Lawyer of Firm Description

About Shinn Law Firm — Estate Planning Lakewood OH

Shinn Law Firm handles estate planning Lakewood OH families rely on, founded in 2000 by attorney Maria L. Shinn, who graduated magna cum laude from Cleveland-Marshall Law School. The firm handles wills, trusts, probate, and estate administration for families across Cuyahoga County. Maria built the firm on a clients-first philosophy that emphasizes plain-language counsel rather than legal jargon.

The Shinn Law Firm office sits at 12511 Madison Avenue and serves the broader Cleveland west side. Maria also has notable experience with planning for LGBTQ+ individuals, families, and same-sex couples — a sub-niche where her firm has built deep expertise. For comparison, browse estate planning attorneys nationwide on ReachAttorneys.

What Clients Say

Reviewers consistently praise Maria’s patience walking first-time clients through unfamiliar concepts like revocable trusts and durable powers of attorney. Staff members Brenda, Tapatha, and Jonathan are mentioned for responsiveness and follow-through. Same-sex couples in particular note the firm’s comfortable, knowledgeable approach to planning matters that some other firms handle awkwardly.

Estate Planning Lakewood — Practice Areas & Services

Last wills and testaments tailored to Ohio’s probate code
Revocable living trusts and trust funding strategies
Durable powers of attorney for finances and healthcare
Probate and estate administration in the Cuyahoga County Probate Court
Planning for LGBTQ+ individuals and same-sex married couples
Adoption and parentage actions for unmarried partners with shared children

Frequently Asked Questions

What documents does an estate planning Lakewood attorney typically prepare?

A complete estate plan in Ohio usually includes a last will, a revocable living trust, a durable financial power of attorney, and a healthcare power of attorney with a living will. The mix depends on family situation and total assets. Maria reviews each client’s circumstances before recommending a package.

How much does probate cost in Ohio?

Ohio probate filing fees average around $350, plus attorney fees that typically run about 5% of the probate estate’s value. Costs go up with appraisal fees and executor compensation. A well-funded living trust can avoid most of these costs.

Where does Lakewood probate get filed?

Lakewood is in Cuyahoga County, so probate cases are filed at the Cuyahoga County Probate Court at 1 Lakeside Avenue in downtown Cleveland. The court handles wills, trust disputes, guardianships, and adoptions. Maria appears there regularly on behalf of Lakewood-area families.

Quick Facts: Estate Planning in Lakewood, Ohio

Adults without a will: roughly 41% of baby boomers do not have a will — Court News Ohio
Ohio guardianships: active adult guardianships rose from about 42,000 in 2011 to 49,000 by 2020 — Court News Ohio
Probate attorney fees: Ohio averages roughly 5% of the probate estate’s value in attorney fees alone — Ohio Bar / probate filings data

AI-Powered Reviews Summary

Shinn Law Firm, located in Lakewood, Ohio, specializes in Estate Planning and Elder Law, offering exceptional service as highlighted by numerous satisfied clients. Reviewers consistently praise Maria Shinn and her team for their professionalism, thorough communication, and ability to make complex legal processes feel easy and approachable, especially for families navigating sensitive matters like parental rights and estate planning. Clients express gratitude for the firm’s welcoming atmosphere and the personal attention they received, often recommending Maria to others in need of legal assistance.

Users Reviews Comments – Google

Maria Shinn and everyone we encountered at her law firm were excellent to work with. Communication was great and she answered all of our questions thoroughly. The whole process was quick and easy. I would use her again in the future and would highly recommend her to others.

My wife and I had a WONDERFUL experience getting parental rights for our little girl. The entire process was explained and informative and we could not be more appreciative and impressed with our experience!

Maria helped my wife and I with obtaining parental rights for our daughter. As someone in the LGBTQIA community, Maria and her team made us feel welcome and understood! The process was easy and efficient!

What a great experience. Everyone at the firm was professional. Attorney Shinn took the time to explain everything and completed our documents in a timely manner. I would definitely recommend.

Maria helped make a complicated situation a lot easier to handle, and her dedication hasn’t gone unnoticed. It’s such a relief to have everything sorted out, and we couldn’t have done it without her. Thanks again for being there for us and making our family “legally” whole. We truly appreciate it!

Maria Shinn was so easy and professional to work with, and we appreciated that she was LGBTQIA+ friendly. I would recommend her to anyone!

I needed an attorney to draw up various end-of-life documents, and I wanted someone pleasant and competent. I’m so glad I found Maria Shinn! Her office has a relaxed, welcoming vibe and she came to every meeting completely prepared. Her office staff was communicative and the whole process went smoothly and pleasantly. She made me aware of documents I didn’t know about, and she explained everything as we went along. I’d recommend her without reservation!

Maria was great to work with, she addressed every question we had and thoroughly translated the legal-ese into layman’s terms for us. Scheduling with her was a breeze, as was communication with her team. In talking with her, you can tell that she cares about her clients and her work. I highly recommend leveraging her legal expertise and services.

Shinn Law Firm was recommended to me by a close friend when my brother passed away suddenly and he did not have a will.

We were fairly typical in that we had kept putting off making estate plans, etc., but a significant life event was coming up and we couldn’t put things off any longer. We were so fortunate to have found Maria, because not only could she work within our timeline, she made the whole process painless, easy to understand, and there was clearly a great deal of empathy on her part. So we made a great choice, not only for now, but for our future legal needs.

Maria was very thorough and made the process easy.

Based on recent experience w a deceased family member I wouldn’t trust Maria Shinn w a burnt out match much less my estate planning and/or executor of a will

I called and got a return call after they explained everything to me and got me very excited, they told me “let me tell, we start at $10,000” okay well I wouldn’t have wasted my time talking with someone.

Great experience!

Outstanding! Maria was terrific as I planned my estate—so knowledgeable, so professional and so helpful! And as a human being, she is an absolute delight. I’m just delighted to have chosen her as my estate attorney. Highly, highly recommended!