Estate planning. If you are a young Floridian in the millennial generation, just hearing that term may make you immediately think about your parents or grandparents. But, before you stop there you should think more closely about your own self and your own life. You like to go rock climbing or motorcycle riding on the weekends. You're planning your first parachute jump. You drive every day. All of these things are Read More
ESTATE PLANNING WITH SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD
If you are the parent of a child in Florida who has a disability or some form of special needs, you may be wondering how you can financially provide for your child after you die. Taking into consideration the needs of your child for the rest of his or her life should be done when making any of your own estate planning and retirement plans. This may or may not include the appointment of a guardian depending upon your Read More
ESTATE PLANNING WITH YOUNG KIDS
Young families in Florida often do not think much about estate planning. While still in their 20s or 30s, moms and dads can assume death is far off and there is time for such things. It is also easy to get caught up in the day-to-day needs of raising children. However, tragedy could strike at any time leaving young children without parents. When this happens, who will raise the children? How will the children be Read More
WHY AN ATTORNEY IS NEEDED TO DEVELOP A WILL
If you are looking to create a new will or even amend an existing will in Florida, you may be aware that you are not legally required to use an attorney. However, while do-it-yourself wills are available to you, utilizing them can leave you, your estate or your heirs vulnerable in several ways. Learning what situations can arise and might warrant the advice of an attorney is important to make sure that your estate Read More
HOW LONG IS THE PROBATE PROCESS IN FLORIDA?
If you are the will executor or heir of a person who has died in Florida, one of the many questions you may have about the probate process is how long it will last. The short answer is that there is no single answer to that question. The length of time that is needed to complete probate varies based upon many things. That said, the minimum amount of time that probate can take is three months according to the Florida Read More
REAL ESTATE APPRAISALS FOR INHERITED PROPERTIES
Upon the death of a resident in Florida, a personal home or other real estate is often part of the decedent’s estate. What happens to these assets may depend on what estate plans had been put in place. In some cases, a person may choose to leave a home to a relative who will then live in the home. In other cases, a home or other property ends up being sold. This can happen when a will or a trust was in place or even Read More
ELDER FINANCIAL ABUSE A SERIOUS PROBLEM
Florida has long been a desired retirement destination for Americans and that continues to hold true today. However, that retirement is turning out to be more than just pleasant days on a golf course or enjoying the coastline and sunshine. Too many an elderly person in Florida is ending up as the victim of financial abuse and exploitation. To make matters worse, this abuse is being perpetrated by the people who are Read More
WHAT ARE SOME PLANNED GIVING OPTIONS?
Over the last couple of decades, the concept of planned giving seems to have gained a lot of momentum in Florida and the rest of the United States. As people consider various options when engaging in estate planning activities, thoughts about how to also incorporate some philanthropy make sense. Even donations to be made during the course of a person’s life can impact an overall estate and therefore make sense to Read More
INVESTIGATION OF JUDGE AND WIFE RESULTS IN TRANSFER
As more Americans live longer yet require different types of care, the issue of elder abuse has become more prominent than ever before. For some Floridians, there can come a time when they need to have a guardian appointed. A legal guardian can manage a person’s affairs and, in so doing, have access to the ward’s finances. The guardian may be a relative or other known person. However, there are also professional Read More
SHOULD I INCLUDE MY RETIREMENT FUND IN A TRUST?
If you are setting up a trust in Florida or even reviewing an existing one, now could be the time that you want to consider including your retirement funds in the trust. Because retirement funds have designated beneficiaries associated with them, they are not generally included in the provisions of a regular will. As Forbes explains, this approach is consistent with how life insurance policies are handled in estate Read More
