to as a STABLE or ABLE account, 529A plans are accounts used as moderate investment vehicles to generate money to pay for approved expenses for the disabled. STABLE accounts are exempted from Medicaid and are not a countable resource. As such, having a STABLE account does not affect Medicaid eligibility. Further, the first $100,000 in a STABLE account is exempt from the Social Security Income limit.

Additionally, taxpayers can deduct contributions up to $​4,000 from their Ohio taxable income per STABLE account, per year, with unlimited carryforward of contributions over the yearly amount. This means that if contributions exceed $4,000 to a STABLE account in a year, the remainder of your contributions are carried forward to subsequent years until your entire contribution has been fully deducted. In this way, the government incentivizes maximum STABLE contributions which, in turn, reduces the financial burden on government assistance programs. Furthermore, a beneficiary’s individual contributions may also be eligible for the federal Saver’s Credit. An Ohio estate planning attorney can fill you in on the details, use, and eligibility requirements of the federal Saver’s Credit.

STABLE account earnings are not subject to federal income tax provided they are spent on qualified disability expenses. Acceptable. i.e. qualified, expenses are quite more expansive than with 529 Plans, an expense is qualified if 1) the expense was incurred at a time when an individual was suffering from an eligible disability, or 2) the expense relates to the disability, or 3) the expense assists in the maintenance or improvement of health, independence, or quality of life for a disabled individual.

Qualified expenses are not just medical expenses, but also include education, vocational, and living expenditures. Some examples include:

Tuition, books, and educational supplies and materials

Rent, mortgage, property taxes, and utilities

Transportation, qualified vehicles, and moving expenses

Vocational training

Health insurance premiums, medical equipment, treatment, and personnel

Legal fees, financial management services, and funeral expenses

If STABLE funds are used for non-qualified purposes, the owner will have to pay income taxes on the distributions, plus an additional 10% penalty. Further, the non-qualified funds can be counted as an asset/income for eligibility for government assistance programs such as Medicaid and Social Security. If you’re thinking about taking significant distributions from STABLE plans, always consult your estate planning attorney. The last thing you want is to get a disabled family member kicked off government assistance and then have to go through the arduous process of reapplying.

There are five investment options to choose from for a STABLE account, however, a financial adviser is in the best position to pick the best option for a client. A STABLE account used in conjunction with a special needs trust is an effective and powerful investment tool for those with disabled children or family members. Further, federal regulations specifically provide for tax-free rollovers from 529 college savings plans to STABLE accounts. Most people chose to rollover because either college expenditures are no longer needed or a priority in light of a recent and significant health change for a loved one.

529 college saving accounts and STABLE plans can become an indispensable saving and investment vehicle in one’s estate plan. An experienced and knowledgeable estate planning attorney is in the best position to advise you of the pro’s and con’s of each. Maintaining eligibility for government assistance while maximum personal retention of money and assets is perhaps the most common concern for clients of elder law attorneys. Both of the above mentioned tools, in the right hands, can financially provide for necessary healthcare and save or earn a lot of money for family members.

You don’t have to be rich to protect what you’ve spent a lifetime trying to build. To find out whether a trust is right for your family, take the one-minute questionnaire at www.DoIneedaTrust.com. There are a number of different trusts available and the choices are infinite. With every scenario, careful consideration of every trust planning strategy should be considered for the maximum asset protection and tax savings. For more information, you can contact Mike Benjamin of Baron Law LLC at 216-573-3723. Baron Law LLC is a Cleveland, Ohio area law firm focusing on estate planning and elder law. Mike can also be reached at mike@baronlawcleveland.com.

Helping You And Your Loved Ones Plan For The Future

About the author: Mike E. Benjamin, Esq.

Mike is a contracted attorney at Baron Law LLC who specializes in civil litigation, estate planning, and probate law. He is a member of the Westshore Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar Association, the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, and the Federal Bar Association for the Northern District of Ohio. He can be reached at mike@baronlawcleveland.com.

