Miami, Florida residents may know that many children with physical or mental disabilities may very well outlive their parents, so it is often a difficult task for those parents to make necessary arrangements for a disabled child's care after their death. Many parents of disabled children create a financial trust so that safeguards are in place for ensuring financial support for a child's lifetime. However, parents Read More

Miami residents who are thinking about their families and the future understand that there comes a time in life when a person needs to make important decisions with regard to estate planning. These decisions will help a person arrange for the disposition of their estate according to their specific wishes. Estate planning does not have to be complex and with the help of an experienced attorney the process can go very Read More

Many people in Florida have a will that specifies how they wish to pass on their estate to their heirs. However, not many people are aware that a will does not have provisions for how and when the assets in the estate are to be used by the heirs. Therefore, if a person wants to avoid such a situation, a trust is probably a much better choice. By creating a trust, an estate holder can have control over the estate, Read More

When deciding how to handle many future and even post-life decisions, planning is vital. However, there is no "one size fits all" approach to handling things like money. In our previous blog post, we discussed how trusts have become an important part of a comprehensive estate plan. Yet, a logical follow up question may be, what type of trust is right for my situation? There are a number of different types of trusts Read More

Estate planning documents are frequently used to establish a trust. This is a commonly used step by residents of Florida and across the country to keep assets out of probate and the public eye when an individual has passed on. If an estate ends up in probate, a state may become responsible for the distribution to heirs. A legal or financial expert often handles setting up a trust. This may help to ensure that the Read More

When someone is appointed as a trustee for an estate, the position comes with multiple duties and responsibilities. Because of the numerous tasks involved, it is important that a selected trustee be someone who is honest, trustworthy and organized. The first job a trustee will have is to administer the trust according to its terms and in the interests of the beneficiaries. A trustee owes a duty of loyalty to the Read More

Special needs trusts are trusts that can be set up by the parents of children in Florida who are mentally or physically disabled. These trusts can ensure financial security without putting the child's eligibility for government benefits in jeopardy. The trust supplements Social Security benefits and Medicaid, but parents should understand just how these trusts work and, even more importantly, how to fund them. When Read More

Famed comedian Robin Williams passed away in August from an apparent suicide. Although his tragic death is raising a variety of social questions, some legal issues have also surfaced. Many in Florida and other states are asking about the future for Williams' family members, who will have to sort through his estate documents, which include at least two different trusts. It appears that trust administration will play a Read More

Estate planning can be a challenge for anyone, but it is particularly important for those who are leaving behind dependents or heirs who have special needs. Did you know that there are special types of trusts that can be set up to accommodate your loved ones' health needs? That is right, a Special Needs Trust -- and many other types of trusts -- can be set up to protect assets for those who need ongoing financial Read More

Florida residents have almost certainly heard the Lou Reed song that instructs listeners to "take a walk on the wild side." It seems that Reed himself may have followed that example in his own estate plans. Would you believe that his estate already earned more than $20 million since Reed died in October 2013? Yes, that only counts income that arrived after the man's death. That is certainly a lot of money. Managing Read More