Estate Planning Attorneys in Lancaster, Ohio

Estate planning is one of the most important decisions someone can make in their life, not just for themselves, but for their family. Planning ahead of time so you or your loved ones can enter retirement with ease is an exciting process, and one that we’re here to help with. If you’re looking for reliable estate planning in Lancaster, Dagger Law is ready to assist.

How We Start Estate Planning in Lancaster, Ohio

Whether you are planning for retirement, or a loved one is entering the later stages of their life, a comprehensive estate plan will make a major impact. Our team of talented lawyers will begin with a sit-down consultation to better understand your goals. We want your wishes to be respected, so we take time to ensure we understand them as thoroughly as possible. We then work together to determine if there are any obstacles in the way of your goals, or if there are additional steps needed.

Estate Planning Steps

Dagger Law’s attorneys assist in structuring plans that best accomplish our client’s wishes. We counsel clients who wish to leave a long-lasting legacy for their surviving spouse, children, grandchildren, charitable organizations, and other parties. We assist clients whose goal is simply to plan for an immediate but orderly distribution, and we have a proven track record of providing both large and small estate planning strategies that fit any client’s needs.

We will walk you through the process step by step to ensure there are no loose ends or surprises. Key steps will include:

• Assets compilation – We will help you put together a list of all the assets you (or you and your spouse) have acquired over the years. For houses and real estate, knowing whose name they are in can make it significantly easier when passing the assets on.
• Drafting of your will – We draft a will that designates your wishes and names someone to carry them out. In Ohio, a will needs to be signed and witnessed to be valid, and we can also make it self-proving with a notarized affidavit to simplify things later. At this stage, you’ll also decide which family members and friends will be beneficiaries of your estate.
• Trust creation – Similar to a will, a trust is another way to hold and distribute your assets, and it’s often used to avoid probate and control when and how much is distributed. You or your loved one can dictate when assets are distributed and in what amount.
• Powers of attorney and advance directives – A durable power of attorney and a health care power of attorney let a person of your choosing act for you if you become medically unable to, and such representatives can help your family avoid the need for a court-appointed guardianship.

While these are standard steps for estate planning, you might also need additional services, such as:

• Planning for long-term care, nursing homes, home nurse aides, or assisted living facilities
• Structuring your documents and plan to minimize estate taxes, gift taxes, and capital gains tax on assets inherited by your loved ones
• Creating a funeral directive to ensure your arrangements are carried out in the manner you decided
• Providing guidance for executors and trustees regarding their duties
• Setting up life insurance trusts where you transfer ownership of your life insurance policy to your trust
• Explaining how retirement account planning works and setting you up to achieve your financial goals while minimizing income taxes
• Conducting business and farm succession planning to pass a family company or farm to the next generation

Beyond standard wills and trusts, our Lancaster, Ohio estate lawyers prepare revocable and irrevocable trusts, wills, and beneficiary designations tailored to your family. As an asset protection attorney in Lancaster, Ohio, we also structure plans to help shield what you’ve built from long-term care costs and taxes. Our elder law attorneys in Lancaster, Ohio help older adults and their families plan for long-term care, Medicaid eligibility, and alternatives to guardianship.

Why Choose Dagger Law

When you’re looking for resources to assist with estate planning in Lancaster, you want to be confident in your legal team. Our team of attorneys will give you peace of mind in knowing that we’ve got your best interests at heart. Let us be a guiding hand and help you avoid probate nightmares and other common pitfalls. 

With Dagger Law, you’re getting local, experienced, and trusted estate planning services that will take you from this phase of your life into the next. Contact us today for a consultation.

• Fairfield County
• Franklin County
• Hocking County
• Licking County
• Pickaway County
• Baltimore, Ohio
• Buckeye Lake, Ohio

• Canal Winchester, Ohio
• Circleville, Ohio
• Greater Columbus Area
• Lancaster, Ohio
• Logan, Ohio
• Newark, Ohio
• Other locations nearby