Disclaimer:

The information contained herein is general in nature, is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal or tax advice. The author nor Baron Law LLC cannot and does not guarantee that such information is accurate, complete, or timely. Laws of a particular state or laws that may be applicable in a given situation may impact the applicability, accuracy, or completeness of the preceding information. Further, federal and state laws and regulations are complex and subject to change. Changes in such laws often have material impact on estate planning and tax forecasts. As such, the author and Baron Law LLC make no warranties regarding the herein information or any results arising from its use. Furthermore, the author and Baron Law LLC disclaim any liability arising out of your use of, or any financial position taken in reliance on, such information. As always consult an attorney regarding your specific legal or tax situation.

House in Trust with Mortgage

Terminating Irrevocable Trusts I: Changing What Can’t Be Changed

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Baron Law LLC, Cleveland, Ohio, offers information for you to reflect upon while you are setting out looking for an estate planning attorney to help protect as much of your assets as you can.  For more comprehensive information contact Baron Law Cleveland to draft your comprehensive estate plan to endeavor to keep more of your assets for your heirs and not hand them over to the government by way of taxes.

Irrevocable trusts are trusts in which the grantor, i.e. the trust maker, relinquishes all control and ownership over the trust and the assets used to fund the trust. Thus, in theory, the trust can only be changed or canceled per the ways denoted by trusts terms and usually only then with the blessing of the trustee and/or trust beneficiaries.  

So, why would anyone give up control to another and chose to use irrevocable trusts? Conversely with living trusts, grantors keep “the keys” to the trust while with irrevocable trusts “the keys” are given up. In the eyes of the law, generally, what is inside an irrevocable trust no longer belongs to the grantor. Thus, grantors aren’t taxed on what’s inside these trusts and those with claims against the grantor can’t extend potential recovery to these assets as well. This is all well and good, but with everything in life, situations change. A previous estate plan, and accompanying established trusts, sometimes no longer serve the best interest of the grantor and their family. With current sky-high estate tax exemptions, the normal administrative costs associated with trust management, and, perhaps, an adjusting need for liquidity or differing type of asset control, some individuals are evaluating whether it’s worth keeping an irrevocable trust. If this is you, don’t despair. Despite what their name suggests, irrevocable, there are ways to terminate an irrevocable trust. Before, however, anything drastic like trust termination occurs, always consult an experienced Cleveland estate planning attorney to figure out all your options and plot the best course of action.  

Now if after consultation with professionals regarding your estate plan reveals that your irrevocable trust no longer serves your best interests, termination is an option. There are several methods for terminating trusts in Ohio, termination by court order, termination via private agreement, and termination by discretionary distribution. This blog concerns primarily the first method, court ordered trust termination.

   1.Court-Ordered Trust Termination  

In 2007 Ohio passed the Ohio Trust Code which governs the creation, management, and termination of trusts. Chapter 5804 primarily is the vehicle courts use to terminate trusts depending on the circumstances. Now, the most common circumstances in which this method of termination is used is either via independent motion on a probate court to terminate a trust for justifiable cause or as a recovery prayer in a civil suit that someway touches on a trust significantly enough to justify termination. Again, consult an experienced Ohio estate planning attorney, they will know when, how, and where to commence trust termination proceedings.    

       A.Trust Termination by Revocation or by Terms 

Per O.R.C. § 5804.10, a trust may be terminated to the extent that a court finds that: 

  1. It is revoked or expired pursuant to its terms; 
  2. There is no remaining purpose of the trust to be achieved; 
  3. The purpose of the trust has become unlawful or impossible. 

This particular code section denotes the authority/power of the court to terminate a trust. The respective standing, or ability, for a grantor, trustee, and trust beneficiary to petition to terminate a trust are also denoted within the Ohio Trust Code. Note, however, that within R.C. § 5804.10 no mention of settlor, trustee, or beneficiary consent is denoted. This means that if a court thinks termination of a trust is appropriate, they can do so. Now whether or not a particular probate court will take the feelings and considerations of the settlor, trustee, or beneficiaries into account when deciding to terminate a trust is dependent on the judge and jurisdiction. Again, you never can guarantee a particular outcome when you resort to court intervention. That is why you should always consult with an estate planning attorney before asking a court to do anything with your trust.        

