Florida is home to many blended families. This kind of family structure, with stepparents and stepchildren, can be very warm and fulfilling, but it does raise present some challenges too. That's not confined to issues like sharing custody. Estate planning is another...
Lake Mary Estate Planning Blog
What are healthcare directives and HIPAA authorizations?
Privacy is a big deal in healthcare. Florida residents don’t want their information to get out to unauthorized parties for profit or any other reason. Moreover, you want to be in control of your care. This is where healthcare directives and HIPAA authorizations come...
What are the top reasons why you should avoid probate?
Planning what happens to your estate in Lake Mary, Florida can be difficult, but things are easier when you have a will. This can ensure that in the event of your death, your estate can be settled and everyone who has been designated as an heir will get the property...
Considerations for estate planning
Estate planning can involve taking several crucial steps to deal with present-day situations and issues that come up after one's passing. A will remains an essential document in most Florida estate plans, and there are other contracts and decisions to consider....
Rules for a special needs trust
Florida parents who have children with special needs might want to consider creating a special needs trust to benefit them. Special needs trusts can help to protect the eligibility of people for means-tested benefits for which they are not allowed to have more than a...
Advanced directives should be part of your estate plan
What is a health care directive? Residents of Lake Mary and other parts of Florida may want to learn more about the health care directive, and the parts that make it up. A living will and a power of attorney are the two kinds of advance directives. According to WebMD,...
Are holographic wills legal in Florida?
When you're making a will, you need to follow the legal requirements for the state where you are making the will. In Florida, there are laws that determine what a person must do in order to create a valid will. You may wonder whether the state recognizes holographic...
Can a trust protect your child’s inheritance from their spouse?
Florida parents who are updating their wills may see things differently than they did years ago. As time goes by, our priorities tend to change, and our families tend to grow. If you want to ensure that your children end up with a sizable inheritance, a trust can be a...
The purpose of a trust in estate planning
If you are at a juncture at which you are contemplating planning your estate, you undoubtedly have a good many questions. These likely include questions surrounding wills and trusts. Among them may be queries surrounding how a Florida trust might be a good fit as part...
The benefits of signing your will
If assets are held inside of your Florida estate at the time of your death, the estate will need to go through probate. The primary purpose of probate is to determine if you have a valid will. In the event that the will is valid, assets will be distributed according...