Category Archives: Wills Probate
I Have An Out Of State Vacation Home – What Should I Know About Probate When Estate Planning?
For many, it is the highest echelon of the American Dream: not only do you own a home in the state where you live and work, but you have also successfully financed your dream out-of-state property. Whether it’s a house on the beach or a secluded cabin on the chilled lakes of Maine –… Read More »
How To Protect Against “Lost Heirs” In Probate
You have worked your whole life to build up your estate. Regardless of whether your legacy is a vast and sprawling estate or a modest balance in a bank account, you deserve to have the final say in how your estate will be divided and inherited. This may become particularly important to you if… Read More »
How A Revocable Living Trust Can Help You Avoid The Florida Probate Process
The Florida probate laws and processes are notorious for their tendency to cause long, drawn-out, cumbersome estate settlement issues for the heirs/beneficiaries that are left behind. Naturally, this has stirred up interest in what estate planning options or strategies exist to lessen the burden of the probate process (or, hopefully, to exclude as many… Read More »
Summary Administration: A Florida Shortcut To Regular Probate
Probate: a long, drawn out, largely public ordeal that many estates must trod through to some extent in Florida. However, Florida offers an alternative route – a “shortcut” to the formal probate administrative process, if you will – in certain circumstances. Pursuing the simplified probate process may make it easier, less time consuming and… Read More »
Do You Need A Florida Revocable Living Trust?
Although the word “trust” are often associated with very wealthy individuals, the truth is that anyone can use a trust as part of their own estate planning. In particular, the revocable living trust is a popular tool for helping to distribute your assets without the need for formal probate after your death. While living… Read More »
Should You Consider Creating A Revocable Trust As Part Of Your Estate Plan?
Having a last will and testament is a key piece of any estate plan. But there are other estate planning tools you may wish to consider as well. One popular option is to have a revocable living trust. Although you might associate such trusts with the ultra-wealthy, they are in fact a fairly common… Read More »
Can I Make A Video Will And Upload It To YouTube? Is That Valid Under Florida Law?
Under Florida law, a last will and testament must be in writing and signed in the presence of at least two witnesses. These requirements are strictly enforced by the courts. To put it another way, a will is not something you want to “experiment” with. For instance, you should not videotape a will and… Read More »
What Happens During The Probate Of A Florida Estate?
You may have heard the word “probate” used by estate planning lawyers without actually knowing what it means. In simple terms, probate is a court-supervised process for gathering and distributing the assets of a deceased individual. Put another way, probate is the administration of a person’s estate. The Goals of Probate Probate actually has… Read More »
Is It Possible To Revoke A Will In Florida?
Many people mistakenly believe that Wills are set in stone, but that is not true. Even though it’s called “the Last Will and Testament,” it may not be your last Will if you later choose to update or revoke it. Reasons why people revoke Wills vary from one case to another. In most cases,… Read More »
10 Reasons To Update Your Will And Estate Plan
A Will – also known as the Last Will and Testament – is one of the most important documents in every person’s life. However, just because you already have a Will does not mean that you can forget about it and do not need to look at it ever again. Our lives change, and… Read More »