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What happens if you’re the beneficiary of the estate – say a family member of the deceased – and you run into difficulties with the executor, who won’t return your phone calls or even talk to you? What can you do?

A power of attorney (POA) remains a vital estate planning tool that allows a person to name an agent who will act on their behalf in crucial financial, property, or health matters when they become unavailable or unable to do so. Unfortunately, some agents abuse their power and make decisions that are not in the principal’s best interests.

When it comes to estate planning, people can get rightfully confused by all the various forms and documents they’ll encounter. One of the most common questions we receive about an estate plan is whether handwritten wills are valid documents in the eyes of the law.

With the rate of divorce and remarriage continuing to grow, it should come as no surprise that older people are also taking part in this trend. Of course, everyone should be able to find love and remarry at any age, but when we remarry later in life, there are certain considerations that may affect children you have from a previous relationship

In Ohio, going through the probate is often required to settle a decedent's final affairs and distribute the estate's assets to rightful beneficiaries. However, there are a lot of collective popular opinions and misleading information surrounding the probate process.

In a last will and testament, you can designate how your assets will be distributed to your heirs and loved ones when you’re gone, but what happens if you suddenly become unable to manage your own financial affairs due to incapacitation or some other reason? A will does not cover events while you’re still alive.

Having an estate plan allows you to provide instructions regarding how you want your estate, assets, and final affairs to be managed or settled upon your death or sudden incapacitation.

Assuming responsibility for another person's financial affairs, trust or estate is no small matter. Disputes over an executor's or trustee's actions often involve very complex issues. The attorneys at StachlerHarmon are committed to solving complex disputes efficiently and effectively.

Although one of the goals of a will is preventing disputes, wills that were executed fraudulently or incorrectly can be subject to a will contest. At StachlerHarmon, our attorneys have extensive experience representing both fiduciaries and beneficiaries in will contests.

Families often fight. Sometimes that's unavoidable, sometimes not. Either way, however, if a probate or estate issue is involved, it's a sensitive situation — and one for which you need skilled legal counsel.