Planning for the future involves more than deciding what happens to your assets after you die. A comprehensive estate plan can also protect your interests if an illness or injury leaves you unable to make decisions for yourself. Two important documents that can help...
Leaving someone an inheritance is one thing. Making sure they use it wisely is another. You may worry that a young beneficiary will spend their inheritance too quickly or that a loved one struggling with addiction will use the money in ways that ultimately hurt them....
Relocating your family to Florida may mean more than moving your belongings. It also means bringing any existing estate documents that were created under another state’s laws. While these documents may still hold value, they likely need updates to comply with...
Learning that someone died in a home can affect how a buyer feels about the property. Buyers may reconsider because of personal beliefs. However, Florida law does not treat that history as information that a seller must volunteer. A death should be distinguished from...
When a deceased loved one holds assets in Florida, their estate must go through the state's probate system even if you live elsewhere. Known as ancillary probate, the process involves managing a decedent's affairs from another state. Ancillary probate applies when...
When someone dies, the personal representative (commonly known as an executor) is responsible for identifying and protecting estate assets, paying the deceased's debts and expenses, handling required paperwork and distributing the remaining assets according to the...
A minor child in Florida cannot simply take direct control of an inheritance. If a parent leaves assets outright to a child, the family may need a court-supervised process to manage that property until the child becomes a legal adult. A living trust allows a parent to...
When a loved one dies, beneficiaries often want answers. They may wonder what happened to the estate's money and property. They may also want to know when they will receive their inheritance. A formal estate accounting can answer many of those questions. What is a...
Real estate title defects can significantly complicate a transaction. It is often important to address these issues upfront and explore potential resolutions. In some cases, a title defect will be so significant that the property transfer cannot be completed until it...
Family members, people who expect to inherit from an estate, and even creditors, sometimes question the validity of a will. People can contest wills that contain illegal provisions. They can also ask the courts to rule on whether a testator was subject to undue...