Estate Planning for Death or Incapacity
Wills, Trusts and Powers of Attorney • Probate Administration
Proper Estate Planning is key to passing your hard earned assets to your loved ones. A will passes your assets when you die. A trust establishes further control over your assets and your legacy in the event of death or incapacity.
Mahaffey & Associates, LLC offers comprehensive Estate Planning services to individuals and families in the Toledo area and surrounding northwest Ohio. Our knowledgeable and friendly attorneys will sit down with you to draft the documents needed for peace of mind, knowing that your personal affairs are in order. Arrange a consultation today.
Everyone Needs an Estate Plan
At a minimum, even people of modest circumstances should have a simple will that declares burial or cremation preferences, who inherits what, guardianship of your surviving minor children, and your financial and health care wishes if you are incapacitated. If you have a house, retirement savings, a business or other significant assets, a Trust, such as a revocable living trust, provides more sophisticated direction and protection.
A Revocable Trust transfers assets directly upon death, bypassing the cost and delay of probate so that more of your money goes to your beneficiaries. And unlike probate, a Trust is not an open public record.
If you become injured, ill, or mentally infirm, a durable power of attorney allows your designated person to manage your business, financial and legal affairs. Likewise, a health care power of attorney appoints a loved one to make medical decisions on your behalf and expresses your wishes about life support. These documents can be especially important for same-sex couples (gay, lesbian, or other unmarried couples), because partners do not have automatic inheritance rights or standing in probate court.
Probate and Estate Administration
If you were named in a will or appointed by a judge to settle the estate of a family member or friend who died, Our attorneys can guide you skillfully and thoroughly through the executor/personal representative duties, including opening of the estate, gathering assets, paying debts, distributions to heirs, filing taxes and accounting.
It's Never Too Soon ...
You don't need to be "old" or "wealthy" to benefit from Estate Planning. You need something in place such as a Will or Trust and the supporting documents — what if something happened to you tomorrow? Contact us or call our lawyers at 888-422-6894 to arrange a consultation. We have three convenient office locations in Sylvania, Toledo and Northwood, and we accept most major credit cards.
You may recognize Ty Mahaffey from his weekly radio show on real estate and legal issues, heard Saturdays from 12pm to 1pm on AM 1370 WSPD.
