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Dan Baron Baron Law

Exceptions and Bars to Inheritance

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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.

When someone dies intestate (without a will), there are several exceptions to the rules of descent and estate distribution which act to bar a person from receiving what would have been such person’s intestate share of the decedent’s estate. These rules and exceptions highlight the importance of having a comprehensive estate plan and, in certain circumstances, are of paramount importance to heirs and beneficiaries. Rules are only written when they are needed, and the context surrounding these rules and exceptions illustrate some of the more extreme problems that an estate administration may potentially face. As always, an experienced Ohio estate planning attorney can fill you in on all the details and make a plan that will deal with any issues proactively.

Slayer Statute

The most commonly known exception is the slayer statute which is codified under Ohio Revised Code § 2105.19. This statute deals with the crimes of aggravated murder, murder, voluntary manslaughter, and/or complicity in the violation of any of the above crimes. If one has pled guilty to, has been convicted of, or has been found not guilty by reason of mental defect of, any one of the above crimes, such person is barred from receiving any portion of his or her victim’s estate. This statute bars inheritance regardless of whether it would have been through intestacy or as a bequest under a will. The same also applies to other property received as a result of death, like insurance proceeds. The slayer statute is an attempt by the Ohio legislature to write into law the cliché that crime doesn’t pay.

Illegitimate Children

Under common law, children born out of wedlock were not entitled to inherit from their mother or father. O.R.C. § 2105.17 states, however, that children born out of wedlock shall be capable of inheriting or transmitting inheritance from and to their mother and from and to those from whom she may inherit, or to whom she may transmit inheritance, as if born in lawful wedlock.

Ohio’s intestacy statute does not specifically address the ability of children born out of wedlock to inherit from their father. This issue, however, has been addressed in Ohio case law. Such case law has established multiple ways in which a child born out of wedlock could inherit from such a child’s father, some of the ways include the child’s father: 1) marrying the child’s mother, 2) providing for the child in a will, 3) designating the child as an heir, or 4) adopting the child.

The enactment of the Ohio Parentage Act, codified via O.R.C. § 3111, provided an additional way for a parent-child relationship to be established by allowing a child to bring an action to determine parentage. There has been disagreement among Ohio courts as to whether such actions to determine parentage must be brought prior to the father’s death. Some courts have held that while O.R.C § 2105.06 “does not require a parentage action to be brought before the death of the father… a probate court does not have jurisdiction to hear a parentage action under O.R.C. Chapter 3111.” See Estate of Hicks, 629 N.E.2d 1086 for more information. This likely creates a necessity to bring any parentage action by any estranged child as soon as possible in order to prevent being automatically disinherited by virtue of a lack of probate court jurisdiction. Contact a local Cleveland estate attorney to make sure your inheritance rights are valid and, if not, the appropriate steps are undertaken to validate and protect them.

Children Conceived as a Result of Rape

Recently in 2015, the Ohio legislature recently passed law that prevents a person who commits rape or sexual battery, or any of such person’s relatives, from receiving an intestate share from a child, or child’s decedents, who was conceived as a result of the rape. Such is codified via O.R.C § 2105.062.

Children who are abandoned by parents

If a minor child has been “abandoned” by a parent, then the parent is prevented from receiving an intestate share of the deceased minor’s estate. O.R.C. 2105.10(B). A child is “abandoned” by a parent if the parent has failed, without justifiable cause, to communicate with the minor, care for the minor, and provide support as required by law for at least a year immediately prior to the minor’s death. O.R.C. 2105.10 (A)(1). While few minors die with significant assets, this statute may be significant in the event of a wrongful death of the minor in which a significant windfall due in insurance proceeds or litigation may be contemplated. This potential windfall is a major reason why estate planning, even for individuals relatively young, should not be overlooked. The last thing a grieving family wants to do, while also negotiating a legal settlement, is deal with internal family disputes over who has authority over the decedent child’s estate, and along with it, the authority to negotiate the settlement amount for legal claims. Contact a local estate attorney to prevent this from happening.

