An Estate Plan Checkup For Floridians In The New Year
As the New Year starts, people in Florida should take time to review and update their estate plan. The New Year can be used to review changes in personal circumstances, the law and other factors. This post will talk about a few items to consider during the review of your will, trust and other documents […]
Estate Planning Not Just For Seniors And Wealthy
When it comes to hearing words like “wills“, “trusts”, and “estate planning”, many people think of older individuals and individuals with wealth. Those associations are misguided and it turns out that everyone can benefit from estate planning, even young people. Young folks in Florida and elsewhere tend to have fewer assets because they are just […]
Woman In Austria Destroys Cash To Prevent Inheritance
Florida residents who are working on an estate plan may be interested to learn that a woman in Austria destroyed the equivalent of more than $1 million in cash in an effort to disinherit her heirs. However, it is much more difficult to disinherit family in Austria than in the United States, and the country’s […]
Importance Of Estate-Planning Documents
A large number of Floridians put off planning their estate. When people do not plan, they can leave a lot of disorganization behind for their family members. There are some specific documents that are necessary to have in place in order to avoid confusion. When a person owns property jointly, that property will automatically pass […]
Understanding Health Care Advance Directives
Florida residents who are planning their estate might be interested in learning about health care advance directives. Besides expressing a person’s wishes for medical care in the unfortunate event they cannot speak for themselves because of a serious injury or illness, these legal documents have several other benefits, too. When it comes to long-term health […]
When It’s Time To Handle Estate Planning
While it is a good idea for all adults to have a will, there are certain times in people’s life when having a will becomes essential. If a person in Florida dies without a will, they are considered intestate, and not only will their assets be divided based upon state laws, if a person has […]
Interested Person Properly Challenges Estate Administration Expenses
Duff-Esformes v. Mukamal, 332 So. 3d 17 (Fla. 3d DCA 2021) The appellant in this case, Elizabeth Ann Duff-Esformes, was the Decedent’s surviving spouse, one of two beneficiaries of the Decedent’s estate. The other beneficiary was the residual beneficiary, the Nathan J. Esformes Living Trust, to which the appellant was the sole beneficiary as well. […]
Florida’s Elective Share Overview
In Florida, one cannot completely disinherit their spouse. The right to a surviving spouse’s estate is called the elective share, which is thirty percent (30%) of the decedent-spouse’s estate. Fla. Stat. 732.2065. Indeed, a decedent’s surviving spouse is entitled to four different rights which come into play in the absence of a valid prenuptial or […]
No Will? Who is to be the Personal Representative?
In an intestate estate – i.e., an estate in which the Decedent died without having a will – the state of Florida’s Probate Code statutes dictate how the Decedent’s assets will be distributed. Assuming the Decedent was married, the surviving spouse typically is the one appointed as the personal representative. Next in line would be […]
All Shook Up: Lisa Marie Presley’s Trust
In January 2023, Elvis Presley’s only daughter, Lisa Marie, died. Multiple online news sources subsequently reported that Lisa Marie’s mother, Priscilla Presley, filed documents in a California court alleging that Lisa Marie’s 2016 Trust Amendment is invalid. More specifically, online news sources reported that the trust amendment contains a misspelling of Priscilla’s name, there was […]