Blog: Estate Planning
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...
Tampa Estate Planning Attorneys: 5 Situations When You Should Update Your Living Trust
Most Tampa estate planning attorneys recommend that their clients re-evaluate their plans every few years. Part of that review should include taking a look at your Revocable Living Trust to ensure it's up-to-date. However, in between these regular review periods, you...
Brandon Will Lawyer: What to Know Before Setting Up a Life Estate
A life estate is a form of ownership of real property. Essentially, it gives someone the right to occupy and enjoy the full use of a property until the life tenant’s death. Creating a life estate is a strategy commonly used by seniors who wish to retain their rights...
Tampa Will and Estate Lawyer Answers, “Will My Old Estate Planning Documents Still Work if I Get COVID-19?”
Florida appears to be experiencing an early “second wave” or, at the very least, an uptick in coronavirus cases. We’ve been hearing from countless Tampa-area residents who have questions about their estate plans, and specifically whether any older documents they...
Tampa Probate Lawyer Answers, “Can I Assume or Take Over Someone’s Mortgage When They Die?”
Most people have mortgages on their homes, and loved ones are often surprised that a mortgage doesn’t magically disappear when the property owner passes away. We often hear from heirs who want to know what their options are for dealing with an outstanding mortgage as...
Tips for Managing an Out-of-State Probate Due to COVID-19 | Hillsborough County Probate Lawyers
Florida is unique in that many of our residents split their time between our state and other parts of the country during the warmer months. As such, “snowbirds” (or even their families), may find themselves dealing with an exceptionally challenging problem during the...
Avoiding Probate with Joint Accounts and Beneficiaries | Tampa Estate Planning Lawyer
A common concern for people who meet with a Tampa estate planning lawyer for the first time is the desire to avoid probate. Perhaps they’ve been through the process after the loss of a loved one and they now want to take steps to help their own family avoid the legal...
Parents: Beware of DIY Estate Planning Tools If Your Child Has Special Needs!
Parents of kids with special needs want the peace of mind knowing that if anything happens to mom or dad, a guardian of their choosing will care for their child and that there will be enough money left behind to provide such care for the remainder of the child’s life....
Will My Out-of-State Power of Attorney and Healthcare Directive Work If I’m Stuck in Florida on Quarantine?
Shutdowns and quarantines related to the COVID-19 crisis happened so rapidly in our country that many snowbirds who came to Florida over the winter have found themselves unable to return freely to their primary residence. This is especially true for those who live in...
Thinking of Leaving the Family Business Control to One Child?
Normally, business owners will plan to leave their family business to, none other than, their children. But if you have more than one child, the common challenge that you have to deal with is how to divide business shares. It’s possible that if you divide the business...
COVID Pandemic Preparation: 5 Estate Planning Essentials for Every Adult | Tampa Will Lawyer
With the number of COVID-19 cases in America increasing exponentially, people across the country are preparing themselves for every possible scenario. As a result, many estate planning attorneys are being inundated with calls and emails about how to plan for this type...
Inheriting Digital Property: Websites, Social Media, Etc. | Tampa Will and Trust Attorney
Who owns your music, your books, and even your website when you pass on? These things are digital property, and much digital property is still considered personal property. Personal property makes up one’s personal estate. Your heirs can inherit some of these things...