Business Services

Estate Planning

Roetzel’s Estate Planning Team is committed to understanding your unique wealth planning priorities and objectives, particularly when it comes to family succession planning. We take the time to get to know you, your family, and your business, allowing us to craft customized strategies that maximize benefits while respecting the personal and confidential nature of these matters. With offices in Ohio, Florida, and Illinois, we offer access to counsel admitted in multiple states, bringing national expertise to the table. Most of our attorneys have decades of experience in estate planning, and our team includes professionals with CPA certifications, master’s in taxation degrees, and specialists in estate planning and federal taxation.

Our attorneys focus on creating flexible estate and business plans that adapt to life’s uncertainties, shifting economic climates, changing laws, and evolving family dynamics. We emphasize minimizing taxes and ensuring that your wealth is preserved and effectively transferred to the next generation. With decades of experience and a deep understanding of multigenerational wealth planning, we provide practical solutions that support your family’s long-term goals.

Our Experience

  • Assisted clients in reducing or eliminating state and Federal estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer taxes
  • Implemented wealth succession plans for families at the first, second, and third generation levels
  • Prepared comprehensive and flexible succession plans for owners of closely held businesses
  • Represented clients in state and IRS reviews of transfer tax returns at both the audit and appeals levels
  • Prepared wealth protection plans under the Ohio Legacy Trust Act and the asset protection laws of a number of other states
  • Worked with individual donors to structure and maximize charitable gift benefits
  • Implemented charitable plans to reduce income taxes during lifetime and transfer taxes at death
  • Assisted with the sale and purchase of closely held business interests
  • Through the use of voting and nonvoting stock, flexible buy-sell agreements, company spinoffs, and/or insurance planning to fund puts and calls and to balance the transfer of income and non-income producing assets, developed organization and succession plans for family businesses in which not all family members are actively involved
  • Assisted executors, trustees, administrators, and guardians in carrying out their responsibilities efficiently and in accordance with state and federal laws
  • Assumed responsibility for the record-keeping functions of trustees by utilizing paraprofessionals
  • Assisted individuals, corporate fiduciaries, and other entities in interpreting and applying federal, state, and local tax laws pertaining to probate matters
  • Worked cooperatively with other professional advisors and attorneys to ensure that our clients' estate and business plans are properly integrated into their financial structures
  • Worked closely with major New York City and Chicago auction houses for consignment of significant artwork, antiques, and collectibles
  • Appeared in a wide range of contested guardianship issue proceedings, including capacity determinations and the marshalling and recovery of misappropriated assets
  • Represented individual and corporate fiduciaries in challenges to the validity, interpretation, and construction of estate planning documents, as well as in claims challenging the proper exercise of duties
  • Represented a client in an IRS gift tax audit of a discounted entity transaction and settled at a discount rate resulting in a total asset transfer of more than $1.5 million at a tax cost of less than $26,000
  • Represented a corporate fiduciary in a will contest action with an aggressive strategy that resulted in a settlement in less than a year at 2.3% of original claim
  • Implemented a liability protection plan for a family business with over 100 locations
  • Assisted with the transfer, title of assets, and beneficiary designations to completely avoid probate administration upon the death of a client, allowing surviving family members immediate access to assets and saving court costs and attorneys’ fees
  • Implemented rollover GRAT planning for a family resulting in the transfer of more than $5 million of wealth gift tax-free

What We Do

  • Protect assets through tailored planning
  • Develop and implement both basic and sophisticated estate plans
  • Plan charitable giving using lead and remainder trusts, private foundations, donor-advised funds, and public charities
  • Create and administer nonprofit entities, including obtaining tax-exempt status
  • Provide eldercare legal services
  • Represent trustees and beneficiaries in fiduciary litigation
  • Administer guardianships
  • Litigate guardianship disputes
  • Plan for multigenerational wealth transfer
  • Advise on personal and fiduciary income tax planning
  • Plan with a variety of trusts, including GRATs, ILITs, QPRTs, lifetime and testamentary CLTs and CRTs, dynasty trusts, intentionally defective grantor trusts, SLATs, QDOTs, Ohio Legacy Trusts, and HEETs
  • Draft premarital and postnuptial agreements
  • Administer probate 
  • Plan tax and succession strategies for closely held businesses and business owners
  • Administer trusts

