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It’s more common than you might expect, especially as families age, siblings are close in age, or estate plans sit untouched for years. And in Ohio, the answer isn’t always as simple as “it just goes to their kids.”

Downsizing in retirement can be a great move — financially, physically, and emotionally. But before you put the “For Sale” sign in the yard, it’s worth slowing down and thinking about a few estate planning and long-term care angles that often get missed.

Second marriages often come with history, like adult children, prior obligations, separate assets, different financial habits, and sometimes very different expectations. Everyone may genuinely care about each other. That doesn’t mean everyone sees money, inheritance, and “fairness” the same way.

Probate has a reputation for being long, drawn out, and honestly - kind of a pain. In Ohio, that reputation isn’t entirely undeserved.

Turning 65 is often treated as a Medicare milestone (and it is), but from an estate planning and elder law perspective, it’s also a quiet legal turning point. This is the age when several important planning pieces either need to be put in place or deserve a serious refresh.

The holidays have come and gone. We’ve now settled into 2026. People start to look at their To-Do list. Estate planning often sits quietly on that list; not because it isn’t important, but because it always seems to feel easier to deal with it later.

This is one of the hardest conversations parents ever have with me. They sit down, take a breath, and say, “I love my child, but… I’m worried.”

For many families, a vacation home is more than a house; it’s memories. It’s summers on the lake, sandy toes, crowded holiday weekends, and a kitchen table that has seen more card games than anyone can count.