Payable-on-death designations are used on all kinds of financial accounts, including savings and checking accounts. They provide an easy (and immediate) way for money to transfer to someone else as soon as the owner of the account passes away. But a payable-on-death...
The probate process can be long and tedious for those involved, especially if there is a dispute. Probate happens for many estates in Ohio, but when an estate plan is set up correctly and everything goes smoothly, it usually takes between six months and a year. When...
There is so much involved in being an executor for someone's estate that it is essentially a full-time job. You may need to devote dozens of hours of your life to handling paperwork, making phone calls and resolving financial issues. In addition to all of that work,...
Going through estate litigation after the passing of a loved one can be a very distressing thing to go through. That's why it's important that you seek support from friends and those who will advocate for you. Knowing that you are not going through this alone and...
The probate process is already lengthy enough -- but it can get a lot longer if there’s a problem identifying or locating the decedent’s heirs. Until there’s been a reasonable effort to locate any unknown or missing heirs, nothing can move forward. How an executor can...
When people open financial accounts, such as checking, savings, or money market accounts, they can name a beneficiary who will receive the balance if the owner passes away. This is an important component of an estate plan because it holds more weight than a will. ...
There are plenty of estate disputes that center around financial value. One heir gets less than another and contests the will on the grounds that the heir who got more money used undue influence to get it, for example. Money is a major source of conflict, especially...
“What? That old thing?” Some people boast about the value of the objects they own. Others take the opposite approach, downplaying the cost of a painting or piece of furniture they “found in a thrift store.” They may care so little about an item’s monetary value that...
Estate administration is somewhat notorious for being a time-consuming process. While you may hope to receive your share of the inheritance promised in the estate plan quickly, the executor has many things they have to do before they can distribute assets to you and...
Losing a loved one is hard. While you struggle to find a way to cope with the emotional fallout of your loss, things can be made worse when your loved one's estate plan doesn't unfold as expected. If you feel like you’ve been unfairly cut out of a will, then as...
