Blog: Estate Planning
I’m Moving. Do I Need to Create a New Estate Plan? | Tampa Estate Planning Lawyers
Do I need a new estate plan if I move out of Florida? This is a common question that our Tampa estate planning lawyers are asked by clients who are thinking about relocating to somewhere else in the country. In most cases, the answer is yes, you will likely need to do...
Tampa Estate Planning Lawyer: The Difference Between a Will and a Trust and Why you May Need Both
A common misconception is that a Will is the “end all be all” document that directs how assets are to be passed down after a person’s death. The truth is that there are significant limitations to Wills, and many Tampa-area families end up needing both a Will and a...
Brandon Estate Lawyer: Advantages and Disadvantages of a Last Will and Testament
As a Brandon estate lawyer, I often meet with clients who believe that a Last Will and Testament is the “end all be all” of estate planning. What I often tell them is that a will is just the first step. Let’s discuss what a will does, and the limitations of wills...
All About Revocable Living Trusts | Brandon Estate Planning Lawyer
Revocable living trusts are very common in estate planning. Having one gives you a safe place to “put” your valuables along with an instruction manual on what to do with you and your stuff if you can’t act on your own behalf. While you are alive and well you are in...
Estate Planning with a Roth IRA
When choosing the right retirement plan, many people consider Roth IRAs because they provide a lot of tax benefits. However, what’s not often is known is that Roth IRAs are also excellent tools to help families avoid probate. Before we get into the probate benefits of...
Tampa Estate Planning Lawyer: Planning Your Estate Means Answering These Questions
What happens to you and your “stuff” if you should become incapacitated or pass away? Who is in charge of taking care of your finances in the event of an illness or accident that leaves you unable to take care of things yourself? Who is in charge of conveying your...
Estate Planning and Age-Gap Marriages: Special Considerations
While it’s common for married partners to not be the same age, it’s less common to have a significant age gap. A gap of ten years or more may mean that one spouse retires well before the other, or that the younger spouse only has minor children with the older spouse...
Brandon Estate Planning Lawyer: 6 Considerations When Choosing an Executor or Successor Trustee
The decision of who to appoint as your executor or trustee is a huge one, which is why it’s so important to make the right choice when creating your estate plan. Remember, this person will hold incredible responsibility for overseeing what becomes of your estate. You...
Estate Planning in Florida For Individuals Without Children
It’s a common misconception that estate planning is only important for people with adult or minor children. While parents do look to estate planning lawyers to name legal guardians who can raise minor kids if something happens to mom or dad and protect an inheritance...
Tampa Will And Trust Lawyer: How to Sell Property That’s in a Revocable Living Trust
As a Tampa will and trust lawyer, I’m often asked what the process looks like to sell a house if it’s moved into a Revocable Living Trust. People worry that they will need to ask permission from someone to sell their home, or that it will be difficult to put the house...
What to Do If the Bank Says Your Power of Attorney is “Too Old” | Brandon Estate Planning Lawyer
Lending institutions and brokerage firms continue to tighten up their policies regarding the types of power of attorney documents that they will or will not take. We frequently receive calls from people who are standing at the bank trying to complete a transaction...
Brandon Estate Planning Lawyer on What to Do When Your Parent Needs Help Managing Money
What can I do to help my parent manage money? This is a question that, as a Brandon estate planning lawyer, I hear from adult children who are worried that their elderly parent can no longer handle their personal finances. Seniors often have financial difficulties...
Brandon Will and Trust Lawyer: 6 Steps to Starting Your Estate Plan
When it comes to creating an estate plan, most people procrastinate for understandable reasons. For starters, no one likes to think about their death or the possibility that they could become disabled or otherwise unable to care for themselves. On the financial side,...
Teachers and Coronavirus: 4 Estate Planning Documents to Have in Place
As colleges and schools attempt to restart in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, our Tampa will lawyers have been hearing from many teachers who want to learn more about putting an estate plan in place. Some have even told us that their Teacher’s Unions have...
Can I Change or Revoke a Power of Attorney? | Brandon Estate Planning Lawyer
A power of attorney, or POA, is a document that allows you to authorize another person to make decisions on your behalf. In this case, you are called the principal, the one granting authority. The person whom you grant authority to is called the agent or...