Related Media & Events

  1. Alerts
    Corporate Transparency Act: New Reporting Rules for Dissolved and Merged Companies - Jul 12, 2024
    Now That We’ve Seen the Eclipse, It’s Time To Plan for the TCJA Sunset - May 6, 2024
    Supreme Court to Rule on Estate Tax Valuation of Stock Purchased with Corporate-Owned Life Insurance Proceeds - Feb 27, 2024
    IRS Issues Inflation Adjustments for 2024 - Nov 13, 2023
    Saving for College While Also Saving for…Retirement? - Oct 10, 2023
    Rising Inflation Affects Ceilings on Retirement Contributions, Transfer Tax Credits and Income Tax Brackets for 2023 - Oct 25, 2022
    IRS Extends Portability Election - Jul 28, 2022
    What You Should Know About Proposed Estate Tax Law Changes - Sep 7, 2021
    Estate Planning Techniques to Consider In Anticipation of Potential Changes to Estate and Gift Tax Law - Oct 15, 2020
    Estate Planning and COVID-19 – Be Prepared - Mar 27, 2020
    Estate Planning in the COVID-19 Era - Mar 26, 2020
    The SECURE Act Ends the Stretch IRA - Dec 27, 2019
    Trusts, Beneficiaries, and the Application of State Income Tax - Jul 31, 2019
  2. Articles
    Practical Planning for Passwords - 2024 - Naples Daily News Special Section, Estate Planning Guide
    R.E.S.P.E.C.T. My Last Wishes - December 2023 - Adverse Witness, Collier County Bar Magazine
    When To Share Estate Planning Documents - 2023 - Naples Daily News Special Section, Estate Planning Guide
    Power of Attorney Myths - And the Truth Behind Them - April 2022 - Adverse Witness, Collier County Bar Magazine
    Power of Attorney Myths - and the Truth Behind Them - March 2022 - Estate Planning Council of Naples Supplement in the Naples Daily News
    Bad Boy Clauses and the Good Charities that Use Them - Summer 2021 - Action Line, A Publication of the Florida Bar Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, Vol. XX
    Estate Planning Before, During and After Divorce - Aug 19, 2019 - Thompson Reuters
    Bad RAPutation: How The Rule Against Perpetuities Affects Non-Judicial Modification Of Trusts Under Fla. Stat. § 736.0412 - Spring 2019 - ActionLine, A Publication of the Florida Bar Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, Vol. XXXX
    Estate plans should be updated regularly - 2019 - Cleveland Jewish News
    Stepping Into Mom and Dad’s Shoes - Jan 15, 2019 - Crain's Cleveland
    New Estate Planning Concerns in Light of Recent Tax Changes (co-author) - 2013 - Aspatore Books
    Elder Law Handbook, past contributing editor - NULL - Ohio State Bar Association
    Inheritance Controversies - NULL - Jewish Federation of Cleveland's 39th Charitable Tax Seminar Beachwood, Ohio
    Inheritance Controversies: Did Grandfather really intent to leave an inheritance to the cocktail waitress or is something fishy going on? - NULL - Ohio Accountancy Show
    Transfer on Death Deeds - Preparers Beware - NULL - Properties Magazine
    Trusts and Estate Litigation and Dispute Resolution (contributing author) - NULL - Aspatore Books
    Estate Planning 101 - Property Ownership Issues - NULL - Properties Magazine
    Time for a Trust Check-Up - The Impact of Ohio's New Trust Code - NULL - MD News Magazine
    The Ohio Trust Code and Its Impact on Trust Owned Real Estate - NULL - Properties Magazine
    Pitfalls of Probate Avoidance (contributing author) - NULL - National Underwriter
  3. Podcasts
    Roetzel HealthLaw HotSpot: Estate Planning for Healthcare Providers: No Time Like The Present - Jan 26, 2023
    Roetzel HealthLaw HotSpot: Upcoming Tax-Related Proposals for Health Care Professionals to Watch - Oct 21, 2021
