The DiCello Firm: Estate Law Overview
Estate Planning, Probate Administration and Litigation, Will Contests, Insurance Disputes
Several generations of clients in Mentor and other Cleveland area communities have entrusted The DiCello Firm to handle pivotal legal matters including issues related to the following legal practice areas. To schedule a consultation, call or e-mail the law firm.
Estate Planning
Review your existing estate planning documents with an experienced lawyer. Discuss changing family or business circumstances in light of your ultimate financial goals.
Probate and Estate Administration
Meeting deadlines, notifying creditors and beneficiaries and identifying all assets are key components of the probate and estate administration process.
Protection of Minors and the Disabled
Call or e-mail the law firm to discuss the probate court's role in approving how money will be invested and accounted for. The court is charged with the responsibility of ensuring that management of funds intended for the support and care of minors and disabled persons is handled in the best interests of these vulnerable beneficiaries
Inheritance Disputes
Often, the resolution of an inheritance dispute must be achieved through the exercise of protections provided by statute rather than through family discussions.
- Asset Concealment Disputes. Did your brother, sister, uncle or aunt empty your mother's bank account before the estate was settled, precluding those funds from accounting and distribution through probate?
- Probate Litigation. While there are many probate lawyers, and even more trial lawyers, we believe our attorneys possess skills especially well suited for advocacy in probate litigation.
- Will Contests and Trust Disputes. Will contests and trust disputes frequently involve disagreement or uncertainty about questionable will changes, an individual's competency to create a valid will or trust or the exercise of undue influence over a person at the time a will or trust is created.
Whether you wish to contest a will or defend a will against allegations of invalidity, contact the firm to schedule a consultation with an experienced estate planning lawyer as soon as you realize a will contest is likely.
The law provides legal recourse for beneficiaries whose property interests in a trust are at risk. If you believe the trustee has violated his or her fiduciary duties or that property held in trust is at risk for any reason, The DiCello Firm can help. - Insurance Disputes. Insurance companies often go to great lengths to avoid paying out benefits — including conducting investigations as to the precise order of events at the time of death. Insurers may allege that therapeutic drug dosages elected by the dying patient after consulting with his or her doctor amounted to suicide.
Out of State Representation
We are happy to evaluate the case of your loved one's death in Ohio — and to advise your family through the Ohio probate process.
What You Need to Know About Attorneys' Fees
Do not let fear of attorneys' fees stop you from contacting our law firm regarding settlement of, or disputes concerning, your loved one's estate. In most cases, such fees will be paid out of the estate and will not be a personal liability to you.
