How We Help
Practice areas
Planning ahead, settling a loved one’s estate, or protecting someone who can no longer protect themselves. Each stage of a family’s life asks different questions. Here is how we help with each one.
01.Estate Planning
A complete plan for your property, your health care decisions, and the people who depend on you.
02.Last Will & Testament
A properly executed Florida will that says what you mean, and holds up when it matters.
03.Trusts
Privacy, flexibility, and a smoother path for your family, often without a lengthy court process.
04.Probate
Steady guidance for personal representatives and families settling an estate in Florida courts.
05.Guardianship
Protecting aging parents, adults with disabilities, and minors, and exploring less restrictive alternatives first.
06.Real Estate
Deeds, transfers, and homestead questions, handled with the same care as the rest of your plan.
01
Estate Planning
A complete plan answers three questions: who receives what you own, who speaks for you if you cannot, and who cares for the people who depend on you. We build plans that answer all three, in documents that work together.
A typical plan includes
Will or revocable trust
Where will your property go and who will manage it?
Durable power of attorney
Who do you trust to handle your affairs, even after incapacity?
Health care surrogate
Who will make medical decisions on your behalf?
Living will
How do you feel about life-prolonging care?
Preneed guardian designation
In the event a guardian is needed, who would you choose?
Beneficiary review
Are you familiar with who you have listed as a beneficiary on assets that pass outside your will?
Florida law: Fla. Stat. §§ 709.2104, 765.202, 765.302, 744.3045.
02
Last Will & Testament
Florida is strict about how a will is executed and sometimes convenient or online options can lead to issues with your testamentary wishes. We draft wills that say what you mean and are executed so they hold up when your family needs them.
What we handle
Explanation of the will
What each article means and what the effects of your decisions will be.
Devise management
Ensuring the transfer of your assets is in line with your wishes.
Personal property list
A separate signed list for heirlooms, jewelry, and keepsakes.
Homestead planning
Making sure your wishes for your home follow Florida’s constitutional limits.
Proper execution
Signed at the end, before two witnesses, and made self-proving so it is easier to admit to probate.
Florida law: Fla. Stat. §§ 732.502, 732.503, 732.515, 732.4015; Fla. Const. art. X, § 4(c).
03
Trusts
A trust can keep your affairs private, let assets pass without a lengthy court process, and provide a plan if you become unable to manage your own finances. We help you decide whether a trust fits your family, then set it up and fund it correctly.
TRUSTS WE PREPARE
Revocable living trusts
Flexible during your life, a clear plan after it.
Special needs trusts
Care for a loved one without jeopardizing their benefits.
Qualified Income Trust
Often referred to as a QIT or Miller Trust, deals with Medicaid qualification.
Good to know: in Florida, the parts of a revocable trust that take effect at death must be signed with the same formalities as a will.
Florida law: Fla. Stat. ch. 736; § 736.0403(2)(b); 42 U.S.C. § 1396p(d)(4)(B).
04
Probate
When someone you love dies, carrying on with life comes at the hardest time. We guide personal representatives and families through each step: gathering assets, handling creditors, and distributing what remains to the right people.
THE PATH, SIMPLIFIED
1. Choose the right path
Will a formal administration or summary administration be the best fit for your circumstance?
2. Appoint the personal representative
Who is either nominated or qualified and who is willing to serve in this capacity?
3. Notify creditors
Most claims must be filed within three months of first publication of the notice to creditors, before they are forever barred.
4. Distribute and close
Distribution could be done according to the will or according to the intestacy statute depending on the type of estate.
Florida law: Fla. Stat. ch. 733; §§ 732.102, 732.103, 733.301, 733.302, 733.702, 735.201.
05
Guardianship
When an aging parent, an adult child with a disability, or a minor needs someone to make decisions for them, the court can appoint a guardian. Florida law asks that less restrictive options be explored first, and so do we.
HOW WE HELP
Alternatives first
Powers of attorney, surrogates, and guardian advocates can avoid a full guardianship.
Guardianship of adults
Limited or plenary, tailored to what the person can still do.
Voluntary guardianship
For competent adults who ask for help managing their property.
Guardianship of minors
Protecting a child’s inheritance or settlement.
Florida law: Fla. Stat. ch. 744; §§ 744.1012, 744.331, 744.341, 744.3045.
06
Real Estate
For most Florida families, the home is the most important asset in the plan. We handle the deeds and title questions that come with planning, inheriting, and transferring real property.
WHAT WE HANDLE
Deeds and transfers between family members
Enhanced life estate (“Lady Bird”) deeds
Clearing title after a death
Homestead questions and protections
Florida law: Fla. Const. art. X, § 4; Fla. Stat. § 732.401.
Not sure where your question fits?
Most families come to us with more than one. Tell us what is on your mind and we will take it from there. Or call us at (850) 894-3888.