Category Archives: Wills Probate
Can I Disinherit My Spouse or Children in Florida?
Deciding to disinherit your spouse, children, grandchildren, or other family members never comes easy. But does Florida law even allow you to remove your spouse or children from an estate plan? That depends on whether you want to disinherit your spouse entirely and how old your children are. It is essential to consult with… Read More »
What Happens to a Business When the Owner Dies Without a Succession Plan?
When a business owner passes away, one of the two things happens: A succession plan is put into motion; or If there is no succession plan, what happens to the business depends on the company’s structure. When a business owner does not have a succession plan, their family members and business partners are being… Read More »
How to Make Sure Your Life Sustaining and End-Of-Life Care Wishes Are Respected During This Difficult Time
Understandably, the coronavirus pandemic has created a significant amount of panic in terms of people wanting to make sure that they have everything in order when it comes to their estate plans. This mass panic has been exacerbated by reports from those on the front lines concerning patients who have been unable to communicate… Read More »
Proactive Wealth & Estate Planning Strategies You Should Consider Before 2021 Arrives
With each change in administration often comes changes to the estate tax and estate-tax exemptions, leaving many rushing to estate planning attorneys in an effort to properly protect their assets before the new laws can be implemented. Given the current ability to gift significant funds to your beneficiaries and others free of transfer tax… Read More »
Using Estate Planning to Cover a Child or Grandchild’s College Tuition
College tuition costs are escalating every day; not to mention all of the other costs that inevitably go along with them, such as funds needed to cover equipment, living expenses, school supplies, textbooks, and more. For many families with children, the thought of covering these costs is nothing short of daunting. However, many also… Read More »
Items That People Often Forget to Consider in Their Estate Plans
We previously discussed the importance of being prepared in terms of your estate planning, given the circumstances that the COVID-19 pandemic has put us in. A number of people panicked, wanting to ensure that their estate plans were in place in case anything happened, while others hoped that the pandemic would die down. Instead,… Read More »
Overcoming The Complications of Oil & Mineral Rights in Florida Estate Planning
The ownership of oil and mineral rights can significantly complicate estate planning. In Florida, those rights translate into a legal ownership of subsurface resources, and can be sectioned off from the surface property and bought, leased, or sold on their own. This has made planning for passing on those rights particularly complicated, especially in… Read More »
Long-Term Estate Medicaid Planning
As attorneys who practice estate planning here in Florida, we frequently receive questions about the connection between estate planning and access to benefits and programs people may need as they age, such as Medicaid. Many people have questions about how Medicaid will treat their assets in terms of determining whether they qualify for assistance,… Read More »
Why Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts Could Transfer Significant Wealth to Beneficiaries If Set Up Right Now
In the wake of the coronavirus, a number of Americans are looking into whether a Grantor Retained Annuity Trust (GRAT) makes sense for them and their estate planning in order to allow them to pass the most onto the next generation without also passing on any estate or gift taxes. The conditions surrounding the… Read More »
Do Not Underestimate the Power of Beneficiary Designations, And The Importance of Keeping Them Updated
As estate planning attorneys who regularly help clients with wills and probate here in Florida, we regularly discuss the importance of not only having a will in place, but a complete estate plan, which also includes beneficiary designations linked to important accounts such as your 401(k), IRAs, life insurance, annuities, etc. These forms are… Read More »