Only 44% of Americans have even a simple Will. We procrastinate for several reasons. Learn those reasons and how to push past them. Learn, briefly, why planning is important. Estate Planning is Too Important to Procrastinate … [Read more...]
Why Your Estate Plan Will Include a Will and a Living Trust
Sometimes people ask estate planning attorneys questions about wills or living trusts that reflect common misunderstanding of what these two tools are designed to do. When you and your estate planning lawyer create an estate plan, you will decide on some specific elements to include that will allow you to address each of your needs. Depending on your particular circumstances, the tools you decide … [Read more...]
DIY Will Problematic for Woman’s Estate
We’ve written about the potential dangers of using DIY estate planning tools in the past, but a new story once again highlights the issue. While there is nothing fundamentally unsound about creating your own estate planning tools, you should only do so with the advice and guidance of an experienced estate planning lawyer. Even if your goal is to save money, creating a tool using DIY products can … [Read more...]
Florida Law and Unmarried Domestic Partners: Part 3 of 3
In the last two blogs, we covered the lack of legal rights that unmarried cohabitants have in Florida, including the rights to receive probate assets at one partner’s death without a legally binding will. The lack of probate rights extends to children of your domestic partner, even if you raised them together. A child of two domestic partners may have legal rights to inherit property if you … [Read more...]
Florida Law and Unmarried Domestic Partners: Part 1 of 3
In several states, state legislatures enacted laws allowing same-sex partners and opposite-sex domestic partners to register their partnerships and receive some legal rights and protections. In Florida, the Legislature does not recognize domestic partnerships between unmarried same-sex and opposite-sex residents. Thus, if you live in Florida, your unmarried domestic partner will not receive any … [Read more...]
The Biggest Estate Planning Myth of All: The Reading of Your Will
It's amazing how wrong movies, books, and television shows can get it when it comes to the law. While most of the mistakes or misconceptions people have about the law come from entertainment or rumor, they sometimes have a basis in reality. One of these popular misconceptions is the notion that after you die your lawyer will read the terms of your Will out loud to your family, friends, or … [Read more...]
Your Will After Your Move
The prospect of picking up and moving across the country is daunting enough, but what happens if you’ve made an estate plan in one state and are moving to a new one? Will your estate planning documents still be good? In most cases you can still use an estate plan from another state once you move to a new state. However, when it comes to your last will and testament, there are some considerations … [Read more...]
James Gandolfini, Michael Jackson, and Learning From Celebrity Estate Planning Mistakes
In June, actor James Gandolfini died in Italy while on vacation with his family. The actor was best known for his role as Tony Soprano in the HBO show “The Sopranos.” His success as an actor allowed him to leave behind a sizable estate, worth an estimated $70 million or more. Unfortunately, though Mr. Gandolfini had created an estate plan, he also apparently made some serious estate planning … [Read more...]
Wills From Walmart?
While it may not be an option now, Walmart stores across the country might one day offer customers the chance to buy a quickly made will, or receive other low cost or simple legal services. Last year, several Walmart stores in the Toronto, Canada area began offering basic legal services to customers through a partnership with a Canadian law firm. The law firm leased space from the Walmart stores … [Read more...]
Practical Last Will Tip Sheet
When you first meet with an estate planning lawyer in Florida, you and your attorney will likely talk about creating a last will and testament. Wills are essential pieces of every estate plan, and give you some significant benefits. While your lawyer will give you detailed advice on what you need to do to create your will and the types of choices you will need to make when you do so, here are … [Read more...]
