William A. Hill Law Offices
Give Us a Call 330-285-8320
Wills, Probate & Estate Planning
Real property, securities, and personal property can all be transferred by will or through other legal devices. Based on your priorities, we can find out the most beneficial way for you to enjoy the use of your property while making plans to transfer it when the time comes, whether your beneficiary is a family member, friend, or even a charity.
We also help individuals plan charitable gifts to nonprofit charities using different planned-giving devices.
Our practice provides counsel and assistance
Wills, Transfer on Death Designations, and other Estate Planning Documents
Advance Healthcare Directives (Health Care Power of Attorney and Living Will)
Powers of Attorney (Durable Financial Powers of Attorney, Limited Powers of Attorney)
Trusts Formation and Modification
Irrevocable Trusts
Contract Interpretation and Formation
The Many Faces of Wills and Trusts
Living Trusts, Powers of Attorney
Other variations on the theme of properly putting affairs in order would include uses of living trusts and powers of attorney.
A living trust is a trust established by a competent individual during their lifetime, conferring to that person all of the benefits of the assets placed into the trust. Its term would include any period of incompetence and the terms of the trust would provide for distribution of the assets upon the individual's death. A living trust generally avoids the need for estate administration in probate court. However, the assets in the trust will still be subject to Ohio and federal estate tax.
A power of attorney is the appointment by a competent individual, also known as the principal, of another competent individual, considered the agent, to act on the principal's behalf during certain duties related to the principal's assets or to make health care decisions for the principal. A power of attorney is only valid while the principal is competent and continues to direct the agent to act on their behalf. On the other hand, the principal may indicate in the power of attorney that they intend for the powers granted to the agent to remain in effect even if the principal becomes incompetent. This is known as a durable power of attorney.
