When Is a Trust a Bad Idea for an Ohio Estate? A trust can be unnecessary or counterproductive when the plan is simple, the trust will not be funded, costs outweigh the benefit, or beneficiary designations already accomplish the goal. The tool should fit the problem. Estate-planning decisions affect control during life, the transfer of property at death, taxes, probate, and the people who may need to act during a crisis. A document that works in one family can create conflict in another because assets, beneficiary ages, marriages, debts, and ownership arrangements differ. This guide explains the general Ohio framework in plain language and identifies the records and decisions that…