A revocable trust works only as well as the person managing it. Most people assume their chosen successor trustee will step in smoothly when needed. But sometimes the trustee freezes, disappears, or doesn’t understand what the role demands. When that...
Most families don’t anticipate conflict over an estate, especially when everyone thinks they know what the decedent wanted. But small informal choices, such as verbal promises, quick notes, or comments made at family gatherings, can cause real trouble later. Memories...
A revocable living trust does more than keep your family out of probate. It can also keep your financial life running if you suffer a stroke, develop dementia, or simply reach a point where paying bills and tracking accounts is...
Many Floridians split the year between a home here and a place up north. It feels like the best of both worlds until you start thinking about what happens to those homes, accounts, and cars if you pass away. The...
A revocable living trust is often touted as a way to avoid probate and maintain privacy. By transferring assets into the trust during your lifetime, those assets can pass to beneficiaries without court supervision. This can save time and costs...
In Florida, parents are the natural guardians for their children during their minority. Just being a natural guardian does not apply to every situation. If both parents die or have lost their capacity, a court will appoint a guardian. In...
After the SECURE Act and SECURE 2.0, the rules for inheriting retirement accounts changed, especially when a revocable trust is named as the beneficiary. Most non-spouse heirs now face a 10-year payout limit, and if the trust isn’t structured correctly,...
Many married couples in Florida hold assets as tenancy by the entirety (TBE) because it offers strong protection: A creditor of only one spouse can’t touch the asset. However, that protection can disappear when the couple moves the property into...
It’s not easy to picture a time when you can’t make your own financial decisions. Yet, in Florida, that reality can come without warning, whether from an accident, sudden illness, or the gradual effects of conditions like dementia. When that...
When you remarry in Florida, your estate plan changes, whether you update it or not. The law steps in automatically if you don’t, and in blended families, that can mean your spouse gets more than you expected or your kids...