Issues relating to adoption

Once a child has been adopted and after the final order of adoption is issued, the adopted child’s relationship with the natural/birth family, except the natural parent in the case of a step-parent adoption, is legally terminated. This eliminates any rights such child had to inherit from the natural family under the laws of descent and distribution. Instead, the adopted child, if that child is adopted prior to age 18, is treated as a child of the adoptive parent for purposes of intestate succession law and entitled to all the rights and privileges inherent to being a natural child.

These rules and exceptions to inheritance only touch on the multitude of problems and issues that face families when planning an estate or administrating an estate after death. Death is something no one likes to think about and even less people plan for. Just a few hours, however, with an experienced Cleveland land estate planning attorney can save your family months of stress and thousands of dollars in legal fees and court costs.

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.

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.

Estate Planning Attorney - Baron Law

I Need Medicaid, How Can I Keep My Home?

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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.

Caring for elderly loved ones, yourself or others, is not cheap. Assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and hospice care can easily run thousands of dollars a month and, as such, most people cannot afford to pay for it out of pocket for very long. We’ve all heard the horror stories, people stuck in dilapidated or abusive care facilities or having to spend every last cent just for a bed in a proper facility. No one expects to spend the last years of their lives in such an appalling state, but tragically, it happens more often than you think. To combat this, many resort to relying on government assistance to pay for managed care. To qualify for that assistance, however, many people must “spend down” their assets or reduce their income in order to become eligible for government programs, namely Medicaid.

The thought of having to choose between either having a fire sale and/or willingly living in a crummy facility and/or becoming a burden on your family is hardly an attractive prospect. Everyone wants to pass as much of their money and assets on to friends and family and no one wants to become a burden. Medicaid is well aware of this and imposes a five-year “look back” period for eligibility to ensure that people don’t simply transfer their money and assets away to qualify for government benefits.

There are estate planning strategies available, however, that will allow major assets to stay within the family while still maintaining Medicaid eligibility. The Caregiver Child Exemption, also known as the Adult Child Caregiving Exemption, is perhaps the one of most popular Medicaid planning tools available to preserve assets while maintaining eligibility. An estate planning attorney is in the best position to advise you on the best course of action given your particular circumstances but becoming familiar with the landscape and legal language of Medicaid will help you make the best decisions when the time comes for action.

Why should I care/How does this benefit me?

We are all naturally self-interested, so the first question everyone asks is, how does the Medicaid Caregiver Child Exemption benefit me?

In a nutshell, this is an exemption to the five-year lookback for Medicaid eligibility that can allow you to stay in your home instead of a nursing home or assisted living facility and still receive Medicaid assistance. Regardless of how nice a managed care facility is, everyone is more comfortable in their own home. The Medicaid Caregiver Child Exemption increases the amount of time you can spend in your own home before the realities of your own health force to into a more intensive care facility.

How does the Medicaid Caregiver Child Exemption work?

To qualify for the Exemption, the caregiving child must live in the home with their parent(s) for at least two years prior to the parent becoming eligible for Medicaid benefits. Further, the caregiving child must provide a level of care that effectively prevents the parent for needing to stay in a nursing home or assisted care facility. This at-home care saves the Medicaid program money and frees up much needed bed space in Medicaid approved facilities, hence the reason Medicaid offers the Exemption in the first place.

To effectively understand how the Exemption operates, and exploit it to the fullest extent, one must understand its constituent parts. Note, all the following criteria must be satisfied in order for the Exemption to apply.

What’s a “Child” under the Exemption?

A child under the Exemption is limited only to a biological or legally adopted child. A niece, nephew, grandchild, cousin, aunt, uncle, or stepchild does not count. Medicaid constricts eligible transfers only to direct decedents in order to prevent abuse of the Exemption and because, more often than not, our children are the ones who are going to step up and provide the needed care for parents.

To prove a qualifying family relationship, usually a birth certificate or adoption certificate is used.