        B. Termination of Noncharitable Irrevocable Trust 

Per O.R.C. § 5804.11, an irrevocable trust can be terminated by agreement, authorized by a court, with the consent of the settlor and all of the beneficiaries. Note, however, the trustee’s consent is not required. Though technically a court must approve of termination via § 5804.11, if all valid consent is obtained from the settlor and beneficiaries and all are competent to give such consent, a probate court will almost always approve of the termination and issue the order even if such termination is inconsistent with the terms of the trust and the trust’s material purposes.  

       C. Court Intervention Due to Changing Circumstances  

 Per O.R.C. § 5804.12, a probate court may terminate a trust due to a change in circumstances that has occurred since its creation. Per this section of the Ohio Trust Code:   

(A) The court may modify the terms of a trust or terminate the trust if because of circumstances not anticipated by the settlor modification or termination will further the purposes of the trust. To the extent practicable, the court shall make the modification in accordance with the settlor’s probable intention. 

(B) The court may modify the administrative terms of a trust if continuation of the trust on its existing terms would be impracticable or impair the trust’s administration. 

Further, upon termination of trust via this section, the trustee must distribute the trust property in a manner consistent with the purposes of the trust. O.R.C. § 5804.12 (C). An action under this section to terminate a trust may only be brought by a trustee or beneficiary and a court must act as close as possible to the probable wishes of the settlor but only to the extent practicable in the circumstances. Further, a termination under this section must be due to circumstances not anticipated by the settlor and such termination must be in accordance with the trust purposes. As such, though circumstances may allow for termination of a trust, interested parties just being disgruntled or dissatisfied with a trust’s management is not sufficient to warrant termination.    

Trusts are a useful estate planning tool to ensure increased permanence of your lifetime earnings and instructions down through the generations. Like all things, however, nothing is unalterable. Being aware of the potential reasons and methods for revoking irrevocable trusts can allow a settlor to dictate more effective terms but also allow avenues for change if completely unexpected or frustrating events occur. An experienced Cleveland estate planning attorney is invaluable in creating, managing, and, if the time comes, terminating your trusts.     

 Helping You And Your Loved Ones Plan For The Future

About the Author: 

Mike is a contracted attorney at Baron Law LLC who specializes in civil litigation, estate planning, and probate law. He is a member of the Westshore Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar Association, the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, and the Federal Bar Association for the Northern District of Ohio. He can be reached at mike@baronlawcleveland.com.   

Disclaimer: 

The information contained herein is general in nature, is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal or tax advice. The author nor Baron Law LLC cannot and does not guarantee that such information is accurate, complete, or timely. Laws of a particular state or laws that may be applicable in a given situation may impact the applicability, accuracy, or completeness of the preceding information. Further, federal and state laws and regulations are complex and subject to change. Changes in such laws often have material impact on estate planning and tax forecasts. As such, the author and Baron Law LLC make no warranties regarding the herein information or any results arising from its use. Furthermore, the author and Baron Law LLC disclaim any liability arising out of your use of, or any financial position taken in reliance on, such information. As always consult an attorney regarding your specific legal or tax situation.

Trust Lawyer Baron Law Cleveland Ohio

How To Use An Ohio Legacy Trust To Protect Family Assets

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Baron Law LLC, Cleveland, Ohio, offers information for you to reflect upon while you are setting out looking for an estate planning attorney to help protect as much of your assets as you can. For more comprehensive information contact Baron Law Cleveland to draft your comprehensive estate plan to endeavor to keep more of your assets for your heirs and not hand them over to the government by way of taxes.

