If you and your spouse or partner just welcomed a new child into your family, whether by birth or adoption, congratulations! As new parents, these likely will be some of the happiest, albeit busiest, days you will ever experience. In all the hustle and bustle that new...
Estate Planning
What questions should you ask potential health care surrogates?
Even though thinking about a serious illness or catastrophic injury can be uncomfortable, planning for your potential incapacitation allows you to retain some control over what happens to you. After all, by definition, incapacitation makes it impossible to communicate...
When may I revise my will?
Major life events such as marriage, divorce or the birth of a child may lead you to revisit your will. As reported by CNBC, you may also wish to revise a will when you receive or inherit large sums of money. You may change your will’s instructions and the...
What are the rules for constructing a trust in Florida?
A trust can be a helpful tool when you are creating your estate plan. Trusts do not require a judge to step in to disburse them, and they give you a lot of control over what happens after your death. The Florida Statutes lay out the rules for how to create a trust. It...
How can I avoid estate planning mistakes?
You know that having an estate plan is vital to protecting your assets and heirs after you are gone. According to Kiplinger, avoiding estate planning mistakes is equally important when it comes to your assets. While professional assistance is best when estate...
How may a POA and a living will communicate my medical wishes?
A severe injury or illness may leave you unable to discuss medical issues with your health care providers. As the American Bar Association explains, a durable medical power of attorney authorizes a chosen and trusted individual to communicate for you. Doctors may...
How much control may I have with a living trust?
A revocable trust, which is also referred to as a living trust, gives you a great deal of control over your assets until your death. As noted by Bankrate.com, your trust may own your property and you may transfer assets in or out of it at any time. After creating your...
A basic estate planning checklist
Floridians who are preparing to create estate plans can follow a simple checklist to simplify the process. Estate planning should be viewed as an ongoing process instead of the creation of static documents. Preparing properly and following some simple tips can help to...
Avoid probate by registering a transfer on death
Most Florida residents have heard about using estate planning as a way to avoid probate. The probate process can take a long time and incur fees and tax consequences that chip away at an estate. One way to get assets straight to your beneficiaries and skip probate is...
Preparing for incapacity
It is a reality of life that people think that nothing bad will happen to them. This is why many Florida families end up in a lurch when a loved one ends up incapacitated. This is something that you can plan for ahead of time as part of your estate plan. You can...
