Estate Planning
Wills & Last Testaments in Columbus, Ohio
A valid, professionally drafted will is the foundation of every estate plan. Without one, Ohio's intestacy laws decide who inherits your assets — which may not reflect your wishes at all. Your will can name guardians for minor children, designate an executor, and direct the distribution of everything you own.
What Your Ohio Will Can Do
- ✓ Name a trusted executor to manage your estate
- ✓ Designate guardians for minor or special needs children
- ✓ Distribute real estate, bank accounts, investments, and personal property
- ✓ Leave specific gifts to family, friends, or charities
- ✓ Minimize family disputes and potential contests
- ✓ Comply with Ohio's specific signing and witnessing requirements
Ohio Will Requirements
Ohio law (ORC § 2107) requires a will to be in writing, signed by the testator, and witnessed by two competent adult witnesses. Online or self-help wills frequently fail to meet these requirements and may be declared invalid by Franklin County Probate Court. Working with an experienced attorney like Lorelei ensures your will is legally airtight.
Get a Free Will ConsultationTrust Planning
Revocable Living Trusts — Avoid Ohio Probate
A revocable living trust is one of the most powerful estate planning tools available to Columbus Ohio families. Unlike a will, assets held in a trust pass immediately to your beneficiaries after death — without going through Ohio probate court. This means faster distribution, complete privacy, and no court costs.
Benefits of a Revocable Living Trust
- ✓ Avoids probate — assets transfer immediately to beneficiaries
- ✓ Complete privacy — no public court record of your assets
- ✓ Incapacity protection — a successor trustee manages assets if you become incapacitated
- ✓ Multi-state property — avoids ancillary probate in multiple states
- ✓ Fully revocable — you retain full control; amend or revoke anytime
- ✓ Minor/spendthrift protection — controls how and when children receive assets
Lorelei helps Columbus families — especially those in Upper Arlington, Dublin, Bexley, New Albany, and other areas with higher-value estates — determine whether a revocable trust is the right fit, and handles all trust funding and deed transfers.
Discuss Your Trust OptionsAdvanced Trust Planning
Irrevocable Trusts — Asset Protection & Medicaid Planning
An irrevocable trust permanently transfers assets out of your taxable estate, offering significant benefits for asset protection, Medicaid planning, and estate tax reduction. Unlike a revocable trust, you give up control of the assets — but in return, those assets are protected from creditors, lawsuits, and Medicaid spend-down requirements.
Types of Irrevocable Trusts We Draft
- ✓ Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts (MAPT) — protect your home and savings from Ohio Medicaid spend-down
- ✓ Special Needs Trusts — protect disabled beneficiaries without disqualifying government benefits
- ✓ Charitable Trusts — maximize charitable giving while receiving tax benefits
- ✓ Spendthrift Trusts — protect inheritance from a beneficiary's creditors or poor financial decisions
- ✓ Generation-Skipping Trusts — transfer wealth to grandchildren while minimizing estate taxes
Families in New Albany, Powell, Dublin, and other affluent Columbus suburbs often benefit significantly from irrevocable trust planning. Lorelei will explain the trade-offs clearly and help you determine the right strategy.
Schedule a Trust ConsultationEstate Administration
Probate & Estate Administration — Franklin County Ohio
When a loved one passes away, the executor named in their will — or an administrator appointed by the court — must guide the estate through Ohio probate. It's a detailed legal process, and Franklin County Probate Court has specific requirements and deadlines. Lorelei Lanier guides executors, administrators, and beneficiaries through every step.
Ohio Probate Process Overview
- 1. File the will with Franklin County Probate Court
- 2. Notify heirs, beneficiaries, and creditors
- 3. Inventory and appraise estate assets
- 4. Pay valid debts, taxes, and estate expenses
- 5. File Ohio estate tax and income tax returns (if applicable)
- 6. Distribute remaining assets to beneficiaries per the will
Lorelei also handles summary release from administration for small estates, transfer on death designations, and trust administration for assets held in trust.
Get Probate HelpIncapacity Planning
Durable Powers of Attorney — Ohio
A durable power of attorney (POA) designates someone you trust — your "agent" or "attorney-in-fact" — to manage your financial and legal affairs if you become unable to do so. In Ohio, a "durable" POA remains valid even if you become incapacitated, which is exactly when you need it most.
What Your Ohio POA Can Authorize
- ✓ Managing bank accounts, investments, and real estate
- ✓ Filing tax returns and managing financial obligations
- ✓ Making gifts and Medicaid planning transactions
- ✓ Operating a business on your behalf
- ✓ Managing government benefits (Social Security, Medicare)
Without a POA, a family member may have to seek a costly, time-consuming court guardianship to manage your affairs. A properly drafted Ohio POA avoids this entirely.
Draft Your Power of AttorneyHealthcare Planning
Healthcare Directives & Living Wills — Ohio
A healthcare directive package ensures that if you are ever unable to communicate your medical wishes, your family and doctors have clear legal guidance — and that one trusted person has the authority to make decisions on your behalf.
Ohio Healthcare Documents We Prepare
- ✓ Healthcare Power of Attorney — names your healthcare agent to make medical decisions
- ✓ Living Will / Advance Directive — specifies your wishes for life-sustaining treatment
- ✓ HIPAA Authorization — allows family members to receive your medical information
- ✓ DNR / Do Not Resuscitate Order — if applicable to your wishes
Every adult in Columbus Ohio should have these documents — regardless of age or health status. A medical emergency can happen at any time, and these documents protect you and spare your family from impossible decisions.
Prepare Your Healthcare DirectivesElder Law
Elder Law & Medicaid Planning — Columbus Ohio
Long-term care in Ohio is extraordinarily expensive — nursing home costs in the Columbus area can exceed $8,000 to $12,000 per month. Without proper planning, a lifetime of savings can be exhausted quickly. Lorelei M. Lanier helps seniors and their families protect assets while planning for quality care.
Elder Law Services
- ✓ Ohio Medicaid planning — asset protection strategies within the 5-year look-back window
- ✓ Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts — protect your home and savings from spend-down
- ✓ Crisis Medicaid planning — help for families in immediate need of long-term care
- ✓ Guardianship & conservatorship — when a family member can no longer manage their own affairs
- ✓ Special Needs Trusts — for disabled beneficiaries who receive government benefits
- ✓ Spousal protection strategies — keep community spouse financially secure while one spouse receives Medicaid
The earlier you plan, the more options you have. Ohio's 5-year Medicaid look-back period means planning should start years before you anticipate needing care. Contact Lorelei today to discuss your situation.
Get Elder Law HelpBusiness Planning
Business Succession Planning — Columbus Ohio
What happens to your Columbus-area business when you retire, become incapacitated, or pass away? Without a succession plan, your life's work may be lost to family disputes, forced liquidation, or unnecessary taxes. Lorelei helps business owners protect their legacy.
Business Succession Services
- ✓ Business ownership transfer planning
- ✓ Buy-sell agreements and business wills
- ✓ Family business transition strategies
- ✓ Business trusts and entity planning
- ✓ Minimizing estate and gift tax on business transfers