by Laurie Ohall | Feb 3, 2011 | End of Life Issues, Estate Planning, Living Will, Probate
A will in Florida is a writing, signed by the decedent and two witnesses, that meets the requirements of Florida law. Additionally, to save your estate costs at your death, the Will should have a “self-proving affidavit” where both the decedent and the witnesses sign...
by Laurie Ohall | Jan 17, 2011 | Estate Planning, Probate
What is probate? Probate in Florida is a court-supervised process where assets of a deceased person (the decedent) are identified and gathered by the personal representative/executor (means the same thing). Essentially, the personal representative pays the decedent’s...
by Laurie Ohall | Jan 11, 2011 | Estate Planning, Probate
Durable Power of Attorney: can it be used after death? I had a client call me last month after her mother passed away. She wanted to know why she couldn’t use the Florida durable power of attorney (DPOA) she had for her mother to close out a bank...
by Laurie Ohall | Jan 5, 2011 | Estate Planning
If you are a teacher, student or someone who itemizes on their tax return, don’t plan on filing your tax return early. Because Congress waited so long in passing the Tax Relief Act of 2010, the Internal Revenue Service will be not be begin processing some tax returns...
by Laurie Ohall | Dec 29, 2010 | Estate Planning, Probate, Senior Lifestyles
On December 17, 2010, President Obama signed into law the 2010 Tax Relief Act which has provisions dealing with income tax, estate tax and unemployment insurance provisions. What is important about this new law is that it is a temporary measure and, for the most...
by Laurie Ohall | Dec 27, 2010 | Elder Law, Estate Planning, Long Term Care Planning, Medicaid, Senior Lifestyles
Recently a reporter asked ElderLawAnswers founder and president, Harry S. Margolis, some questions for an article on talking with aging parents or other family members about sensitive issues such as wills, funeral arrangements, assisted living or medical treatment...
