Florida Legacy Planning Lawyer

Wills: Your will is the first step in creating the legacy you’ll leave behind. Should you pass without this essential document, the state will decide where your assets go, making this a key starting place. As a premier legacy lawyer, we have the solutions necessary to help you develop the right path forward.

Trusts: A trust is an excellent way to avoid probate and limit your overall tax liabilities. There are a number of different kinds of trusts including revocable trusts and special needs trusts, and our legacy team can help you better understand the type of trust necessary for your family. We can help design options that best adhere to your wishes.

Power of Attorney: Giving one person control over many different aspects of your estate like executive powers or even your medical decisions can be a wise move in the event you become incapacitated. Our team can help you draft the right power of attorney document to best meet the needs of your family and your estate.

Advance Directives: Creating documentation that designates an individual to make medical and personal care decisions for you is an absolute must as you consider planning your estate. This documentation allows not only for someone to make the right decisions for your care but also for others to receive information about your health. Our team has the tools and resources necessary to help address this aspect of estate planning.

Real Estate Planning: If you intend to transfer ownership of your real estate holdings outside of probate, our team can help you learn more about the best way to manage your assets.

Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Legacy Law?
Legacy Law is the branch that deals with planning the future of your estate. We can help to put your affairs in order to ensure that your beneficiaries get the maximum amount from your assets in the future. Legacy law is so much more than just the simple writing of a will. Instead, it involves a closer look at how you want to live the rest of your life and how you hope your assets will be distributed after you’re gone.

Why Are Healthcare Documents Part of Legacy Law?
Healthcare documents like a Power of Attorney or Advanced Directive help to identify those you wish to make medical decisions on your behalf should you ever reach the point where you’re unable to make them for yourself. Appointing someone to handle these essential decisions is the best way to be sure the importance of your own wishes is expressed, even at the end of your life.

Should I consider a Trust?
Legacy lawyers often recommend the creation of a trust for good reason. It’s typically the only way to ensure proper management of property left to those beneficiaries who may not yet be of age or have disabilities that make it impossible to properly care for what has been left. Trusts serve another important purpose as well. They can reduce the death taxes of fairly large estates, ensuring your beneficiaries get more from your assets.

Where do my assets go if I die without a will?
In Florida, dying without a will means the court decides how best to divide your assets. Nearly half of all Americans die without a will each year, but our legacy law service makes it easy to not only create the right will to meet your needs but also to create an entire estate plan that will cover all of the key decisions that must be made after you’re gone. From helping you decide how to distribute your assets to drafting essential healthcare documents, we’re here to help you document the most important decisions of your life.

What is an estate?
Your estate includes all of your assets. That may mean your personal property like your home and vehicle, but it could also mean stocks and securities, your life insurance policy, and the money in your bank account. The value of your overall estate determines what taxes your beneficiaries must pay after you’re gone, but estate planning can help to ensure the resources will be available to pay those taxes.

Will my assets be subject to probate?
Probate occurs when your assets are passed on to the beneficiaries named in your estate plans. Probate also allows creditors to collect anything you owe them. Aspects of probate can be avoided, though, with the right legacy planning strategy.