If you have a trust more than eight years old, chances are you were not able to take advantage of an Ohio Legacy Trust. In March of 2013, Ohio became the fifteenth state to allow the use of domestic asset protections trusts, also known as Ohio Legacy Trusts. Legacy trusts are extremely useful in high-risk ventures or occupations such as doctors, entrepreneurs, real estate inventors, and venture capitalists. Legacy trusts give unprecedented control to trust makers and far reaching asset protection. Legacy trusts, however, are not the end all be all. Considering legacy trusts are still relatively new on the Ohio scene, no one can say for certain their permanent place in Ohio estate planning. Further, because the advantages with Ohio legacy trusts are so extreme, the legal hurdles and requirements are, correspondingly, stricter. As such, call your local Cleveland estate planning attorney and see if taking advantage of this relatively new estate planning vehicle is right for you and your goals.

I. What is an Ohio Legacy Trust?

Before 2013, in Ohio, the law was that you could not create a trust for yourself, fund it with your own money, name yourself as a beneficiary, and protect assets within the trust from creditors. Now, however, Ohio law allows a settlor to make an irrevocable trust for the purpose of protecting assets from creditors all the while naming themselves a discretionary beneficiary. Further, other beneficiaries, such as a spouse, children and charities, can also be named. If this sounds powerful to you, that’s because it is.

The main wrinkles with Ohio Legacy Trusts is that a third party, such as a bank or CPA, must be appointed trustee and valid creditors have a statutory opportunity to bring valid creditor claims before the asset protection kicks in. The Ohio Legacy Trust Act states that if 18 months have passed since forming the legacy trust, all future creditors, with some exceptions, that are not yet known will be foreclosed from getting trust assets via a lawsuit. Thus, an Ohio Legacy Trust is not an absolute protection against current creditors, but it does protect against almost all future creditors with respect to the assets placed in trust.

II. Why are Ohio Legacy Trusts used?

Aside from the previously mentioned asset protection, Ohio Legacy Trusts also give trust makers an extraordinary amount of control over trust assets and ability to effect trust management. Makers of Ohio Legacy Trusts can be both the creator and beneficiary and reserve for themselves numerous rights regarding the trust. Trust makers can reserve the following rights for themselves:

The right to receive income and principal from the trust in the trustee’s discretion. For example, the legacy trust could provide that all income is distributed to the beneficiary maker on a regular basis or that the beneficiary maker receives a fixed percentage of trust assets.

The right to withdraw up to 5% of the trust principal each year.

The power to veto a distribution from the trust.

Certain rights to control how trust property will pass to other beneficiaries after the trust maker’s death.

The right to remove and replace trustees and other trust advisors.

The right to occupy real estate and use tangible personal property held as part of the trust assets.

The right to distributions to pay taxes on income generated by the trust, or an interest in receiving such tax distributions in the discretion of the trustee.

The right to serve as investment advisor to the trustee.

III. What are the Requirements of an Ohio Legacy Trust?

In a nutshell, an Ohio legacy trust must have the following characteristics:

1) The trustee must reside in Ohio or be an Ohio entity authorized to do business in Ohio.

2) The trust must be irrevocable.

3) The settlor, i.e. trust maker, must draft and execute an affidavit of solvency, sometimes called an affidavit of disposition, swearing the following:

* The assets to be used to fund the trust are not from illegal activity,

* The settlor is the rightful owner of the assets,

* The settlor does not intend to file for bankruptcy,

* The settlor is not a party of any unidentified court or administrative proceedings,

* The settlor will not be rendered insolvent after the contemplated assets are used to fund the trust, and

* The settlor is not transferring assets to the trust with the intent to defraud creditors.

IV. What can an Ohio Legacy Trust not do?

Though the powers of Ohio Legacy Trusts are expansive, they are not without limitation. An Ohio Legacy Trust cannot be used with the intent to defraud creditors. Further, it is a hard rule in Ohio law that these trusts do not protect against child support and alimony support claims. Furthermore, a settlor cannot make themselves insolvent while funding the trust and the trust cannot give a settlor the power to revoke the trust. Also, being that Ohio Legacy Trusts are grantor trusts, the settlor is responsible for paying income tax on all money generated by the trust.

