Complete Estate Planning

How to Pass On a Family Business Without Creating a Family Feud

A family business is often more than just an asset—it’s a legacy. But passing it on after the death of the owner can create big challenges, especially when some heirs want to keep it running and others want out. In this episode, we dig into the legal and practical issues of transferring ownership of a family business through an estate plan. We’ll look at common scenarios where one child is involved in the business while others are not, how to handle buyouts fairly, and how to avoid turning your business succession into a battleground. Spoiler alert: planning ahead is key.
Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:
🤝 How to keep things fair when only one child is interested
🛑 The co-ownership risks that can tear families apart
💸 Why cash (or lack of it) complicates everything
🧠 The importance of setting expectations before there’s a problem
 
Our website: https://cincinnatiestateplan.com/
Phone: 513-463-6789
Contact our team: info@CincinnatiEstatePlan.com
Schedule your no-cost consultation: https://cincinnatiestateplan.com/contact/
 
Join us for our next workshop: https://cincinnatiestateplan.com/workshops/
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Mailbag: Can My Daughter Handle Everything?

When it comes to estate planning, assigning roles to your loved ones can feel overwhelming, especially when you're considering putting one person in charge of multiple responsibilities. In this mailbag episode, Nick addresses a common listener question: Can my daughter be both the executor of my will and my healthcare power of attorney? Or is that too much for one person?
Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:
📜 Executor vs. healthcare POA—what's the real difference?
🧠 How to pick the right person for the right job
💉 Why Nick won’t do medical duties
📅 Why most roles don’t overlap in timing
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Can one child handle multiple responsibilities?
 
Our website: https://cincinnatiestateplan.com/
Phone: 513-463-6789
Contact our team: info@CincinnatiEstatePlan.com
Schedule your no-cost consultation: https://cincinnatiestateplan.com/contact/
 
Join us for our next workshop: https://cincinnatiestateplan.com/workshops/
Check out our free resources here: https://cincinnatiestateplan.com/free-resources/
 
Check us out on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf3WXpR0a-tMvimbMT_lkMA?sub_confirmation=1

What to Do With Your Estate Plan After Losing a Spouse

Losing a spouse is an emotionally overwhelming experience, and in the midst of grief, legal and financial matters often feel like the last thing anyone wants to think about. But making sure your estate plan reflects your new reality is one of the most important steps you can take after a loss. This episode walks through the essential updates and reviews that surviving spouses need to consider.
Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:
📋 Why reviewing fiduciaries is your first priority
🏛️ How inheritance plans can (and often should) shift
🧾 Updating your final wishes and medical directives
🔄 What to do with assets, accounts, and beneficiaries
🕊️ How to grieve, breathe, and move forward at your pace
 
Our website: https://cincinnatiestateplan.com/
Phone: 513-463-6789
Contact our team: info@CincinnatiEstatePlan.com
Schedule your no-cost consultation: https://cincinnatiestateplan.com/contact/
 
Join us for our next workshop: https://cincinnatiestateplan.com/workshops/
Check out our free resources here: https://cincinnatiestateplan.com/free-resources/
 
Check us out on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf3WXpR0a-tMvimbMT_lkMA?sub_confirmation=1

Building Flexibility Into a Trust for Life Milestones

Today, Nick answers a thoughtful question from parents trying to strike the right balance: they want their kids to receive their inheritance at age 25, but also want to carve out early access for a first car or a home down payment. The catch? They’re worried about getting the numbers wrong, especially with inflation, rising costs, and the unpredictability of the future. Nick breaks down two smart strategies to help parents plan with confidence.
Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:
📆 Why age-based inheritance isn’t always enough
🚗 Planning for car purchases without overdoing it
📈 How to account for inflation in your estate plan
🧠 Why discretion and flexibility are your best tools
 
Our website: https://cincinnatiestateplan.com/
Phone: 513-463-6789
Contact our team: info@CincinnatiEstatePlan.com
Schedule your no-cost consultation: https://cincinnatiestateplan.com/contact/
Check us out on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf3WXpR0a-tMvimbMT_lkMA?sub_confirmation=1

Why You Need Two Powers of Attorney -- Not Just One

When people hear the term “power of attorney,” they often assume it’s a one-size-fits-all document that gives someone authority to handle everything if they become incapacitated. There are actually two completely different types of powers of attorney. In this episode, Nick breaks down how each one has its own purpose, responsibilities, and potential pitfalls. You’ll learn how they’re different, what each involves, and why choosing the right person for each job can make a world of difference in how smoothly things go if you can’t speak or act for yourself.
Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:
⚖️ Different jobs, different documents and one won’t cover it all
🚫 One POA = Incomplete protection for your loved ones
👥 Pick wisely: the right person for each role matters
⏳ Avoid chaos: clear documents now = fewer problems later
 
Our website: https://cincinnatiestateplan.com/
Phone: 513-463-6789
Contact our team: info@CincinnatiEstatePlan.com
Schedule your no-cost consultation: https://cincinnatiestateplan.com/contact/
Check us out on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf3WXpR0a-tMvimbMT_lkMA?sub_confirmation=1

Who Should Be Your Corporate Trustee?