What’s a “Home” under the Exemption?

The only “homes” eligible for the Exemption are those of primary residence. No vacation homes, secondary residences, or rental properties. Further, the child caregiver and the parent must reside together for the entirety of the two years. Medicaid wants to ensure the home is actually being used to provide healthcare for the parent in lieu of a managed care facility. If an adult child and parent are living together for an extended period of time, its more likely the Exemption is being used for legitimate purposes rather than a cover for an improper transfer of property.

To prove a qualifying home, evidence such as utility bills, tax returns, of government ID’s for both the parent and child caregiver for at least two years prior to Medicaid eligibility are sufficient.

What’s “Care” under the Exemption?

A child simply living with a parent, cooking meals, doing laundry, picking up medication, is not enough. The amount and manner of care must be enough to establish to Medicaid that the labors of the child caregiver is the reason why the parent isn’t in a nursing home or assisted living facility. If such labor is the difference between the parent staying at home or taking up a bed in a professional facility, then the non-disqualifying transfer of the home to the child is justified.

Establishing the proper level of care is the hardest criteria to prove. This is usually established by having the primary care physician of the parent complete and sign a Medicaid form clearly documenting the care provided by the child. Legal documentation that the care of the child prevented institutionalization of the parent during the two-year lookback is required as well. Any additional documents from family, friends, and medical professionals demonstrating the labors of the child caregiver is beneficial as well.

How to Apply

You don’t file or apply to use the Exemption in the conventional sense. When applying for Medicaid, you also submit the documentation establishing the transfer of your home to your child qualifies for the Exemption. Obtaining the required documentation to prove the applicability of the Exemption is the hardest part. Further, because the burden of proof lies with the applicant, Medicaid will show no leniency for mistakes or omissions.

This is why Medicaid planning and retaining legal counsel is so critical. The Exemption criteria should be met as soon as practical, so the two-year look back can start running as soon as possible. Further, an attorney can ensure all the documentation and forms are properly filled out, executed, and mailed to the proper government agency. Last the thing you want is to find out you have months or years of additional Medicaid ineligibility because an additional penalty period was accrued due to improperly gifting your home to your child.

What if I mess up and the Exemption doesn’t apply?

If the transfer of the home was improper, Medicaid will deny that the Exemption apples, consider the house a qualifying asset, and a penalty period will accrue in proportion to the value of the house. This means on top of the two years that the child caregiver must live with a parent before Medicaid eligibility, a period of further ineligibility is added. This period is determined based on the dollar amount of value of the house divided by either the average monthly private patient rate or daily private patient rate of nursing home care in Ohio.

The home that you lived in for years, if not decades, is one of your most valuable assets, both financially and emotionally. Old age, however, means significant money is needed to live comfortably, even more so in the event of illness or disease. Wise use of the Medicaid Child Caregiver Exemption can cut off years of Medicaid ineligibility and enable comfortable and convenient caregiving for families with ailing parents. Use of the Exemption, however, is not guaranteed and proper steps must be taken. This is why an experienced estate planning attorney can mean the difference between living in your own house receiving much-needed government assistance or waiting years for help or being forced in live in second-rate managed care facilities.

Also, should an elderly individual already be receiving Medicaid benefits, the family should contact a local Cleveland estate planning attorney and find out if the Medicaid Child Caregiver Exemption is still available.

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.

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

T.O.D. Designations to Avoid Probate

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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.

One of the more common topics posed to Ohio estate attorneys always concerns how to avoid probate and the accompanying costs of going through a probate administration. Namely, can an individual transfer property, particularly a martial home, and avoid probate without using more intensive estate planning tools? In many situations trusts afford more control and security over estate assets but for smaller estates, T.O.D. designations can fill a critical role and affording surviving family members partial peace of mind when a loved one passes. Talk to a local Ohio estate attorney to find out if a trust-based strategy or hybrid trust/T.O.D. plan would work best for your situation.  

What is a T.O.D. designation? 

