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Many Americans in Ohio and throughout the country believe that they don't have enough assets to necessitate estate planning. However, where an individual or married couple have a home, particularly one with a low or paid-off mortgage balance, potential complications make it important enough to go over with an estate planning attorney to assure that there will be no problems in the future.

Estate planning in Ohio involves the process of preparing a strategy, and the legal framework to support it, for the management and disposal of a person's assets both during life and after death. In that process, planning attempts to maximize the value of the assets and minimize the impact of applicable taxes and fees.

Surveys consistently show that a majority of Americans, including in Ohio, do not have in place sufficient legal measures to take care of all eventualities in the case of incapacitation or death. Elderly persons over 65 are also vulnerable to elder law fraud and abuse at the hands of unscrupulous third parties.

Estate disputes in Ohio and other states can involve the ongoing responsibilities of an estate's executor to the decedent's family. The most famous estate dispute involving an entertainer in recent years has been the dispute that arose over Prince's death without a will, leaving even the identity of all his heirs in doubt.

Ohio and other states have over 50 percent of their adult residents without wills or living trusts. When a person dies intestate, i.e., without a will, it can be a major mistake and a serious burden on the deceased person's heirs.

Making an estate plan that covers one's pets in Ohio is best accomplished through the guidance of an experienced estate planning attorney. The special circumstances of a pet bequest make it not allowed for inclusion in a will in some states.

Estate planning in Ohio is an important task for every person, especially if they want to make it easier on their heirs after their death. The following is a list of things to do to get ready for the important meeting with an estate planning attorney to get the process started.

Everyone in the Dayton area can benefit from estate planning. However, if you are a high-net-worth individual, it is crucial to ensure that the assets you worked so hard to accumulate are secure for your loved ones. A well-executed estate plan can provide peace of mind.

Startup businesses are prevalent in Ohio and nationwide.  One model that some of them try to emulate is that of wildly successful Uber, the digital rideshare company. However, the right combination of factors must be present and sometimes the owner/founder of the company may make fatal mistakes that are antithetical to business success.

Estate planning in Ohio includes preparation of legal instruments that establish certain preferences that persons have regarding future health care treatments. Two common health care directives are the living will and the health care power of attorney, which may be called by different names in different states.