Estate Planning

Probate and Estate Planning Lawyers

Serving Akron, Canton, Summit County, Portage and Medina, Ohio.

The experienced estate planning attorneys at Hoover Kacyon LLC are ready to help you plan for the future. Our will and trust lawyers can will help you by drafting the estate planning documents you need to ensure that your property and assets are transferred to the people that you desire. 

The legal practice of estate planning with wills and trusts is focused on a few core legal principles. First, to ensure that your wishes for your belongings are followed after your death. That means not only that our estate planning attorneys will draft the will to accomplish your desires, but also to ensure that it’s done in a cost effective and efficient manner. For some people, that will mean that the estate planning attorney will draft a trust, like a Living Revocable Trust, instead of just a Last Will and Testament. 

Second, our will and trust lawyers are trained to know the most efficient ways to avoid probate. Our estate planning attorneys understand the difference between someone who needs a trust, versus someone who can skip the trust. Generally, a living revocable trust is a vehicle our trust attorneys draft to avoid probate court. But a trust of that type also has other benefits. For example, a well drafted revocable trust can control your property long after you’ve passed away. See our Trust page (link) for more information. In order to avoid probate, our lawyers may use other legal tools as well. Our estate planning attorneys may recommend use of joint and survivor deeds, transfer on death designations, beneficiary designations, and more in order to help you or your loved ones avoid unnecessary probate costs.

Third, our estate planning attorneys will focus on contingency planning for the rest of your life. Our lawyers are trained on powers of attorney, living wills, health care powers of attorney, durable powers of attorney for financial matters, and more. These legal tools are drafted by the lawyer in order to help a person if and when problems arise as they age. Click here (link) for more information on Powers of Attorney. 

Fourth, our will and trust lawyers will look for other issues that may be particular to your estate plan. For example, some clients will need help: 1) planning for a prolonged nursing home stay, 2) planning for Medicaid eligibility, 3) have a blended family and want to ensure that each one’s children are protected from step-siblings, 4) have a child with a special need who will require a special needs trust, or 5) have an adult child with a substance abuse problem, such that they shouldn’t be given a large lump sum of money. Our attorneys have the legal tools to handle these issues if they apply to your case.

Finally, our will and trust attorneys will help advise and guide you on the various issues that come with end of life planning. Sometimes, there are simple things you can do to protect yourself or your loved ones, that don’t require legal documents. Our lawyers will explain what other steps you can take on your own to avoid probate, avoid family conflict between your loved ones after you’re gone, and best practices to use on bank accounts and retirement accounts to avoid probate. Our attorneys have experience in these matters can answer all of your questions.