People with special needs often face rapidly increasing costs for their care and shrinking public benefits. For example, eligibility for some benefits is based on the recipient’s income and resources. Applicants may try to keep their income below those limitations only to see their available funds are insufficient to meet their needs. The Florida ABLE Account...

It’s important to keep our estate plans current. Experiencing a major life event, like a birth or death, may affect some or all of your estate planning documents. When laws change, your plans may need some attention also. The tax reform that became law in December 2017 will probably affect your income tax strategies. Deductions you...

The tax deduction for mortgage interest has long been a favorite of American taxpayers. After all, home and property ownership are linchpins of the American Dream. The new tax reform law, however, contains provisions regarding the mortgage interest deduction that may affect Americans who own, or hope to own, a vacation home. Before the 2017 tax...

New Year’s is a time of reflection. It’s a time to think of the happenings of the past year and look forward to life ahead. While you are in a contemplative mood, make your reminder to "update my estate plan," a primary New Year’s Resolution. Why Should I Update My Estate Plan? The past year may...

Legal document protection As we’ve seen repeatedly, Mother Nature can wreak havoc on us with little to no warning. Even when weather forecasters predict a coming storm, it’s still difficult to know when and where the most damage will occur. We all try to safeguard our homes and possessions against damage. Your most important documents also...

"Planning without action is futile, action without planning is fatal." — Cornelius Fichtner</h3 As you survey the property you’ve accumulated through a lifetime of hard work, you may wonder what’s going to happen to it after you’re gone. Maybe there are family heirlooms or other prized possessions or items of sentimental value, and it really matters...

We are encouraged to get regular dental checkups and the dreaded annual physical. We schedule spring cleaning, annual vacations, and maintenance on our automobiles and boats. Shouldn’t our estate planning documents get the same careful attention? During National Estate Planning Awareness Week, we invite you to review your current estate plan. When was the last time?...

Attorney John Mangan was recently published in the Winter 2016 edition of Wagging Tales - a resource of the Humane Society of the Treasure Coast, Inc. John's article focuses on reasons to consider a living trust. You can read the article on page 8 here. You can also download a your own copy of the article...