Let’s face it, probate can be a serious hassle. It can be a long and drawn out process, and it has the potential to get very expensive when you have a complex estate. Fortunately, there are a variety of tools available that may be able to help you keep certain assets out of probate, or potentially even allow your estate to skip probate entirely. One of these useful tools is the “Payable-on-Death” (POD) designation Read More

America essentially developed as a melting pot of different cultures and that reality has anything but gone away as the country has grown and aged. Today’s society is increasingly global and Florida’s diverse population is perhaps one of the best representations of that. One of the challenges of this can be how to address estate planning when assets are owned in multiple countries. The existence of potential heirs in Read More

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

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

Most Florida residents have probably heard about sad cases involving the physical abuse of an elderly person. Unfortunately that is not the only form of elder abuse that can be experienced. Some seniors can be taken advantage of and exploited financially. Potential victims, their family members, neighbors, friends, and caregivers should all know what signs to be on the lookout for. The National Committee for the Read More

Anyone in Florida who has faced the difficult situation of helping a loved one who has memory issues knows that the challenges are great. One of the challenges that can be faced is the need to identify a legal guardian. This can be required when an elderly person’s mental capacity becomes so impaired that they can be a danger to themselves or otherwise unable to manage their affairs. Example problems include a Read More

It is not uncommon for people in Miami to believe that wills are ironclad. However, it is possible for people to initiate legal action for contesting a will. Usually, people will need to show that the will was created from an undue influence such as a manipulative family member or financial advisor, that the person who made the will was not competent to make such decisions or that there was some form of fraud. One Read More

If you are working on your estate plan, you may come across a lot of information regarding probate – and some of it may seem negative. According to the Florida Probate Code, there are two types of probate: formal and summary administration. A formal administration is necessary if the value of the estate in probate is worth more than $75,000. A summary administration takes place in the following circumstances: If Read More

Most of us live busy lives even after retirement, and it can be easy to put off things we don’t think about often, such as planning our wills. As a result, some Miami residents may die before getting around to planning their estates. What will happen to your assets and property after your death if you don’t have a will? How would it affect your loved ones? According to The Florida Legislature, it is called Read More

It is an unfortunate fact that sometimes after the owner of an estate dies, the loved ones left behind are not happy with what they received – or did not receive – in the family will. Many residents in Miami can find themselves going through an estate dispute over such items as their loved one’s home, vehicles, bank accounts and personal possessions. According to the AARP, it is increasingly common for Baby Boomers Read More