The estate plan you create today will have a dramatic impact on both you and your loved ones. A well thought out estate plan, after all, should provide protection for not just your estate assets, but for your family as well. The estate planning attorneys and staff at Kulas & Crawford understand how important creating your first estate plan is to you which is why our estate planning attorneys are committed to providing our friends and neighbors in the Okeechobee, Florida community with all the assistance necessary to create a successful, and comprehensive, estate plan.
Okeechobee, Florida
Located north of Miami but south of Orlando, Okeechobee is the county seat for Okeechobee County, Florida. Both the city and county were named for Lake Okeechobee, which got its name from the indigenous Hitchiti tribe’s words oka (water) and chobi (big). As was true of most of inland Florida, the area now known as Okeechobee remained relatively unimproved until the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Okeechobee County was not incorporated, in fact, until 1917. Not long after, the Lake Okeechobee area was the site of the worst effects of the 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane, the first recorded Category 5 hurricane in the North Atlantic and still one of the deadliest hurricanes ever to strike the United States. As of the 2010 Census, Okeechobee has approximately 5,700 year-around residents. Residents and visitors alike enjoy the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, part of the Florida National Scenic Trail, that runs along the Herbert Hoover Dike around the lake. Long before the City of Okeechobee was officially recognized, on Christmas Day 1837, Lake Okeechobee became the site of an important battle in the Second Seminole War which was fought between a number of Seminole Native American groups, the United States government, and allied militias. The battlefield is now the site of a 145-acre park where visitors can watch annual reenactments of the battle. In 2016, the first ever Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival was held. This multi-day, multi-genre music festival attracted approximately 30,000 people to the city in its first year with plans to be an annual event.
Kulas & Crawford in the Okeechobee, Florida Community
Given the important, and often sensitive, nature of estate planning, choosing the right attorney to assist you can be a difficult task. At Kulas & Crawford, we are dedicated to helping our friends and neighbors, people just like you, in the Okeechobee, Florida community with the creation of their estate plan. We strive to develop an ongoing relationship with each client we serve, thereby assuring that your estate plan reflects your wishes and achieves all your estate planning goals now and in the future.
The process of creating an estate plan is never truly finished because the plan you create today will not meet your needs in the future. Consequently, estate planning should be an ongoing process that takes into account the growth of both your estate and your family. Your initial estate plan may consist of nothing more than a simple Last Will and Testament aimed at ensuring that you do not leave behind an intestate estate. If you marry and/or become a parent, your plan will need to be revised to ensure that your spouse and/or children are provided for in the event that something happens to you. You may decide to create a trust to protect your minor child’s inheritance, for example. Incapacity planning will also become essential. As the value of your estate grows, you may need to consider adding asset protection strategies into your plan. As you approach your retirement years, you will want to incorporate your retirement plans into your estate plan and add Medicaid planning to your comprehensive estate plan to ensure that you can live comfortably during your “Golden Years.” Finally, funeral and burial planning as well as advance directives should be considered to ensure that your wishes are honored with regard to end of life medical treatment and the handling of your remains after you are gone. At Kulas & Crawford, we would be honored to be with you throughout your life’s journey to help ensure that your estate planning needs, wishes, and objectives are fulfilled.
Contact Us
For more information, or if you have specific questions or concerns regarding estate planning, or wish to get started on your plan, contact the experienced Okeechobee, Florida estate planning attorneys at Kulas & Crawford by calling (772) 398-0720 to schedule an appointment.
