Limited Clients. Proven Results.

There are certain documents that everyone should have prepared. There are additional documents that should be prepared depending on your individual situation. Our Estate Plan Creation Lawyers in Brecksville, Ohio will take the time to understand your goals and wishes for your estate – no matter how big or small – and prepare only the documents that are needed to achieve those goals and wishes. Our estate plans typically cost only a fraction of the expenses that are saved by streamlining or avoiding the probate process. A small investment now can save big later on. We limit the number of clients we serve in order to provide individualized estate planning services that exceed our clients’ expectations. Let’s talk.

The estate plans created by our Brecksville Estate Planning Attorneys ensure that your wishes are seen through in regards to your health and assets. We create an estate plan that is personal to you. Our services are superior to those fill in the blank forms that are offered online. Online forms do not take into consideration the specifics of your situation. One wrong phrase can invalidate a document. Some banking institutions only accept documents with certain language. Talk to Estate Planning Attorney Robert Stiefvater and see how reasonable an individualized estate plan can be.

The basic estate plan package offered by our Brecksville Estate Planning Law Firm contains the documents that everyone should have. These documents are important regardless of the size of your estate. Many of our clients may require additional documents to complete their estate plan (i.e. a trust), but at the core of a good estate plan are the documents found in our estate plan package.

Our basic estate plan package has the following documents:

1. Durable Power of Attorney;

2. Health Care Power of Attorney;

3. Last Will and Testament; and

4. Living Will

Talk with one of our Brecksville Estate Planning Lawyers about your specific estate planning needs. We are the Estate Planning Attorneys in Brecksville, Ohio, 44141.

Last Will and Testament:

Legal document by which a person expresses their wishes as to how their property is to be distributed at death. A will names one or more persons to manage the estate until its final distribution. Having a will does NOT mean that your estate will avoid probate.

Durable Power of Attorney:

Legal document that grants a trusted agent (Attorney-in-Fact) the authority to act on behalf of the principal (person granting the authority) in financial matters. The agent can legally manage the principal’s finances and property, make all financial decisions and conduct all financial transactions (unless the Durable Power of Attorney limits the powers). The Attorney-in-Fact is obligated to make decisions consistent with the wishes of the principal but has full authority to make autonomous decisions. This document, with certain exceptions, takes effect once the principal is incapacitated and unable to make decisions on their own.

Our Estate Plan Creation Law Firm takes the time to explain the estate planning process, which requires that our clients understand the terminology being used. Some of this estate planning specific terminology includes the following:

Executrix:

An executrix is the same as an executor, but is gender specific and related to the female gender.

Administratrix:

An administratrix is the same as an administrator, but is gender specific and related to the female gender.

Commissioner:

Similar to Executors and Administrators, but handles estates that are processed as a Release from Administration.

Estate Tax:

Estate tax is a tax applied against money/assets transferred upon someone’s death. In Ohio, there is no state estate tax, but the federal estate tax still applies.

Will/Last Will and Testament:

A Will, or more formally known as a Last Will and Testament is a document that is signed by the Testator and 2 witnesses and specifies who should receive the Testator’s assets, who should be appointed as the Executor and who should be the Guardian over any minor children. This is an important piece of everyone’s estate plan.

At Stiefvater Law, LLC, we take care of our limited clientele and make certain they understand every step of the estate planning process.

Call the Brecksville Estate Planning Attorneys at Stiefvater Law to find out if we are currently taking on new clients.

Cities in Cuyahoga County: Bedford Heights, Beachwood, Bay Village, Bedford, Bentleyville

Zip Codes in Brecksville, Ohio: 44141