Independence, Mentor & Cuyahoga Falls
216-861-0360

Sheffield Village
440-323-1111

Hickman Lowder Lidrbauch & Welch Co., L.P.A.

216-861-0360

Hickman Lowder Lidrbauch & Welch Co., L.P.A.

We meet the lifetime legal needs of children and adults with disabilities, the elderly, and their families.

Trust And Estate Administration

Last updated on January 9, 2026

Your family’s comfort and security are paramount. If you have anything more than a few houseplants to pass on, you need documents! To achieve vital protection for you, your family, and your assets, you will want a good listener with focused experience in estate planning who can provide an essential helping hand.

The trust and estate lawyers at Hickman Lowder Lidrbauch & Welch Co., L.P.A. provide counsel on a wide variety of individual, family and related business issues to put and keep you and your family on solid ground. We assist fiduciaries (someone who holds assets in trust for someone else) in Ohio with preparation of probate documents, preparation of estate tax returns, and resolution of controversies with beneficiaries and the tax authorities.

Some of our estate administration services include:

  • Decedent’s (person who has died) final income tax returns
  • Estate tax return preparation
  • Estate accounting and bookkeeping
  • Fiduciary income tax returns
  • Asset distributions and transfers

Common Types Of Trusts Available Under Ohio Law

Ohio law recognizes several trust structures, each serving distinct purposes in protecting your family and assets. The right trust depends on who needs protection, how assets are held and what must be preserved over time. Common trusts include:

  • Revocable living trusts: These allow you to maintain control during your lifetime while avoiding probate at death. You can modify or dissolve these trusts as circumstances change. Assets transfer directly to beneficiaries without court intervention, saving time and maintaining privacy.
  • Irrevocable trusts: These permanently remove assets from your estate, offering protection from creditors and potential tax benefits. Once established, these trusts cannot be easily altered, making careful planning essential before implementation.
  • Charitable trusts: These can benefit both your chosen causes and your family. These arrangements can provide income during your lifetime while supporting organizations that matter to you, often with favorable tax treatment under Ohio law.
  • Special needs trusts: These represent a cornerstone of our practice. Since 1979, we have concentrated on serving adults with disabilities and children with special needs, making us the first Ohio law firm to focus on this vital area.

Helping Families Navigate Special Needs Trusts

At Hickman Lowder Lidrbauch & Welch Co., L.P.A., we recognize that families whose loved ones live with disabilities face unique challenges that demand focused attention and a thorough knowledge of government benefit programs. Our properly structured special needs trusts help ensure disabled individuals can benefit from their families’ generosity without jeopardizing their eligibility for Medicaid, SSI or other critical assistance programs.

These trusts provide for quality-of-life expenses that government benefits do not cover, including:

  • Recreation and entertainment activities
  • Personal care attendants beyond state-provided hours
  • Specialized therapies and medical equipment
  • Education and vocational training programs
  • Transportation and travel opportunities

First-party special needs trusts hold assets belonging to the individual living with disability, such as lawsuit settlements or inheritances received directly. Third-party special needs trusts contain assets from family members, offering different protections and requirements.

Our understanding of Ohio social services agencies, their operations and their regulations allows us to structure trusts that work within the system rather than against it. We prepare comprehensive instructions that protect both the beneficiary and the person managing the trust.

While our trust and estate attorneys supervise all dealings with the probate court and financial institutions, Hickman Lowder Lidrbauch & Welch Co., L.P.A.‘s experienced professional paralegals are the ones who save the estate and/or trust additional fees by effectively managing accounting, bookkeeping and tax preparation for our clients. We are proud to have helped thousands of people like you through trying times and difficult circumstances, and to reach financial goals feeling understood, informed and empowered.

Contact Us Today

Looking for the ease a trusted partner can bring? Give us a call today, and let’s come together to make a solid plan for your future. For more information on probate, estate and trust administration, please contact:

You can call our Northeast Ohio offices at 216-861-0360.