What is a Will? The Last Will and Testament has been used as an estate planning document for centuries. In fact, Wills are often the first – and only – document people think of when they think about estate planning. Most people know about Wills from books, news about Will contests and celebrity estates, movies, and...

Are there Florida laws that pre-empt even the most well-thought-out estate plans? In some cases, yes. For example, someone in a strained marriage, or who is estranged from a spouse, may write an estate plan that prevents that spouse from receiving a full share of their estate. The surviving spouse may find relief in Florida law....

When country singer Glen Campbell died in 2017, he probably did not foresee the manner in which his family subsequently chose to handle his estate. He did leave a Will. However, three of his eight children were specifically excluded from the Will, which led them to contest the Will’s validity. Now, Mr. Campbell’s estate is being...

You may be thinking of adding a trust to your estate plan. Maybe you have already added a trust to your estate plan. Either way, choosing the trustee of your own trust can be a difficult decision to make. Articles about qualities to look for may help ease your decision making, but what if you want...

With an eye toward reducing their potential federal estate tax, Malcolm and Helen began reviewing their estate plan. As they discussed options with their estate planning attorney, they learned about the annual gift tax exclusion. The Annual Gift Tax Exclusion According to current IRS guidelines, individuals may make gifts of up to $15,000 per person (as...

Have you ever made a Will? According to a Gallup poll, only about 44% of Americans have done so. That’s unfortunate, because every adult needs an estate plan, now more than ever. And in our everchanging world, you need an estate planning lawyer to help you prepare the best estate plan possible. Though there are many...

The personal representative of an estate has an important job. One of the most important parts of that job is locating and gathering probate assets. Finding a decedent’s car and house may not be hard, but what about items that are stored somewhere, such as personal property, cash or bitcoins? The job may be harder when...

Portability technically means something that can be easily moved or carried. The term can be used in several contexts. For example, software portability means the software is easy to transfer to another computer. Portability of retirement and pension funds indicates that a worker may transfer retirement funds when taking a new job.  In Florida, homeowners may...

You’ve already taken the first step: developing an estate plan. Your Will, durable power of attorney, and advanced health care directive have been signed and are stored away. Now it’s time to take the next step. It’s time to talk to your family about estate planning. Your Plan, Your Time Talking about estate planning can be...

A simple estate plan covers the basics: you get to choose who will represent you if you become incapacitated, who will make medical decisions on your behalf, and how your property will be distributed after you are gone. What a simple plan does not cover is how to protect that property before and after your death....