At the most basic level, transfer on death “T.O.D.” designations are a way to transfer real and certain personal property to named beneficiates at the moment of death. The law construes the transfer as occurring just prior to death so the property is conveyed independent from the probate process. Thus, if the property isn’t a part of the probate estate, it normally isn’t subject to all the claims and debts of the decedent’s estate.  

T.O.D. designations are usually seen with bank accounts, real estate, and automobiles and, as such, the processes for using T.O.D.’s for these types of property are well established. Which is good, because usually these types of assets represent the lions share of an estate. Contract a Cleveland area attorney to find out if, and how, T.O.D. designations can be used to save you thousands in estate fees and administration costs.  

Why would I use a T.O.D. designation? 

As previously stated, the major benefit of using a T.O.D. is probate avoidance. Thus, the property usually isn’t subject to debts and creditors of the estate and the property isn’t tied up for months while the affairs and accounting of the estate are concluded. Most, if not all, beneficiaries and heirs want their property as soon as possible.  

It is important to note, however, that a T.O.D. designation has no effect on the present ownership of the associated property and any beneficiary of a T.O.D. has no rights or interest in the property during the owner’s lifetime.  

The owner of the T.O.D. designation can change or revoke such designation at any time by executing and filing/recording a new designation. A T.O.D. transfer, however, does not eliminate the need to pay applicable federal estate taxes. Further, beneficiaries of a T.O.D. should be aware of the tax consequences of accepting a T.O.D bequest. Contacting a knowledgeable Ohio probate attorney can appraise you of any unforeseen tax liabilities.  

How to do I do a T.O.D. designation? 

For Land: 

Per O.R.C. § 5302.222, “The transfer of a deceased owner’s real property or interest in real property as designated in a transfer on death designation affidavit…shall be recorded by presenting to the county auditor of the county in which the real property is located and filing with the county recorder of that county an affidavit of confirmation executed by any transfer on death beneficiary to whom the transfer is made. The affidavit of confirmation shall be verified before a person authorized to administer oaths and shall be accompanied by a certified copy of the death certificate for the deceased owner.” 

In normal language, fill out, sign, notarize, and record the T.O.D. affidavit with the desired number of beneficiary designations then fill with a county recorder in the county where the property is located. There is no limit to the amount of primary and contingent beneficiaries you can put on a T.O.D. affidavit. Naturally, the more you put, the less proportion each will receive, and type of tenancy conveyed, and primacy of conveyance can all be specified as well and is dependent on the type of beneficiary status and land interest conveyed. For example, if you put that beneficiaries take as joint tenants, all beneficiaries will have rights to the whole by virtue of being joint tenants, regardless if the affidavit further specifies proportional bequests.  

Model T.O.D. affidavits can be found online and on such forms, there is a predetermined section in which you can add any number of beneficiaries, respective ownership proportion, and type of ownership. However, in the absence of tenancy specification, named T.O.D. beneficiaries take as tenants in common. Per § O.R.C. 5302.23 (B)(1), “If there is a designation of more than one transfer on death beneficiary, the beneficiaries shall take title to the interest in equal shares as tenants in common, unless the deceased owner has specifically designated other than equal shares or has designated that the beneficiaries take title as survivorship tenants, subject to division (B)(3) of this section. A tenancy in common presents different issues regarding survivorship and concurrent ownership. Contact a local Ohio estate attorney to find out what type of tenancy fits bests for your property and family situation.   

For Cars:s: 

The Ohio BMV has its own process for T.O.D. designations. Individuals who are the sole owner of a motor vehicle, watercraft, or outboard motor can elect to designate one or more beneficiaries to an Ohio title. To do so, the owner fills out, signs, notarizes BMV form 3811, Affidavit to Designate a Beneficiary, then files such with the county title office where the vehicle is located. Beneficiaries can be individuals, corporations, organizations, trusts, or other legal entities. After the form is properly filed and accepted, a new title is issued with the T.O.D. designation on record. An Ohio estate attorney can assist you in gathering the required forms and documents and make sure the are filled out and filed properly.      

