Legal Advice for Estate Planning and Probate Services From O’Reilly Law

PLANNING: Popular advertising on the subject of estates and probates makes the process seem intimidating and expensive. It needn’t be. A properly prepared estate plan will help make things so much easier for your loved ones. Well-drafted documents can minimize the need for your estate to be probated, and if there is a need for Probate, the documents will make it a more efficient and economical process.

We offer estate planning and probate services for families and individuals. In many instances, we can provide estate planning services for an affordable flat fee, so you will know what the fee is at the beginning. Our basic estate planning package includes:

Last Will and Testament – states how you want your assets distributed and who will be the guardian if you have minor children

Financial Power of Attorney – appoint a trusted person to handle your legal and financial affairs if you are disabled.

Health Care Power of Attorney – appoints trusted persons to make health care decisions for you when you are incapacitated.

Living Will – your advance directive to family and health care providers regarding end-of-life issues.

Funeral Instructions: Nominate a family member to be in charge of your arrangements to avoid family arguments. Make known your burial or cremation preferences, funeral home, and church service desires.

Additional items many people want with their plan that we offer include Transfer on Death Affidavits, which direct that your real estate goes to a certain person upon death, without the transfer having to go through Probate Court, and a Directive Regarding Disposition of Bodily Remains, which allows the signer to appoint while alive, the person or persons who are to be in charge of funeral arrangements and to give instructions about burial or cremation, type of services, funeral home to be used, and the like.

TRUSTS: We also offer advanced services, including Revocable Living Trusts. A revocable living trust can help your family settle your estate without involving a Probate Court or reducing the number of assets that need to go through Probate.

ADMINISTRATION: The probate process in Ohio needn’t be expensive or lengthy if efficiency-minded counsel is employed, particularly if the decedent obtained an estate plan prepared by experienced counsel. Our office strives to make the process easy for the survivors.