AR&H News & Blog
If You Wait Until Mom or Dad Have Dementia Before Starting the Estate Planning Conversation, You Have Waited Too Long!
By Daniel A. Perry, Esq.I speak with several families every day, and I often hear the following:“I Don’t Need This Right Now”“I’m Not Old Enough to Start Talking about Estate Planning”“Estate Planning is Really Just for the Elderly and Not for Us”From an estate planning attorney, this can be the most expensive mistake that a […]
What Do I Need to Do After a Loved One Passes Away?
By Daniel A. Perry, Esq.This appears to be a very common question and a very common concern of many individuals and families that have aging parents.The death of a loved one can be very a stressful process. There are usually many things that are going through your head including:How are we going to pay for […]
Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts (GRATs): A Possible Estate Planning Tool for Many Ohio Families
By Daniel A. Perry, Esq.Benjamin Franklin once said that there are two things you can count on in this world, death and taxes. Unfortunately, nothing has changed since Benjamin Franklin uttered this famous phrase. Someday, all of us are going to die. Also, not a year will go by without each one of us having […]
The Story of Joe & Elizabeth: How a Small Estate Ended Up in a 10 Month Probate Court Proceeding!
By: Daniel A. PerryIt’s easy to be misinformed about probate and trusts. Because of false information, many families that go through probate end up dealing with a stressful process that is much longer than any of them ever considered, exposing their family’s private financial matters to the entire world to see.Example:Joe and Elizabeth had been […]
I Don’t Need a Will or a Trust- Eight Stubborn Words That Can Spell Disaster for Every Family
By Daniel A. Perry, Esq.I speak with many families every day regarding estate planning, trusts, wills, power of attorneys, and general estate planning legal matters. However, the most common statement that I receive is something similar to the following:I don’t need a Last Will and Testament and I also don’t need a Trust. All of […]
Using Irrevocable Trusts as Part of Your Medicaid Planning Strategy
By Daniel A. Perry, Esq.Many families have concerns about making the transition into a nursing home. This family’s primary concern was that they did not want to lose all of their wealth in the event that they went into a nursing home. I explained that this was a very common concern of many families. Specifically, […]
How Irrevocable Trusts Can Help You Even When You Do Not Have Much Wealth
By Daniel A. Perry, Esq.I have heard the statement many times, “I don’t need a trust and you can’t help my situation because I don’t have much money.” However, even for those who do not have much wealth, irrevocable trusts can be an important tool in protecting the largest assets that any of us may own.For […]
What Happens When Your Jointly Held Accounts Do Not Match Your Will or Trust Documents?
By: Daniel A. Perry In my law practice, I often hear the same statement from families:“I have everything set up in case myself or my wife pass away. We have a bank account, an IRA, and an investment account totaling $250,000. All our accounts have two of our children listed as beneficiaries. The third child we […]
How to Ensure that Your Family’s Finances Won’t Suffer When You Pass Away
By: Daniel A. Perry Many of us worry about what will happen to our families should we unexpectedly pass away. Some of us are also worried about our loved ones paying our bills, handling the funeral and other financial obligations that we leave behind. Therefore, I want to tell you a story about Elizabeth, a client […]
So, You Want to be the Administrator of Your Mother or Father’s Probate Estate? Don’t Act So Quickly—Your Actions Could Subject You to Personal Liability
By: Daniel A. Perry A common question raised by the child of a deceased parent:“I want to be the administrator of dad’s probate estate, what do I need to do?”Unfortunately, the process is not that simple. In addition, being named the administrator of a probate estate comes with certain responsibilities. If you make mistakes in the […]