To effectuate a T.O.D. transfer, the designated beneficiary brings to the title office, of the county in which the vehicle is located, the Ohio title, a certified copy of the death certificate, BMV form 3774, government-issued identification card, and adequate payment for title fees.   

T.O.D. designations are becoming a more popular tool in estate planning to save on estate administrating costs and simplify one’s estate. Granted, T.O.D. may potentially save on costs, however, they afford no protection against creditors and debts during the lifetime of the owner and afford no control after the death. Using T.O.D.’s may seem simple, however, in application transferring significant assets seldom ever is. A knowledgeable Ohio estate attorney is in the best position to advise on the costs and benefits of using T.O.D.’s in an estate plan.  

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 Prepare 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.

Baron Law Elder Care Attorney

Trustees – Part II: Duty To Keep Adequate Records

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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 […]

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Trustees – Part I – You’re Named A Trustee, What Duties Do you Have?

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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 […]

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Daniel A Baron - Baron Law Cleveland

Dying Without A Will – A Mess for Your Family To Clean-up

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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.

No one likes it think about death, and even less people actively prepare for its inevitable occurrence. With everything that makes up life, job, family, recreation, there aren’t enough hours in the day to do what we need to do or want to do, let alone do what we despise. Thinking about death and how life will continue on regardless of whether we are here or not isn’t a fun concept people like to dwell on. Estate planning, or lack thereof, has tremendous consequences for surviving friends and family. A proper estate plan can mean the kids get to go college and the surviving spouse gets to stay in the house and doesn’t have to get a second job. No estate plan means the martial home gets sold to pay off debts and necessities or the surviving kids blow through an investment portfolio shrewdly managed for 25 years in 6 months. A local Cleveland estate planning attorney can create a customized estate plan with supporting documents to ensure that your friends and family are in the best position when your gone and avoid familial infighting and asset waste.  

Apart from the absolute chaos and/or squandering of a lifetime of assets which may result from a lack of estate planning, what are the practical consequences of not having a will?  When a decedent does not have a valid will in existence at the time of death, a decedent is deemed to have died intestate and Ohio intestacy laws govern how estate assets are managed and distributed. Ohio intestacy laws may be avoided altogether with proper estate planning. It is important, however, to be familiar with these laws because they may apply for a variety of reasons in a variety of situations. Sometimes intestacy laws will control even if a valid will is subject to probate administration. Conversely, sometimes Ohio intestacy laws may not apply even if a decedent died intestate. As such, since the controlling law for dying without a will can be flexible, an estate planning and/or probate lawyer is highly recommended.  

One example where intestacy laws are inapplicable even if decedent died without a valid will is where the estate assets in question would not have been part of the decedent’s probate estate if the decedent had a will. An example of this situation is property that is owned jointly with right of survivorship. This type of ownership will pass to the surviving joint owner by operation of law irrespective to the terms of the decedent’s will or intestacy statutes. The same is true for bank accounts or other assets with valid payable on death (POD) or transfer on death (TOD) designations. Property that the decedent transferred to a trust during life will not typically become part of the decedent’s probate or intestate estate.   

The most common situation where intestate law applies is when a will is declared invalid by a probate court because it was not executed in accordance with the requirements under Ohio law. The same holds true if a will is set aside for other reasons, such as fraud in the execution. Further, even if a decedent’s will is found valid and is not set aside, there can be many circumstances where intestacy laws still apply. One such circumstance is that a will fails to dispose of all of the decedent’s property because it does not have a residuary clause. This outsight is becoming more common with the use of services like Rocket Lawyer and LegalZoom. Ensuring that estate planning documents are properly executed, drafted, and filed is a major reason why estate planning attorneys are employed and retained. Doing it yourself may be cheaper in the short-term, but when it counts the most, self-drafted estate document all too often fail to make the grade.  

So, apart from not knowing whether intestacy laws will apply or not, what’s the big deal dying intestate?  

