Most of the time, when someone leaves a will, their assets are distributed according to the terms of the will, after all of the debts of the estate are settled. Occasionally, though, a last will and testament will make bequests that just cannot be fulfilled; there are not enough assets left in the estate. When that happens, who gets shortchanged? Do some heirs receive their entire bequest, while others get little or none of what was "left" to them? Abatement of legacies is the law of who gets what, and how any shortfalls are handled.

Why would abatement of legacies be necessary? Who would leave their heirs assets that they didn't have? Most people don't intend to do that, of course. But the reality is that the value of an estate can go up and down between the time a will is written and the time it becomes necessary to distribute assets. In addition, estate debts can be higher than anticipated, particularly if the last illness of the deceased person incurred significant medical bills.

Put simply, there are often the same number of people at the table, but the size of the pie is smaller. The question then becomes: how is the pie divided? Do some people leave the tabl… Read More

An increasingly common estate planning practice is the establishment of a revocable living trust in which the creator (settlor) is also both the trustee and the beneficiary during his or her lifetime. After the settlor’s death the trust, which was revocable during the settlor’s life, becomes irrevocable, and a successor trustee takes over, distributing or managing the trust for the benefit of one or more beneficiaries. What happens when one of those beneficiaries is disabled? More and more, we are receiving questions about changing a trust for the benefit of disabled beneficiaries.

The potential problem is that the trust may include language dictating that the disabled beneficiary’s share of the trust be held in trust for his or her lifetime, and that distributions be made according to a particular standard, such as for “health, maintenance, education, and support.” If, like many disabled individuals in Ohio, the beneficiary needs Medicaid benefits, will the trust interfere with his or her ability to qualify for benefits?

Medicaid in Ohio is administered by county offices of the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services (ODJFS). ODJFS is likely to find… Read More

In a nutshell, the probate process involves identifying the assets of a recently deceased person (decedent), gathering them, inventorying and valuing them, and distributing them to the decedent's heirs. Prior to distributing assets, the personal representative or administrator of the estate must notify any creditors of the estate of the decedent's death.

If there is a will, it must be submitted to the probate court for authentication. If the will names a personal representative, the court will appoint that person to administer the estate unless he or she is ineligible, unwilling, or unable to do so. If there is no will, the court will appoint someone suitable as administrator of the estate, often a close relative of the decedent.

Understanding What Assets Go Through Probate in Ohio

In general, any assets that the decedent owned in his or her own name at the time of death go through probate. This means that property owned jointly, like joint bank accounts or jointly-held real estate, are not subj… Read More

The word "probate" itself means to prove or validate. So, probating a will is the process of proving that the document is authentic, a true representation of the wishes of the person making the will, known as the testator. Even if a last will and testament truly represents the testator's wishes, however, it must also meet certain legal requirements to be valid and legally enforceable in Ohio.

A will generally does not have any legal effect until it is probated. Let's say a testator keeps his will in his desk drawer, and his wife, who knows the will's location, is named as personal representative. When the testator dies, the wife cannot simply take out the will and distribute the property as it dictates. The Ohio probate court for the county in which the deceased testator lived must first probate the will, then oversee the distribution of assets. If a testator lived outside of Ohio, but owned real property in Ohio, his or her will must be probated in Ohio as well as the home state.

Why Must Wills Be Probated?

W… Read More

A probate lawyer's primary function is to advise the personal representative of a deceased person's estate in the administration of the estate. Whether or not the deceased person (decedent) had a will, there are many legal requirements that must be followed in handling the estate. The personal representative (sometimes also called an executor or estate administrator) has many responsibilities and is charged with protecting the rights of both creditors of the estate and heirs.

Most personal representatives are family members who are not terribly familiar with probate law. The law recognizes that, for this reason, the services of an experienced probate attorney are a benefit to the estate, and the attorney's fees are paid from estate funds, not the personal representative's.

Guidance Through the Ohio Probate Process

The probate attorney guides the personal representative through every step of the Ohio probate process, which includes:

• Identifying, valuing, and securing b… Read More