In 2017 there have been a variety of discussions among leading estate planning attorneys about the extent to which Ohio law now protects a deceased person’s assets from the claims of a creditor.  For many years it has been clear that a creditor could make claims against the probate assets (assets passing under a will) of the deceased person, at least so long as the claim is made timely (i.e., within six months of death) and presented appropriately (e.g., to an executor appointed by the probate court).  Ohio’s procedures are friendlier to estates and more hostile to creditors than some other states, but the general ideas are similar.Continue Reading Asset Protection Beyond the Grave: Claims Against a Deceased Person’s Assets

During 2016, Ohio continued to stand out as one of the best asset protection jurisdictions in the country.  I have noticed that more people are becoming aware of the significant opportunities offered by Ohio’s Legacy Trust statute.  As I have mentioned in earlier posts, an Ohio Legacy Trust is an excellent way to protect your assets – – while still maintaining a meaningful degree of control over those assets.
Continue Reading Reflections on 2016 Ohio Asset Protection Developments

As I have mentioned in other posts, Ohio Senate Bill 181 was signed by the Governor and became law on July 6, 2016.  The new statute improves the already excellent protections offered by Ohio’s LLC statute.  It amends various provisions of Chapters 1701 and 1705 of the Ohio Revised Code.

It is worth noting that

Ohio Senate Bill 181– which becomes effective on July 6, 2016 — will make some important asset protection improvements to Ohio’s limited liability company statute. Ohio’s LLC law is already an excellent one from an asset protection standpoint. The new changes will make it even better.

The new changes include:

  • More specific charging order protection

It has been a little more than two years since Ohio became one of the top asset protection jurisdictions in the United States.  Many people — including many attorneys–are still not fully aware of this dramatic development.  But word is slowly getting out.  We are getting more and more inquiries about Ohio’s Legacy Trust Statute

Some states offer better asset protection alternatives than others.  There are numerous factors to consider in deciding how good (or bad) a state is from an asset protection standpoint.  These factors include:

Whether or not the state has a Domestic Asset Protection Trust Statute

Provisions of the state’s LLC statute

The state’s homestead exemption and