Protecting
Your Legacy
Families in Florida or around the country without an estate plan face the possibility of being subjected to costly court fees and legal disputes. Assets may not be accessible during the time it takes the probate court to oversee the proper distribution and payment to...
While no one wants to think about their own death, financially planning for such a situation can leave family members better off. There are a variety of ways to ensure that those left behind are secure; estate planning can often range to setting up trusts to putting...
It is not uncommon for people living in Florida to put off estate planning. Additionally, many people who set up their estate planning documents consider the job done and do not update them regularly. Few individuals are comfortable thinking about their own mortality,...
While many Orlando individuals may believe that estate planning is only an issue to be considered by the ultra wealthy and the elderly, even young people can benefit from the use of estate planning. By completing wills, healthcare proxies and power of attorneys, young...
The national budget plan recently proposed by President Obama may remind estate owners in Florida that "permanence" isn't necessarily permanent. At the beginning of this year, a tax exemption for estates of $5 million or less was put in place, with legislators and the...
If you own a diamond, you might be interested in the history of the gem - especially if cost 40 million dollars. However, a 34-carat pink "Princie" diamond, which was recently auctioned off for a whopping $39,323,750, has a disputed history, which is creating legal...
Say you want to do what most estate planners in Florida want to do: leave your assets to your chosen heirs and beneficiaries with as little tax liability and probate friction as possible. Unfortunately, what happens in many cases is that unforeseen incidents in...
It's no secret that, as people get older, they tend to become more vulnerable to scams that could threaten the assets the elderly person has worked so hard to accumulate. Undue influence is the legal term for wrongfully persuading or otherwise tricking a person into...
A bill recently passed by a Florida Senate committee would give unmarried couples, including gay couples, the right to register as domestic partners. In terms of estate planning, the bill, if eventually signed into law, could have a major effect on unmarried couples'...
Last year, the whirlwind of debate about the fiscal cliff and possible changes to federal tax law led some estate owners in Orlando to make some quick adjustments to limit tax liability. Many people with significant assets made lifetime gifts and created trusts to...