If you are a beneficiary of a trust, it means that you have an interest in the assets held by the trust. It also means that the Trustee is required to communicate with you about trust business from time to time. As part of that obligation, the Trustee may send you a “Crummey Notice.” The Port St. Lucie trust lawyers at Kulas Law Group explain what a Crummey Notice is and what you should do if you … [Read more...] about What Should I Do If I Receive a Crummey Notice?

Trusts are a common addition to a well-rounded estate plan, due in large part to the fact that a trust can help accomplish a wide range of estate planning goals. If you plan to include a trust in your estate plan, you may be wondering if that trust can be contested like a Will can. To help answer that question, a Vero Beach trust attorney at Kulas Law Group discusses whether you can contest a … [Read more...] about Can a Trust Be Contested?

Tax avoidance should be one of the most important components of an estate plan for anyone with a moderate to large estate given that all estates are subject to federal gift and estate taxation upon the death of the taxpayer. Your estate will go through the legal process known as probate shortly after your death. During the probate process, your estate assets will be inventoried and valued. If the … [Read more...] about Is a Grantor Retained Income Trust Right for You?

Your Last Will and Testament may be the most important legal document you create over the course of your lifetime.  Your Will has the power to distribute all your assets when you are gone, determine who oversees the probate of your estate, and even let a judge know who you want to be the Guardian for your minor child if one is ever needed. Given everything your Will can do for you, it is important … [Read more...] about Mistakes to Avoid When Creating a Will

Surprises following the death of a loved one are not typically welcome – particularly if the surprise relates to the decedent’s Last Will and Testament. For example, if the decedent attempted to make a deathbed Will just prior to his/her death, is that Will legal? A Port St. Lucie probate attorney at Kulas Law Group discusses whether a deathbed Will is valid in Florida. Is a Deathbed Will Exactly … [Read more...] about Is a Deathbed Will Valid in Florida?

When you initially sit down to create an estate plan, a Last Will and Testament may be all you need to ensure that you don’t leave behind an intestate estate in the event of your death. A Will can distribute your entire estate; however, as your estate and your family both expand, you may find that a Will is no longer sufficient to meet all your estate planning needs. At that point, you may decide … [Read more...] about What Is a Family Wealth Trust?

Grandparents have the best of all worlds. They get to enjoy spending time with their grandchildren without all the responsibilities of caring for them day to day. If you are a grandparent, however, you may choose to contribute financially to your grandchildren’s care while you are alive. You may also want to make gifts to your grandchildren in your estate plan. The Vero Beach living trusts … [Read more...] about Why You Might Want to Use a Living Trust to Make Gifts to Your Grandchildren

For most people, a Last Will and Testament serves as their entire initial estate plan. Over time, however, the need for a more comprehensive plan arises as assets increase in value and the need to protect a family becomes important. At that point, additional estate planning tools are usually incorporated into an estate plan. One of the most common of those tools is a trust, due in large part to … [Read more...] about Steps Involved in Creating a Trust

Creating a successful, and comprehensive, estate plan requires you to do more than simply focus on to whom you wish to gift your estate assets. You will also need to consider how and when those assets are distributed. For many people, avoiding probate is also an important estate planning goal. If you hope to steer clear of probate, the living trust attorneys explain how a trust can help your … [Read more...] about Vero Beach Living Trust Attorneys Steer Clear of Probate

Most people execute a Last Will and Testament as their first estate planning document. A simple Will is fine for a very basic estate plan; however, as your estate and your family grow, you will likely need to grow your estate plan as well. In fact, you may decide that a trust works better than a Will as your primary tool for distributing your estate assets. The trust lawyers at Kulas Law Group … [Read more...] about Trust Lawyers Explain Why a Trust May Be Better Than a Will