“Nicholas is a very knowledgeable attorney who does tremendous work. I cannot recommend his team and his services enough!”
Frequently Asked Questions
Clear answers, in one place.
Everything Ohio families and owners ask us most, about estate planning, business law, contract review, and what it's like to work with Costaras Law. Still stuck? Call (440) 613-0439 for a free introduction.
Before You Reach Out
Common questions, straight answers.
We pulled together the questions clients ask us most across estate planning, business law, and contract review, plus a few about how the firm actually works. The answers are the same ones we give on the phone: direct, flat-fee, and free of billable-hour theater.
Don't see your question? Call (440) 613-0439 or book a free 15-minute introduction. No obligation, no sales pitch.
Estate Planning
Wills, trusts, and protecting your family.
Wills, trusts, powers of attorney, probate, and the advanced planning that keeps a legacy intact.
No. Anyone with a home, retirement account, minor children, or specific wishes for their family benefits from a plan. The cost of doing nothing (probate fees, public court records, family conflict) almost always exceeds the cost of planning.
A typical plan includes a will, a revocable living trust (when appropriate), financial and healthcare powers of attorney, HIPAA releases, and beneficiary alignment across retirement and insurance accounts. We tailor every package to your situation.
Often yes, and the two work together. A will only takes effect after probate. A living trust skips probate entirely. For most clients with a home, retirement accounts, or rental property, the trust pays for itself in avoided fees and time.
No. A last will directs who gets your assets after death. A living will is a healthcare directive that states your wishes about life-sustaining treatment while you're alive but unable to speak, such as resuscitation, ventilation, and organ donation.
Most estates take six months to a year, and complex ones longer. Ohio requires a creditor claim window of several months, so even a simple estate rarely closes sooner. We keep your filings on schedule so nothing drags out longer than the law requires.
Not if it is structured correctly. A special-needs trust holds the inheritance for your child's benefit while preserving eligibility for Medicaid and SSI. The trust pays for things those programs do not cover, so your child is better off without losing essential support.
Review every 3–5 years and after any major life event: marriage, divorce, birth, death, new property, or moving states. We offer flat-fee annual reviews for clients we've drafted plans for.
Business Law
Formation, succession, and deals that close.
Entity formation, succession planning, business disputes, and buying or selling a company.
Filing the entity online is the easy part. The hard part, and what online forms miss, is the operating agreement that defines ownership, decision rights, distributions, and what happens if a partner exits. We deliver the complete package so the LLC actually protects you.
Filing with the Ohio Secretary of State is same-day in most cases. The full package (entity + EIN + operating agreement + banking setup) typically takes 5–10 business days.
No. We focus on transactions: formation, contracts, M&A, succession. If you need a litigator, we refer you to one we trust.
Yes, and arguably more so. With no co-owner to step in, a sudden absence can stall payroll, lose key relationships, and leave your family with a business they can't legally run or sell. A plan names a successor or a path to sale and gives someone the authority to act when you can't.
Yes. We often act as the lead negotiator so your interests are protected while you keep a positive, professional relationship with the other side. Having counsel speak for you also takes the emotion out of the conversation and keeps it focused on a workable outcome.
Earlier than most owners expect. The best results come when you begin one to five years before your target exit. Values can rise substantially with preparation, so the runway is part of the strategy, not an afterthought.
Yes. We act for buyers and sellers on small and mid-size Ohio deals, whether you are acquiring or selling a business, its assets, or its equity. On any single transaction we represent one side, with your interests fully protected.
Contract Review
Reviewing, drafting, and negotiating terms.
Small-business contracts, employment agreements, vendor deals, and contract negotiation.
Most reviews are completed within 48 to 72 hours. We understand that business moves quickly and we prioritize keeping your momentum going.
Yes. We often act as the lead negotiator to ensure your interests are protected while you maintain a positive, professional relationship with your business contacts.
Yes. While it does not replace a tailored attorney review, we offer an AI Contract Reviewer for an initial analysis of your document's risks, tone, and clarity.
Yes, but only when they are reasonable. Ohio courts enforce a non-compete that is no broader than needed to protect a legitimate business interest, and reasonable in duration, geography, and scope. We draft restrictions to stay inside that line so the clause holds up instead of being struck down.
An NDA protects your confidential information, so a person cannot share or misuse your trade secrets, pricing, or client lists. A non-compete limits where and for whom they can work after they leave. They solve different problems, and many roles need both.
Even a 'standard' contract has room to move, and knowing which terms carry real risk lets you decide what to accept and what is a true deal-breaker. We give you that clarity before you sign.
Flat fee, quoted before review begins. The price depends on length and complexity but is always known upfront, with no hourly surprises.
Working With Us
Flat fees, fast answers, and one attorney.
How the flat-fee model works, who handles your matter, and what to expect from the first call.
We size the fee based on the deliverable: what we're producing, the complexity of your situation, and how many revisions we expect. Once the scope is set and signed, the price doesn't change. No mid-engagement "oh, that's extra."
Within the scope you signed, we keep refining until the deliverable is right. If the scope itself changes (e.g. you decide to add a second LLC or include a partnership agreement we hadn't budgeted), we'll quote a clean delta in writing before doing the work.
Me, directly, from first call to signing. No partner walls. No junior associate hand-offs. If someone else ever joins the firm, that promise won't change. Every matter still gets a named attorney who owns it.
Yes, for research, redlining, and clause benchmarking. Every output is reviewed by an attorney before it touches your file. The AI lets us deliver faster and cheaper, not replace the legal judgment.
A real conversation about your situation. You tell us what you're trying to accomplish or what's stuck. We tell you whether it's a fit for our practice, what we'd recommend as a first step, and roughly what a flat-fee engagement would look like. No sales pitch.
Most introductions are scheduled within the same week. If you call during business hours and we can't pick up, we call back the same day. After hours, by the next business morning.
Yes. Everything you share is protected by attorney-client privilege from the moment we start the call, even if you ultimately decide not to engage.