In a nutshell, dying intestate can have serious consequences for surviving friends and family and, most importantly, can affect the amount of  estate money and assets available, who those assets go to, and when those assets are distributed. First off, dying intestate means a decedent has very little, if any, direct control over who gets what and when. That is decided per the laws of intestacy. So, if you have two children, one is rich and doesn’t need any more money and the other has addiction issues and can’t be trusted, but you have a niece who just got accepted to Harvard but can’t afford it, too bad, you can’t help out your niece if you die intestate. Further, dying intestate means the court has to administrate the estate, which takse a lot longer than direct bequests in a will. Instead of potentially almost instantaneous transfer of money and assets, you likely have to wait at least six months to distribute estate assets. During this time, surviving friends and family are angry they haven’t gotten their share, the legal fees are running for the attorney, the fees are running for the estate administrator, and you’re paying taxes and upkeep on any estate assets that require such.  

Furthermore, subjecting an estate to intestate administration means creditors and litigants have almost free reign to bring claims against intestate assets. If an estate is properly planned and organized, there are ways to protect most if not all of an estate’s assets from these outside threats. As previously mentioned before, an intestate estate requires an administrator. This person is appointed by the probate court, it may be a family member, it may not be. Hopefully, they will be competent, responsible, and honest, but if an estate fiduciary isn’t proactively appointed, who know who’ll be appointed. Ohio law subjects estate fiduciaries to steep penalties for incompetence and misconduct, there is a reason for this. History is rife with examples of fiduciaries wasting or absconding with estate assets. After you’ve spent a lifetime working, saving, and building, why put it all in the hands of a strange or irresponsible or inexperienced family member. This is why Ohio estate attorneys exist, to help you protect a lifetime of labor and give to the people you love.  

Choosing to die intestate certainly is one way to do it but it is hardly the best way. Spending a little time to sit down with a probate attorney or estate planner will ensure that you’re proactively thinking about the future and putting your friends and family in the best possible situations and avoiding needless stress, confusion, and time waste. A last will and testament is the “core” of any estate plan. If you don’t have anything else, you must have a will. Simply put, its foolish not to even take this basic step.  

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.

 

Baron Law Cleveland Ohio

You Have Been Appointed Executor, What Do You Do?

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Cleveland, Ohio, estate planning lawyer, Daniel A. Baron, Ohio, offers the following information on what your duties are as an executor of an estate.  Contact Daniel A. Baron of Baron Law to answer all your questions on what your duties are and to help guide you through the events that will be taking place and how to navigate through them.

An executor appointment is bittersweet. It is heartwarming that your recently deceased friend or loved one had faith enough in your abilities to trust you with the administration of their estate, however, fulfilling the duties of an executor is no simple matter. For the next six months, at minimum, you “stand in the shoes” of the dearly departed. You ensure their debts are paid, their affairs are closed in orderly fashion, and their final wishes are communicated to and followed by grieving friends, family, and business associates.  

Most individuals have little prior experience with executorships. Often people agree many years before the faithful day to be an executor and do little preparation or research for when the time arrives. Executor appointments are serious matters with serious consequences. A failure to perform the duties of an executor satisfactorily can result in estate assets being squandered, the infliction of additional stress and trauma upon grieving survivors, and, in extreme cases of misconduct or neglect, personal liability for the executor. Thankfully, executors have been a common reality in estate law for many centuries. As such, what you need to do, how to do it, and when you need to do it are all spelled out in the laws of Ohio. Naturally, the best adviser to seek out if one is appointed an executor is an Ohio estate planning attorney. A Cleveland estate attorney can walk you through the do’s and don’ts and ensure filings are proper in form and timely in submission.  

  1. Open the Estate

As an executor, the first thing you need to do is to open the estate. There is a myriad of probate proceedings available to open an estate, each with its own filing requirements and hurdles. Some may even be able to avoid probate all together, saving time and stress for an executor. Again, an estate attorney is in the best position to advise the best way to probate an estate, if there is a need at all.   