  4. Firm News
    Roetzel & Andress Earns National and Regional Recognition in the 2025 Edition of Best Law Firms® - Nov 7, 2024
    100 Roetzel Attorneys Named 2025 Best Lawyers®, “Ones to Watch” - Aug 15, 2024
    Lisa Lipman Named “Woman Lawyer of the Year" by Collier County Women’s Bar Association - Jun 26, 2024
    Attorney Lori R. Kilpeck Joins Roetzel & Andress in Cleveland - Jun 11, 2024
    Two Roetzel Attorneys Named 2024 Illinois Rising Stars - Jan 30, 2024
    19 Roetzel Attorneys Named Ohio Super Lawyers/Rising Stars - Dec 29, 2023
    Roetzel Earns National and Regional Rankings in 2024 Best Law Firms® - Nov 2, 2023
    Roetzel’s Firmwide Growth Continues in Chicago Office - Feb 13, 2023
    Attorneys Farolino & Haupt Named to Super Lawyers® Top List 2023 - Dec 29, 2022
    22 Roetzel Attorneys Named 2023 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars - Dec 29, 2022
    Roetzel Attorneys Recognized in 2023 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America® - Aug 18, 2022
    Donovan and Schwinghamer Sworn in as Officers of CCBA Board of Directors - Jul 8, 2022
    Roetzel Attorneys Named 2022 Florida Super Lawyers and 2022 Rising Stars - Jun 24, 2022
    Farolino & Haupt Named in Super Lawyers® Top 2022 Lists - Dec 30, 2021
    Twenty-Seven Roetzel Attorneys Selected to 2022 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars List - Dec 30, 2021
    Six Roetzel Attorneys Named “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers® 2022 - Aug 19, 2021
    74 Roetzel Attorneys Named 2022 Best Lawyers in America®; 18 Recognized as Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch - Aug 19, 2021
    Nine Roetzel & Andress Attorneys Recognized in 2021 Florida Super Lawyers - Jun 24, 2021
    Attorney Nancy Franks-Straus Joins Roetzel & Andress in Chicago - Jun 1, 2021
    Attorney Geena Kandel Joins Roetzel & Andress in Naples - May 6, 2021
    Two Roetzel & Andress Attorneys Named to Ohio Super Lawyers Top Lists - Dec 8, 2020
    Thirty Roetzel Attorneys Selected to 2021 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars List - Dec 8, 2020
    Roetzel & Andress Ranked Among “Best Law Firms” by U.S. News – Best Lawyers® - Nov 5, 2020
    Seventy Roetzel Attorneys Named to 2021 The Best Lawyers in America© List; Ten Named “Lawyer of the Year” - Aug 20, 2020
    Eleven Roetzel Attorneys Named 2020 Florida Super Lawyers or Rising Stars - Jun 4, 2020
    Erika Haupt Named Shareholder-in-Charge of Roetzel’s Columbus Office - May 29, 2020
    Donna Hartl Joins Roetzel as Shareholder in Chicago - May 18, 2020
    Donovan and Schwinghamer Elected to Second Term on CCBA Board of Directors - May 11, 2020
    Lisa Lipman Selected into FAWL’s 2020 Class of Leaders in the Law - May 7, 2020
    Jamie B. Schwinghamer Named Practice Group Manager of Probate, Trust & Guardianship Litigation at Roetzel - Feb 28, 2020
    Roetzel Adds Associates in Chicago & Cincinnati Offices - Dec 16, 2019
    Roetzel Adds Seven Attorneys in Ohio and Florida - Apr 11, 2019
    Erika Haupt Featured in Buckeye Lifestyle Magazine - Apr 4, 2019
    Roetzel & Andress Ranked in 2017 "Best Law Firms" - Nov 1, 2016
    Roetzel & Andress Ranked in 2016 "Best Law Firms" - Nov 2, 2015
    Roetzel & Andress Ranked in 2015 "Best Law Firms" - Nov 3, 2014
    Roetzel Ranked Among Best Law Firms by U.S. News & World Report - Nov 5, 2013
    David Woodburn Quoted in 3 Articles in Cleveland Jewish News - NULL
    David Woodburn Quoted on CNN.com - NULL