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Jennifer Short

What Makes a Trust the Best Choice to Avoid Probate

When a family member passes away, the last thing you want to be dealing with is paperwork. In an ideal situation, the legal concerns are so well handled in advance that you can grieve in peace. Setting up a revocable living trust is often the best option to avoid probate. Let's explore why that is.

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Gregory S. DuPont

Why You Should Avoid Probate in Ohio

Having a will is a helpful first step in basic preparation. But it does not prevent probate. A will simply allows you to communicate your wishes to the probate court. Your loved ones still must go through the probate process to legally enforce your wishes.

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Jennifer Short

5 Things to Consider Before Accepting An Inheritance

You might not want to reject your inheritance out of respect for the individual who left you their assets in a will or trust. On the other hand, an inheritance may create unforeseen logistical or financial problems. Problems that you are unable—or unwilling—to shoulder.

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Gregory S. DuPont

What is a Nongrantor Trust?

Every trust has at least one grantor, also known as the trustmaker. This is the person who creates the trust. So, the terms grantor trust and nongrantor trust can get confusing. Its helpful to understand that neither of these terms refer to the existence or nonexistence of the trustmaker. Instead, these terms have to do with the trust’s income tax liability.

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Jennifer Short

Make Sure Your Estate Plan Includes These Important Points

If you are among the minority of US adults who have prepared a will, living trust, advance directives, and other end-of-life documents, you may think that your estate plan is finished. But you may want to reconsider. An estate plan is a living set of documents meant to be regularly reviewed and updated as life changes happen.

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Jennifer Short

How to Keep Your Child’s Inheritance Out of Your In-Law’s Hands

Around half of all marriages end in divorce. If you’re like most people, you want to keep your child’s inheritance safe from ex-spouses, future creditors, and more. If you want to keep your child’s future spouse from inheriting what you leave them, consider using these estate planning strategies.

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Gregory S. DuPont

3 Things To Do if Your Trustee Is Unresponsive

Under Ohio law, a trustee has a duty to communicate with beneficiaries. A trustee's responsibilities may include giving beneficiaries a copy of the trust document, providing information about the anticipated timeframe of trust administration, and preparing an annual accounting form. Unfortunately, some trustees don't do this, leaving beneficiaries in the dark. If your trustee is unresponsive to your requests for information, you can examine the contact method, get an attorney involved, a file a petition with the court.

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Gregory S. DuPont

What You Should Know about Life Insurance

Life insurance has helped many people provide for their loved ones in the way they had envisioned. Many different types of people can benefit from having adequate life insurance coverage, including business owners, parents, and caregivers.

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Gregory S. DuPont

Three Steps You Can Take Now to Protect Your Artistic Legacy

If you're an art collector or art maker, your work deserves to be preserved and protected. A sound estate plan, crafted by an experienced estate planning attorney, can help you do just that. The process begins by cataloging your artwork, appraising your artwork, and accounted for it in your estate planning documents.

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