II.Inventory the Estate  

Once an estate has been opened, an inventory of the probate assets is required to be filed with the probate court within 3 months of the executor’s appointment. Only probate assets are inventoried. Non-probate assets pass to beneficiaries or owners outside of the will and, as such, are not considered a part of a decedent’s estate. Your estate attorney will know which estate assets are subject to probate. Practical tip, it is good practice for those with an estate plan to keep a comprehensive accounting of all assets in a centralized location to assist an executor in locating assets and keeping track of values and amounts of assets. Additionally, telling your executor that this accounting exists is just as important as doing it all. All too often executors are completely in the dark regarding the composition of an estate and the location of critical documents.     

To take the actual inventory of decedent’s estate, you will use the series “6” standardized forms from the Ohio Supreme Court website in conjunction with the relevant local probate court forms. There are 88 probate courts in Ohio, each with its own way of doing business, as such, each probate court has particular forms they prefer. Initially, use the local forms, when in doubt, the Ohio Supreme Court forms are always acceptable.  

An inventory itself is a detailed description of all probate estate assets along with their values. Detailed information regarding the assets, such as account numbers, serial numbers, stock certificate numbers, and book, plat, and parcel numbers for real estate are denoted in the inventory. The inventory, at the most basic level, consists of two forms: 1) the Inventory and Appraisal form and 2) the Schedule of Assets form. The Schedule of Assets contains the detailed information regarding the estate. Basically, a list of asset identifiers and information, i.e. the who, what, and where of assets. The Inventory and Appraisal form is the summary of the probate asset information that is detailed on the Schedule of Assets form. It recaps the values of the tangible and intangible personal property and real estate owned by the estate. During the drafting of these documents, appraisals and valuations of assets take place. Naturally, there are particularized rules and procedures for such, but that is a discussion for a later date.  

After all the assets are located and relevant investigations completed, the inventory is submitted to the court and a hearing date is set. Per the laws of Ohio, a probate court is required to set all inventories for hearing not less than 10 days and not more than 30 days after filing of the inventory. During this time notice is required to be sent to all interested parties of the estate, e.g. next of kin, devisees, legatees, and creditors of the estate. An inventory hearing cannot be undertaken unless receipt of formal notice for all interested parties is confirmed or waivers for those interested parties are signed and filed with the court. The notices themselves are standardized forms assessable via any probate court website.  

While waiting for the notice period to expire and for the hearing date to arrive, interested parties can file exceptions to the inventory. Exceptions, generally, are claims to particular estate assets and whether they have been properly included or excluded from an inventory. The important thing is filing of an exception to an inventory triggers an inventory exception hearing which, in turn, continues the inventory hearing. Thus, an inventory cannot be approved until the exceptions are addressed and the probate process stalls.   

If there are no exceptions filed, or the exceptions have been resolved, and after the notice period has been observed, the court will conduct an inventory hearing and enter an Entry Approving Inventory. This Entry, in essence, states going forward, the approved inventory will be the presumptive valuation and appraisal of estate assets. Thus, distributions of estate assets according to the laws of Ohio or the last will and testament of decedent can begin.  

At this point in the process, a significant part of the legwork for an executor is finished. The major hurdles remaining deal with will-contests, asset distribution, and closing of the estate. An upcoming article will flesh out the remainder of the duties and obligations of executors going forward past the inventory hearing and the probate court’s Entry Approving Inventory. If you’ve been appointed an as executor and have questions regarding what you need to do and when you need to do it, contact an Ohio estate planning attorney. Spending a little time now can save you a lot of time later.   

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.   

 

 

Estate Planning Lawyer Baron Law Cleveland

Executor’s Duties – When Should Debts Be Paid?

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Cleveland, Ohio, estate planning law firm, Baron Law LLC, Cleveland, Ohio, offers the following information on what your duties are as an executor of an estates and  when you need to pay all debts of the estate.   Contact Baron Law Cleveland to answer all your questions on what your duties are and to help guide your through […]

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