ESTATE PLANNING ATTORNEY · AKRON, OH
Estate Planning for Unmarried Couples in Akron, OH
Spatz Law Group helps unmarried couples in Akron and across Northeast Ohio put their wishes in writing, so the person you share your life with is protected, included and recognized.
Being treated as a legal stranger
Ohio law gives an unmarried partner no automatic right to inherit from you and no automatic say in your medical care. If something happens, your partner may be shut out of the hospital room and your home, even after years together. A will, powers of attorney and healthcare documents change that, putting your partner exactly where you want them in your plan.
Sharing a home that's titled in one name
If the house is in your name alone, your partner may have no right to stay after you pass away. Ohio offers several ways to fix that, including a survivorship deed, a transfer on death designation, or holding the home in a trust. Each works differently, so you'll see which one fits your situation before choosing.
Making sure your partner can say goodbye your way
Ohio lets you sign a written declaration naming the person who controls your funeral, burial or cremation. Without it, Ohio's default order hands that right to your relatives, starting with a spouse, then your adult children, parents and siblings. A partner you've shared a home with for twenty years can be overruled by a sibling who hasn't visited in years. Naming your partner keeps your final wishes with the person who knows you best, and spares them a painful fight on the hardest day.
Your attorney
Debra A. Spatz
Licensed in Ohio since 2008 · Ohio Supreme Court Reg. #0083356
Chicago-Kent College of Law · University of Illinois, Finance
Meet DebraBefore your first conversation
Bring the deed to your home, statements for any joint or individual accounts, and current beneficiary forms for retirement accounts and life insurance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Ohio recognize common-law marriage?
Not for relationships that began after October 10, 1991. Ohio abolished common-law marriage for couples who began living together after that date, so living together for many years doesn't give your partner the rights of a spouse.
Can my partner make medical decisions for me?
Only if you name them in a health care power of attorney. Ohio's default rules give medical decisions to relatives, not an unmarried partner. With the right documents, your partner can speak with your doctors and make decisions when you can't.
Will my partner get my retirement account?
Only if they're named as the beneficiary. Retirement accounts and life insurance go to whoever is on the beneficiary form, not to whoever your will names. Your plan includes checking every form.
What happens to our shared bank account?
If it's a joint account with survivorship, the money usually passes to the surviving owner directly. If it's in one name only, it may go through probate to your relatives instead. Your plan reviews how each account is titled.
Do we each need our own documents?
Yes. Each partner needs a will, a financial power of attorney, a health care power of attorney and a living will. Planning together makes sure both sets of documents work as one plan.