Protecting
Your Legacy
Sometimes, situations arise in which a decedent who is not a resident of Florida passes away, and his or her estate owns assets in Florida. In order to allow for the inclusion of those Florida assets in the decedent's estate, the law allows for ancillary...
During their estate planning considerations, many people in Florida consider setting up a living trust in order to avoid probate and to provide for either themselves or for others while the trust creator is still living. A living trust can lend flexibility. Many...
When an estate enters probate, the court will appoint a personal representative to manage the assets. If the representative is an individual, that person must either be a Florida resident or a close relative of the decedent. A qualified and authorized bank or savings...
Among the primary reasons for probate in Florida is the satisfaction of the debts of the decedent. The personal representative of the estate is required to provide notice of probate to any reasonably ascertainable or known creditors. Upon notice, creditors typically...
Families in Florida may benefit from learning about the advantages related to special needs trusts. For some parents, a special needs trust is the primary tool for helping to ensure a child's future stability. These trusts enable parents to transfer funds for the...
Trusts have long been an important part of many Florida estate plans. The trust instrument has evolved to include specialized forms for all sorts of specialized situations, but the living trust continues to be among the most popular and useful of estate planning...
When individuals are deciding who will inherit from their estates, it is important to consider a series of questions. The first question to answer is how much should go to heirs and how much should go to charity. Once that ratio has been determined, it may be...
Many recent celebrity deaths have shown the importance of proper estate planning. Most of the time, a parent creates a trust for his or her children to help secure their futures, and this has the added benefit of providing privacy for the children. Robin Williams set...
A bypass trust has long been a tool of choice for Florida couples who wish to defend their combined marital estate from encroachment by taxation. Recent legislative alterations regarding the marital deduction have made the bypass trust capable of sheltering even more...
Many Florida residents find it difficult to contemplate end of life decisions, but addressing these issues can provide you with peace of mind while protecting your estate and safeguarding your legacy. Failing to have an effective estate plan in place could leave your...