Trusts & Estates

Family Lawyer

Not just a family lawyer, but a lawyer to rely on for all of your business and family needs.

Our Core

As a client-centered law firm, we understand that estate planning is about more than just asset protection and minimizing taxes – it’s about the emotional security and comfort that comes with knowing that your loved ones will be cared for, provided for, and protected long after you’re gone. We take the time to get to know you and your family’s situation on a personal level so that we can give you the best strategies available for reaching your estate planning goals.

The benefits of working with a local Florida attorney to plan your estate cannot be understated, especially when compared with supposedly cheaper online template services. Usually, those templates come with so many mistakes and omissions that correcting them costs more than if had you hired a lawyer in the first place!

Estate planning gets complicated, especially if either partner had any previous marriages, or if the couple has lived in more than one state, especially if those states have different laws covering property ownership in a marriage. Adding an attorney to your team helps ensure that you’ve covered all your bases and haven’t overlooked anything that might get in the way of your desires for your family’s future.

The Estate Planning Process
Initial Contact and Intake
If you’re left unable to care for yourself or communicate, your financial power of attorney will step in to handle responsibilities like bills and taxes.
Review and Research
Your healthcare power of attorney will make the difficult medical calls when you’re no longer able to, so make sure it’s someone you trust above all others.
Design and Draft
Don’t just appoint someone to oversee what happens if you’re incapacitated – explicitly tell them your wishes for end of life care so that no doubt remains if they have to make a hard decision when you’re at the end of your life. This is known as a Living Will or Medical Care Directive. Also consider what you want to happen with your social media accounts -- you might want to think about leaving your passwords with someone you trust, too.
Sign and Deliver
Also known as a revocable trust, a living trust is a separate entity created to hold ownership of your property. By appointing a successor trustee, the creator of the trust can help avoid probate court. This trust can be dissolved or changed at any time.
Review and Maintain
You might already know that your last will and testament controls who gets what after you die. You can use it to name beneficiaries, designate property, and more.
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If you’re left unable to care for yourself or communicate, your financial power of attorney will step in to handle responsibilities like bills and taxes.
Healthcare Power of Attorney
Your healthcare power of attorney will make the difficult medical calls when you’re no longer able to, so make sure it’s someone you trust above all others.
End of Life Care
Don’t just appoint someone to oversee what happens if you’re incapacitated – explicitly tell them your wishes for end of life care so that no doubt remains if they have to make a hard decision when you’re at the end of your life. This is known as a Living Will or Medical Care Directive. Also consider what you want to happen with your social media accounts -- you might want to think about leaving your passwords with someone you trust, too.
Living Trusts
Also known as a revocable trust, a living trust is a separate entity created to hold ownership of your property. By appointing a successor trustee, the creator of the trust can help avoid probate court. This trust can be dissolved or changed at any time.
Last Will and Testament
You might already know that your last will and testament controls who gets what after you die. You can use it to name beneficiaries, designate property, and more.
Property Title Review
Take inventory of your possessions and verify any property titles for major assets, such as cars or real estate. This is especially important for those with previous marriages.
Asset Ownership
This is what most people think of when estate planning comes to mind – who’s going to get what?
Designating Beneficiaries
Designating beneficiaries allows your family to bypass probate court, giving them immediate access to your bank account and other resources upon your passing.
Provide for Your Children
There’s more to looking after your loved ones than leaving them financially protected. For example, parents with minor children should find a trusted guardian who can take over if something happens to both partners. While non-binding, it’s also helpful to think about child rearing goals and ideals that you want passed on to the next generation.
Provide for Your Spouse
We use the latest tax strategies and legal tools to make sure that your spouse is cared for long after you’re gone.

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