Category Archives: Estate Planning Wills & Trusts
Reasons to Create a Special Needs Trust Before Child Turns 18
One of the most important things you can do for your children is to establish a living trust in their name. And much like a will, it’s recommended to establish a trust as early on in their life as possible. While trusts may sound like an aspect of life reserved for the super-wealthy, they… Read More »
Consideration When Naming a Guardian in Your Will
Planning for your family’s future in the event of your passing is about more than deciding who gets what property. If you have young children, you need to ensure that they are well-cared-for, even if you unexpectedly pass away. You can choose who the court should name as legal guardian for your kids upon… Read More »
What’s the Difference Between Elder Law and Estate Planning?
Many people confuse elder law and estate planning or use the terms interchangeably. While both areas of law are important, and many attorneys offer both sets of services to the same clients, the two fields do serve distinct goals. When you are planning for your financial future and the future of your family, it’s… Read More »
What You Need to Know About Estate Tax in FL
When preparing wills and trusts, our clients often ask about the estate tax (or “death tax”). The estate tax is often the bane of any estate going through probate, forcing beneficiaries to deal with a second round of taxation before they are entitled to collect their inheritance. While Florida law is especially favorable to… Read More »
What is a Special Needs Trust?
Long-term and end-of-life care are expensive. The costs can be even more exorbitant when a person is disabled. To avoid going bankrupt paying for medical costs and other expenses, needs-based governmental assistance programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are a must. These programs carry specific requirements, including strict limits on… Read More »
What Can a Special Needs Trust Pay For?
West Palm Beach special needs and elder law attorney for more information. Special Needs Trusts Can Be Used to Pay for a Much Wider Variety of Expenses Than Government Funds Broadly, special needs trust funds can be used to pay for things like education, recreation, counseling, and medical treatment beyond the basic necessities of… Read More »
4 Life Events That May Prompt Revision to Your Estate Plan
Creating your estate plan is not a one-time event. Your last will or trusts should be reviewed regularly to ensure that your property will go to those you care about most. Aside from regular updates every few years, there are certain life events that should prompt you to revise your estate plan. Learn more… Read More »
Including Digital Assets in Your Estate Plan
More and more of our lives take place not in the physical world, but in the digital world. We store important personal and financial information on our computers or in the cloud. We save photos and videos digitally, or post them on social media sites, without ever creating a physical copy. We pay bills… Read More »
Find Ways to Streamline Your Estate
If you’ve ever dealt with property left behind by a loved one after their death, you may know how emotionally taxing a process it can be. Not only must you sift through belongings of someone you loved and lost and decide what to keep, sell, or donate, but when important papers are not easily… Read More »
The Development of the Living Will
The case of Terri Schiavo garnered a great deal of public attention and sparked an interest in advanced health care directives known as living wills. Because Terri did not have a living will, after a heart attack left her unconscious for almost a decade, Terri’s husband sought to become her guardian in order to… Read More »