John Lewandowski

July 7, 2025
lucas county probate attorneys

Lucas County Probate Process Explained

Ohio Probate in Lucas County Probate might be the last thing you want to think about after losing someone close. But if your loved one owned property, bank accounts, or other assets in their name alone, Ohio law requires that their estate go through probate before […]
July 7, 2025
do small estates need probate

What Qualifies as a Small Estate in Ohio?

Do You Need Probate for a Small Estate? What happens when there’s more debt than money in an estate? It’s a question no one wants to face, especially when a loved one passes away and leaves behind not a legacy, but a pile of unpaid bills. […]
July 5, 2025
Executors Role

Executor Mistakes to Avoid in Ohio Probate

Executor Duties in Ohio So, you’ve been named executor. Maybe your parent trusted you to handle their affairs. Perhaps you’re the responsible sibling, the organized one, or just the one who didn’t say “no.” However it happened, the job is now yours, and if you’re like […]
June 10, 2025
Toledo Attorney Jon Balcerzak Joins HML Law’s Partnership

Jon Balcerzak Named Partner at Heban, Murphree & Lewandowski, LLC

HML Law Adds Jon Balcerzak to Partnership Heban, Murphree & Lewandowski, LLC, a leading probate and estate litigation firm based in Northwest Ohio, proudly announces that attorney Jonathan Balcerzak has been promoted to partner effective June 1, 2025. Jon joined the firm in 2022, bringing a […]
June 5, 2025
Ohio Law and Trustee Removal

Removing a Bad Trustee in an Ohio Trust Dispute

Signs of Trustee Misconduct You Shouldn’t Ignore Given our decades of experience working with families in Northwest Ohio, we know that when a trust dispute arises, it doesn’t just involve money; it involves people you care about, plans you’ve made, and the future you’ve worked hard […]
June 4, 2025
How Dementia Impacts the Validity of a Will

Did Dementia Affect Your Loved One’s Will?

Dementia, Wills, and What the Law Allows in Ohio It’s one of the hardest things a family can face: losing a loved one, only to be left wondering if their final wishes were truly their own. When a parent or relative creates or changes a will […]
May 17, 2025
the great wealth transfer

How to Avoid Probate in Ohio During the Great Wealth Transfer

Preparing Your Estate to Avoid Probate Pitfalls America is on the cusp of the largest handover of wealth in history. Economists call it the “Great Wealth Transfer,” and it’s already in motion. Over the next two decades, Baby Boomers are expected to pass down an estimated […]
May 15, 2025
Rich Families in Ohio Are Avoiding Probate

How to Avoid Public Probate for Large Estates

Keep Probate Private For many high-net-worth families in Ohio, privacy isn’t just a preference; it’s a priority. But when a loved one passes away and their estate enters probate, that priority can quickly be undermined. Probate is a court-supervised process intended to settle debts, validate a […]
May 4, 2025
Estate Tax Sunset

The 2026 Estate Tax Sunset: What Ohio Families Need to Know

A Ticking Clock on Tax-Free Transfers A major deadline is approaching for high-net-worth families: the generous federal estate tax exemption, temporarily doubled under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, is scheduled to “sunset” on December 31, 2025. In simple terms, the wealth you can pass […]