PROBATE AND ESTATE
Attorney Dvorak can assist you in a variety of probate, estate, and inheritance matters including estate planning.
Last Will and Testaments
Trusts
Power of Attorney
Advanced Directives (Living Will, etc)
Intestate Estates: When someone dies without a Will, Ohio law governs distribution of assets, which generally leaves an estate to the closest relatives (spouses, parents, children) and then to more distant relatives. This can result in a number of complications, including non-traditional families, former spouses that never divorced, and same-sex spouses not legally recognized.
Estate Liquidation: How to liquidate physical assets such as real estate, can cause significant disagreements.
Debts: How and when to settle debts can result in a number of issues, particularly when one or more heirs have “loans” other beneficiaries feel should be repaid.
Probate court and estate administration
The decline or death of a loved one is an emotional time that often results in stress and disagreement even in the closest of families. In far too many cases, families fail to seek experienced legal help from an experienced inheritance lawyer, or seek help and guidance far later in the process than they should. In many cases, they mistakenly believe that consulting an inheritance lawyer will add to the tension or make matters worse. However, the job of an Ohio inheritance attorney is to help take the emotion out of the process, while ensuring that a client’s rights are protected. An experienced probate law firm knows and understands the benefits of keeping emotions in check and will work to professionally mitigate disagreements. When that is not possible, there is obvious need for an attorney to protect your rights anyway.
Contested Wills: Last-minute changes to a Will, the presence of more than one Will, exclusion of heirs in a Will, lopsided bequeaths, and Wills that bequeath assets that are Payable on Death or Transferable on Death to a different named beneficiary are among the most common issues.
Undue influence: Allegations that one or more family members manipulated a decedent in order to gain an advantage.
Fraud: Allegations that an heir or someone appointed to a position of trust, such as a conservator, trustee or administrator, acted fraudulently or not in the best interest of the decedent and his or her estate.
AN OHIO PROBATE LAWYER CAN HELP
Probate is the process by which the assets of a deceased person are distributed to the heirs of the estate, after the payment of creditors.
Attorney Dvorak handles probate administration matters from small estates with a single bank account, to complex estates with business interests and assets in multiple jurisdictions.
Attorney Dvorak also handles probate administration matters where the probate estate is a plaintiff or defendant in a lawsuit, such as a wrongful death or survivorship case.
Attorney Dvorak can also litigate probate disputes such as will contests, surcharge and breach against personal representatives, beneficiary representation, and other challenges to the administration of a probate estate.
Ohio Probate Administration
Probate Litigation
Will Contests
Breach of Fiduciary Duty & Beneficiary Rights
Surviving Spouse Rights in Ohio Probate Courts
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Dvorak Law Office, LLC is a full-service law practice, with extensive experience in the areas of business law, litigation, trial practice, elder law, probate law, as well as injury, and construction law.
The information on this website, however, is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice.
Each legal situation is unique and you should consult with a reputable attorney regarding your specific circumstances.