Will & Trust Lawyer

Columbus, Ohio

Planning for the future of your family and loved ones is important. There is always a temptation to put off having a lawyer help you with your will, but because passing away without a will can cause a burden to those you leave behind, getting this important task done sooner rather than later is crucial.

Hilton Parker LLC can efficiently

& thoroughly explain every detail

You especially want to have a lawyer help with your will if you have children; are getting married or divorced; or need to provide for pets or relatives with special needs. We offer affordable options and have worked with many families in the Columbus area. Even if you don’t have significant assets, having a will in place can make life easier for your spouse and loved ones if you pass away. And it can also help protect your children, making sure the right person looks after them if something happens to you.

If you are facing an in-Court challenge to a trust or will, look no further. The attorneys of Hilton Parker LLC are fierce litigators who feel at home navigating disputes over estates in the millions of dollars.

What Makes Us Different From Other Will & Trust Attorneys?

Unlike many attorneys who draft wills, we are primarily focused on our litigation practice. Most of our time is spent working on actual disputes filed in Court. In other words, in our day-to-day practice, we see what happens when documents aren’t carefully written and important details are missed. This means we are always on “high alert” for unforeseen possibilities, and we strive to ensure strict adherence to the formalities for will signings required by Ohio law. While other estate planning attorneys may pass off future court cases to litigators, we believe our in-Court experience sharpens the ability to draft life-changing documents for our clients.

How Much Does a Simple Will in the Columbus, Ohio Area Cost?

For work outside the courtroom, we often work on a flat-fee basis to develop a will or trust for our clients. According to Nolo, estate planning lawyers typically charge $300 to $1200. We offer flat-fee pricing at the higher end of this range (currently $1,200 for an unmarried individual) that covers:

A one-hour initial telephone or in-person consultation with an attorney to design your ideal will
A first draft of the documents (including a will, living will for end-of-life care, and medical power of attorney) for you to review
A follow-up phone conversation (usually 20 minutes) to go over the drafts and make revisions
In-person signing and notarization in our comfortable offices in Reynoldsburg
For remote clients, we offer virtual attorney supervision of your will signing anywhere in Ohio

Additional documents for spouses can usually be done at half price. So a married couple would typically spend $1,800 at our firm for the above package.
If you want a trust in addition to your will, we can usually offer a package include everything above plus a basic estate planning trust for a total of $3,500. If your trust has specific requirements, such as caring for children with special needs or protecting certain assets, the price may be higher.

testimonials

“My husband and I worked with Jonathan Hilton to write our wills, living wills, and powers of attorney. He was very friendly and made us feel comfortable as we were talking about very difficult subjects. Jonathan was incredibly knowledgeable of the process – it felt like he had done this hundreds of times! He made sure to explain everything in great detail, especially when there were law terms my husband or I were unfamiliar with. I had some requests for my will that I thought would be silly or nit-picky, but Jonathan was patient/nonjudgmental and did not make me feel like I was making inconvenient requests. A couple more things to note: the office was cozy and professional, and even better, the price didn’t break the bank! Overall, we are so happy we chose Hilton Parker LLC. We highly recommend this company and would work with them again in the future.” –Jaime Unger

Ohio Law and the Difference Between a “Will” and a “Living Will”

Clients are often understandably puzzled by the legal terminology used in Ohio. Do you want a “Will” or a “Living Will”—or both? The difference is that the word “Will” typically refers just to your “Last Will and Testament,” in other words, the document that outlines what you want to be done when you pass away. By contrast, a “Living Will” is a document that spells out your wishes for end-of-life care. In other words, it says what you want to be done medically when you are in a terminal state, but are still alive. We offer both a “Will” and a “Living Will” for our clients as part of the package described above.

Why Hire a Will & Trust Attorney Rather than Use an Online Service?

Some websites offer “Do It Yourself” wills that are auto-generated from online forms. Using one of these forms can have unintended consequences after you pass away, however, costing your loved ones more time and money once you pass. Before using an online website, ask yourself these questions:

Does the form address what happens if my children pass away before I do?
Does the form adequately protect children or grandchildren to whom I would like to leave something behind, but who aren’t old enough to make decisions for themselves?
Does the form create an efficient system for my personal items to be distributed among my heirs?
Does it address tax issues related to the transfer of my property?
Has the website explained to me the different types of disputes that frequently arise out of wills, and has it explained the psychological and personality traits that I should be looking for when choosing a Personal Representative to administer my will?
Has the website adequately explained who can and can’t be a witness, and do I know the formalities regarding proper will signings in Ohio so that my will doesn’t get thrown out in Court?

We believe that it is worth the money to hire a lawyer for your will. A little money spent now will save your loved ones time, trouble, and legal fees in the long run.

Do You Offer Evening or Weekend Appointments?

Yes, for our clients who are unable to take time off from work, we work hard to accommodate their schedules. Evening appointments are typically available on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Contact Us Now

It is easier than ever to make an appointment with a Will & Trust lawyer in Columbus, Ohio, so don’t put it off another day. We will reach out to you and schedule a convenient time.