If someone you love recently died, you may find yourself serving as the administrator or executor of the estate or perhaps as trustee. The job of handling someone else's estate is a dubious honor. If someone names you to this critical role, that clearly means they...
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Using death beneficiaries to avoid probate for your heirs
Probate proceedings can be costly and time-consuming. In the worst cases, a probated estate can take years to resolve. For this reason, most Florida estate planners will take action by whatever means possible to prevent their heirs from needing to wait through probate...
Where there’s a will there’s a way: 7 reasons to draft a will
It's surprising how many people don't have a finalized estate plan or even a will. When these individuals pass away, their families will have a more difficult and costly time trying to put all the necessary affairs in order. Also, if these individuals become...
3 signals that you should update your estate plan
When was the last time you examined your estate plan? If the last time you looked at these documents was when your attorney drafted them, you are not alone. In fact, most people go 20 years or more between making updates to their estate plans. For example, people tend...
What language does a special needs trust require?
Parents of special needs children might want to consider setting up a special needs trust. Such a trust will allow parents to leave money and assets behind for the benefit of their child, without their child actually owning the assets personally. This allows the child...
Avoiding probate through joint property ownership
Anyone who's been through the probate process for the estate of a deceased loved one knows how nerve-wracking and costly it can be. This is why most estate planners will want to do everything they can to save their heirs, beneficiaries and family members the burden of...
Did you include your pet in your estate plan?
Most of us love our pets as much as we do our human children, and for this reason, it makes sense to include a plan for our pets in our estate documents. This plan doesn't have to be overly complicated and it doesn't have to be expensive to implement.Although many...
Do you need to worry about a no contest will clause in Florida?
When your aging loved ones pass away, there are many things to occupy your mind. There's the grief of losing someone you care for, as well as all the practical aspects of handling an estate. Sometimes, there's also the shock of realizing that a parent, grandparent or...
A good estate plan will keep your family together
The larger your estate and the larger your family, the more likely your asset distribution plan will end up in dispute after your death. For this reason, Florida residents with significant assets and diverse families should build a water tight estate plan -- one that...
4 tips to help avoid inheritance fights among your children
Parents often feel like they spend much of childhood trying to keep their kids from fighting, encouraging them to just get along. Unfortunately, that does not always end when childhood ends. In fact, many siblings will fight over the estate after their parents pass...