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. Let’s take a look at some of those laws. Florida Homestead Exemption Florida residents Read More
Florida Probate System
When people engage in estate planning discussions, the subject of probate is probably going to come up. Many people actively try to avoid probate. Yet, many people have poor estate plans that don’t protect them from probate or, even worse, don’t even have an estate plan. If you find yourself in the middle of a probate proceeding, it will help to understand the Florida probate system. The Purpose of Read More
Florida Ancillary Probate
Elizabeth, a 49-year old Washington resident, died leaving real property including a vacation home in Florida. Jack, an entrepreneur who lived in Massachusetts at the time of his death, left behind an estate that included credits due from Florida residents. And Dana passed away in Minnesota, but had liens on property located in Florida. What do these three people have in common? Their estates will all be subject to a Read More
Digital Assets and Florida Law
Any time a loved one passes away, that person leaves behind a lifetime of possessions, personal property, and memories. Since we use the Internet for so many aspects of our lives, people also now leave an online footprint. In addition to an estate’s tangible assets – like jewelry, retirement accounts, and boats, executors of an estate must deal with intangibles like email accounts, online bank accounts, and social Read More
