Recent Blog Posts
Assigning A Trustee For A Loved One’s Special Needs Trust
If you are caring for a loved one with special needs, you may worry about what will happen to them if you are no longer able to provide their necessary care. The decision of who will take care of their health, living, and financial needs is a very serious one. Fortunately, there are tools… Read More »
Five Tips To Consider For A Successful Estate Plan
If you have recently thought about protecting your business, retirement, and overall future, you may have considered creating an estate plan. If this is something you have yet to do, it is important to know many people are in the same situation. In fact, research has shown that only one-third of Americans have a… Read More »
Answers To Your Questions After Losing A Parent
The bond between a child and parent does not end once the child becomes an adult. Many people continue to rely on their parents for support and guidance long after they have become adults and even when they have families of their own. If your last surviving parent has recently passed away, you likely… Read More »
The Difference Between Transfer On Death And Payable On Death
Important elements of the estate planning process often involve helping loved ones avoid probate in the future. Probate can be a time consuming and tedious process, and it often means delaying your loved one’s inheritance for years to come. Probate can also become very expensive and the cost to administer the probate can be… Read More »
Three Reasons Many Trusts Fail
If you have a Florida estate plan, it may include a trust. A trust is a legal document into which assets are placed to be distributed to beneficiaries in the event the grantor (person who created the trust) passes away. Trusts are important estate planning tools that allow loved ones to avoid the probate… Read More »
How To Avoid Three Common Mistakes That Lead To Probate
Probate is a legal process during which the assets of a decedent are gathered and identified, the decedent’s debts are paid, and assets of the deceased are distributed to the beneficiaries. Although it is sometimes necessary, probate is a long and expensive process and it can result in family members waiting long periods of… Read More »
A Review Of The Intestate Succession Laws In Florida
Perhaps the most important reason to draft a will is so that you can avoid the intestate succession laws of the state. When a person dies without a will, the State of Florida basically provides the deceased with a Will. It is referred to as our intestacy laws. Basically, the estate will be divided… Read More »
The Importance Of Including Stepchildren In Your Estate Plan
Estate plans are always an important tool but if you have stepchildren, you must take extra care with yours to ensure your stepchild receives any inheritance you wish to leave them. If you have not legally adopted your stepchild, they do not have any automatic rights to any inheritance you may wish to leave… Read More »
Your Estate Planning Checklist
If you are an adult, you likely know that you need an estate plan. With so many tools available, and each of them serving a different purpose, it can be a real challenge to know where to begin. Below, our St. Petersburg estate planning lawyer has created a checklist you can follow to ensure… Read More »
Does Florida Have An Estate Tax?
Of all the different types of taxes people think about, estate taxes are often overlooked. Truthfully, though many people will not have to pay estate taxes because of the current high lifetime exemption, estate taxes can be quite significant and place a real financial burden on your family. The federal government, as well as… Read More »