Ohio Legacy Trusts are a great new tool to utilize for the right estate planner, but their use is not without risk. Assets placed in trust are no longer in the settlor’s direct control and it is no guarantee that these trusts will be recognized in other states. The biggest drawback is that Ohio Legacy Trusts only protect against future creditors, not current ones. That said, Ohio Legacy Trusts are an option that should be explored by anyone looking to protect their assets and increase the longevity of such assets. Contact an experienced Cleveland estate planning attorney and find out more about these trusts and how they can work for you.

Helping You And Your Loved Ones Plan For The Future


About the author: Mike E. Benjamin, Esq.

Mike is an attorney at Baron Law LLC who specializes in civil litigation, estate planning, and probate law. He is a member of the Westshore Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar Association, the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, and the Federal Bar Association for the Northern District of Ohio. He can be reached at mike@baronlawcleveland.com.

Disclaimer:

The information contained herein is general in nature, is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal or tax advice. The author nor Baron Law LLC cannot and does not guarantee that such information is accurate, complete, or timely. Laws of a particular state or laws that may be applicable in a given situation may impact the applicability, accuracy, or completeness of the preceding information. Further, federal and state laws and regulations are complex and subject to change. Changes in such laws often have material impact on estate planning and tax forecasts. As such, the author and Baron Law LLC make no warranties regarding the herein information or any results arising from its use. Furthermore, the author and Baron Law LLC disclaim any liability arising out of your use of, or any financial position taken in reliance on, such information. As always consult an attorney regarding your specific legal or tax situation.

Baron Law Cleveland Ohio

How Do I Force A Trustee To Tell Me What’s In A Trust?

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Baron Law LLC, Cleveland, Ohio, offers information for you to reflect upon while you are setting out looking for an estate planning attorney to help protect as much of your assets as you can.  For more comprehensive information contact Baron Law Cleveland to draft your comprehensive estate plan to endeavor to keep more of your assets for your heirs and not hand them over to the government by way of taxes.

Trusts are one of the most useful tools in the estate planning tool box. Special needs trusts ensure vulnerable children and beneficiaries can receive bequests or inheritances without being knocked off of critical state and federal benefits while a simple family trust can guarantee income and assets placed within it last for generations and are, for the most part, protected from creditors and litigants. The lynchpin of any trust, however, besides the trust documents themselves, is the trustee. The agent in charge of managing trust assets and carrying out trust instructions.

A lot of faith and trust are placed within trustees. Unfortunately, not all trustees are up to the task and some even use their position for ill gain. Some trustees are lazy, some are disinterested. Other trustees are combative, others are downright criminals. Trustees come in all types. The process for removing a trustee, seeking civil or criminal action against a trustee, or simply finding out what a trustee knows all start at the same spot. A trust beneficiary, or other interested party, must force a trustee to tell them what they know and Ohio law has provided a process to do just that. The process is called a petition to compel an accounting or sometimes a citation to a fiduciary to file an account.

This process, naturally, is often the route of last resort when something has gone horribly wrong with a trustee or fiduciary. For example, failure of an executor to file a notice of admission for will to probate, or a failure render an account of an executor’s or administrator’s estate administration, or failure to file the first estate accounting within the 3-month time limit without good cause shown. Basically, citations to compel accounting are used when those entrusted to look after the money don’t follow the rules or tell anybody what they are doing. Again, getting a probate court involved with a difficult or non-responsive fiduciary should always be a last resort. As such, always consult an experienced Cleveland estate planning attorney to find out your best course of action in the circumstances.

How do I compel a trustee accounting?

Generally, to get a court to do anything, there has to be statutory language on the books that give you the authority/right to do something. Ohio law provides that particular qualified people can petition the court to force a fiduciary or trustee to appear and tell what they know and bring evidence to back it up.

