Oftentimes, people use the term “estate planning” and “elder law” interchangeably. In fact, you’d be surprised how many Floridians confuse elder law with estate planning. Although both have a wide range of related factors, they are fundamentally and legally different. Today, the increase in average lifespan means people need to think about their standards of […] Read more
Estate Planning
While it’ll be years before we fully grasp all the consequences of COVID-19, an apparent pattern of occasionally high-profile relocations—Texas and Florida being the two most prominent destinations—has already stirred a lot of discussion. Although the total number of moves nationwide has actually decreased (according to Bloomberg), COVID has almost certainly had a big impact […] Read more
D.C. veteran Joe Biden has ascended the presidential throne, and rumors of potential legislation impacting estate plans across the country are rampant. Candidate Biden generally advocated for increases to the estate tax (death tax) rates on wealthy taxpayers and repeal of the tax cuts passed under the Trump administration. Although the new Biden administration has […] Read more
Everyone in the family has fond memories of listening to Grandad strum on his old guitar. So, when Grandad passed away, that old guitar was one of the most coveted items among surviving family members. Unfortunately, two of Grandad’s daughters each remember him saying he wanted her to have the guitar after he passed. And […] Read more
Administering a Florida estate can be a simple and straightforward process, or it can seem like a crazy labyrinth filled with potential pitfalls. The difference often comes down to how complex the estate is and how well it has been arranged. A little planning up front can make estate administration in Florida a lot less […] Read more
As most Americans are painfully aware, the novel coronavirus arrived on the scene in late 2019, and before long was causing major disruptions to life in the United States. Millions of Americans were put out of work, businesses throughout the country had to close up shop, and even family life was affected. Previously innocuous visits […] Read more
Children have some of the strongest inheritance rights (after a surviving spouse) under Florida succession law (where there is no last will or trust designating the estate beneficiaries). This legal protection for children has been around for centuries and is what many people want, anyway. However, when the law talks about “children” or “issue” (which […] Read more
Marriage is a beautiful institution, and a wedding is a pivotal event. You’re starting an optimistic new chapter in your life, and you want to be prepared for all the major personal changes a new marriage entails. A second (or third) marriage, while often every bit as significant, bring a host of even more “changes […] Read more
This article is more about our firm than the usual post because it pertains to our unique approach to estate planning and involves the question of what is estate planning. We’ve come a long way as a “beautique” Florida estate planning law firm. Our practice began with “yours truly”, as a young Florida estate lawyer […] Read more
The reason for hiring an attorney who is a seasoned estate planning expert is to have someone guide you to consider Florida estate planning questions that you would not normally think of asking. Sometimes, attorneys who focus in a practice area such as family law or litigation just purchase some software to create estate planning documents for […] Read more