When you set up a trust but don’t have a friend or family member you trust to manage it, what’s your next move? In this episode, we answer a question on a sensitive and critical decision in estate planning: how to choose the right corporate trustee? Should you go with a big national firm or a smaller local institution? Does it matter if you already have a relationship with the bank or company?
Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:
🔍 What to consider before choosing your trustee
🧑‍⚖️ Pros & cons of large vs. local trust companies
🗺️ Why your family’s location matters more than you think
🗂️ How existing relationships can streamline the process
 
Our website: https://cincinnatiestateplan.com/
Phone: 513-463-6789
Contact our team: info@CincinnatiEstatePlan.com
Schedule your no-cost consultation: https://cincinnatiestateplan.com/contact/
Check us out on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf3WXpR0a-tMvimbMT_lkMA?sub_confirmation=1

What Happens to Bills and Debts After Someone Dies? (A Guide for Families and Executors)

When someone passes away, their bills and debts don’t just disappear, but that doesn’t mean their family has to rush to pay everything immediately. In this episode, we explain how debts are handled after death, what families (especially executors) need to do, and what to expect if no one has access to the deceased’s money yet. We’ll also clear up common fears about personal liability and explain how reimbursement works when someone covers bills out of pocket.
Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:
⚠️ Why family members are usually not personally liable📆 Which bills can wait — and which can’t🏠 How to prevent foreclosure, damage, or utility shutoffs🧾 How to get reimbursed if you front estate-related expenses
 
Our website: https://cincinnatiestateplan.com/
Phone: 513-463-6789
Contact our team: info@CincinnatiEstatePlan.com
Schedule your no-cost consultation: https://cincinnatiestateplan.com/contact/
 
Join us for our next workshop: https://cincinnatiestateplan.com/workshops/
Check out our free resources here: https://cincinnatiestateplan.com/free-resources/
 
Check us out on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf3WXpR0a-tMvimbMT_lkMA?sub_confirmation=1

What Options Do You Have for Dividing Your Home?

Most parents try to split up everything evenly for their children but how do you do that with a home? While bank accounts and retirement funds can be easily divided, a house poses unique challenges. It’s a very common estate planning discussion in our office and one that we recently got asked about.
What are the options for splitting a home between multiple children?  You can’t exactly slice a house in half.  Would they be forced to sell it?
Today, we’ll walk through the practical and legal considerations of dividing an asset like this, offering insight into different approaches depending on whether the home is to be sold, kept, or passed on with sentimental value in mind.
Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:
💡 What to do if one heir wants to keep the house
🧾 Options for equalizing inheritance when a home is involved
⚖️ Why co-ownership among siblings can create future conflict
📋 Why every plan needs flexibility and clear communication
 
Our website: https://cincinnatiestateplan.com/
Phone: 513-463-6789
Contact our team: info@CincinnatiEstatePlan.com
Schedule your no-cost consultation: https://cincinnatiestateplan.com/contact/
 
Join us for our next workshop: https://cincinnatiestateplan.com/workshops/
Check out our free resources here: https://cincinnatiestateplan.com/free-resources/
 
Check us out on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf3WXpR0a-tMvimbMT_lkMA?sub_confirmation=1

One of My Children Owes Me Money—How Do I Account for That in My Estate Plan?

Lending money to a child is common, whether it's for buying a home, starting a business, or getting through a tough financial patch. But when it comes time to plan your estate, that unpaid loan can create real complications. Should you forgive the debt when you die? Or treat it as an advance on that child’s inheritance and reduce what they receive? An estate plan will utilize two primary approaches to resolving these loans, and we’ll discuss the pros and cons to each. 
Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:
⚖️ The pros and cons of forgiving vs. equalizing through inheritance
📜 Why documentation and clarity in your estate plan are essential
🤝 Avoiding family conflict with open communication and planning
🧾 The importance of promissory notes and written records
 
Our website: https://cincinnatiestateplan.com/
Phone: 513-463-6789
Contact our team: info@CincinnatiEstatePlan.com
Schedule your no-cost consultation: https://cincinnatiestateplan.com/contact/
 
Join us for our next workshop: https://cincinnatiestateplan.com/workshops/
Check out our free resources here: https://cincinnatiestateplan.com/free-resources/
 
Check us out on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf3WXpR0a-tMvimbMT_lkMA?sub_confirmation=1

Ethical vs. Legal: The Co-Owner Inheritance Debate

What happens when your name is on a parent’s bank account or home as a co-owner, yet their will says everything should be split among the three siblings? That’s the situation we’re addressing in this video to help the co-owner understand what options you have when it comes to splitting the inheritance up.
Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:
🏠 What happens when you're a co-owner on a parent’s bank account or home
🛡️ How to avoid family conflict with a clear, customized estate plan
 
Our website: https://cincinnatiestateplan.com/
Phone: 513-463-6789
Contact our team: info@CincinnatiEstatePlan.com
Schedule your no-cost consultation: https://cincinnatiestateplan.com/contact/
 
Join us for our next workshop: https://cincinnatiestateplan.com/workshops/
Check out our free resources here: https://cincinnatiestateplan.com/free-resources/
 
Check us out on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf3WXpR0a-tMvimbMT_lkMA?sub_confirmation=1