“If a fiduciary neglects or refuses to file an account, inventory, certificate of notice of probate of will, or report when due,… the court at its own instance may issue, and on the application of any interested party or of any of the next of kin of any ward shall issue, a citation … to such fiduciary …. to compel the filing of the overdue account, inventory, certificate of notice of probate of will, or report.” O.R.C. § 2109.31(A).

What does a citation for accounting contain?

The citation or motion to compel is a legal document filed with a particular probate court that asks the court to use its authority to force a fiduciary or trustee to appear at a certain time in a certain place or face the consequences. Ohio law specifies that such a request must be a proper form so the court knows exactly what you’re asking the court to do and so the trustee or fiduciary knows exacts what to do to satisfy the court’s request and avoid any adverse consequences. So, what information does your request actually need to contain. Per O.R.C. § 2109.31(B):

(1) A statement that the particular account, inventory, certificate of notice of probate of will, or report is overdue;

(2) An order to the fiduciary to file the account, inventory, certificate of notice of probate of will, or report, or otherwise to appear before the court on a specified date;

(3) A statement that, upon the issuance of the citation, a continuance to file the account, inventory, certificate of notice of probate of will, or report may be obtained from the court only on or after the date specified…

A motion to compel accounting is a particular legal document that should be prepared by a licensed attorney. Nonconformity with the state and local rules of form and filing can waste a lot of time and money and frustrate a judge and their support staff, not ideal when your asking for the court’s help. Hiring a knowledgeable Ohio estate planning attorney will ensure your filing is accepted and in proper order.

What if a trustee doesn’t appear?

If a citation to compel accounting is issue from a probate and a fiduciary or trustee fails to file the requested documents or personally report prior to the appearance date specified in the citation, a probate court may resort to one or more of the following:

The removal of the fiduciary or trustee;

A denial of all or part of the fiduciary fees;

A continuance of the time for filing the requested documents;

An assessment against the fiduciary of a penalty of one hundred dollars and costs of twenty-five dollars for the hearing, or a suspension of all or part of the penalty and costs; or

That the fiduciary is in contempt of the court for the failure to comply with the citation and that a specified daily fine, imprisonment, or daily fine and imprisonment may be imposed against the fiduciary, beginning with the appearance date, until the account, inventory, certificate of notice of probate of will, or report is filed with the court;

Furthermore, if a fiduciary or trustee fails to appear in court on the specified date on the citation, a probate court can even go as far as ordering them to be taken into custody by a sheriff and forcibly brought to court.

The potential consequences facing non-compliant fiduciaries are severe, however, utilizing the court should only be used in extreme circumstances or as a last resort. As such, consult experienced Cleveland estate planning attorney before doing anything so serious. Doing so will ensure that the process is done correctly and expediently.

Helping You And Your Loved Ones Plan For The Future

About the author: Mike E. Benjamin, Esq.

Mike is a contracted attorney at Baron Law LLC who specializes in civil litigation, estate planning, and probate law. He is a member of the Westshore Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar Association, the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, and the Federal Bar Association for the Northern District of Ohio. He can be reached at mike@baronlawcleveland.com.

Disclaimer:

The information contained herein is general in nature, is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal or tax advice. The author nor Baron Law LLC cannot and does not guarantee that such information is accurate, complete, or timely. Laws of a particular state or laws that may be applicable in a given situation may impact the applicability, accuracy, or completeness of the preceding information. Further, federal and state laws and regulations are complex and subject to change. Changes in such laws often have material impact on estate planning and tax forecasts. As such, the author and Baron Law LLC make no warranties regarding the herein information or any results arising from its use. Furthermore, the author and Baron Law LLC disclaim any liability arising out of your use of, or any financial position taken in reliance on, such information. As always consult an attorney regarding your specific legal or tax situation.


A Trust Unfunded Is Just Paper And Ink, The Importance Of Funding Your Trust,

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Baron Law LLC, Cleveland, Ohio, offers information for you to reflect upon while you are setting out looking for an estate planning attorney to help protect as much of your assets as you can.  For more comprehensive information contact Baron Law Cleveland to draft your comprehensive estate plan to endeavor to keep more of your […]

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