What is Florida’s Elective Share Rule?
When you are trying to handle the death of a loved one, trying to figure out the legal issues related to wills, estates, and other financial issues can be challenging, especially when it comes t the elective share rule. The Florida probate lawyers of Kramer, Green, Zuckerman, Greene & Buchsbaum P.A. can answer your questions […]
Choosing a Guardian for Your Minor Children
If you have minor children, your will should name a guardian to care for them in the event of your death. Although a court will need to appoint the guardian, most courts will follow your wishes. If your children’s other parent survives you, he or she will usually have the right to raise the children […]
6 Elements of Your Estate Plan that You Should Review Regularly
If you already have an estate plan, you have taken an important step toward getting your affairs in order and protecting your family. However, your work is not done. An effective estate plan requires you to make changes as your needs and those of your family change over time. As a result, you should periodically […]
Providing for Your Minor Children
If you are a parent of minor children, one of your estate planning priorities may be to leave an inheritance for the children. Leaving an inheritance directly to a minor creates a problem. Minors cannot own more than a few thousand dollars worth of property outright. Larger amounts must be under adult management. If your […]
How a Revocable Living Trust Works
A revocable living trust is a trust that you create to hold your property while you are alive and to distribute it among your beneficiaries on your death. The three main reasons for using a living trust (rather than a will) as the central feature of your estate plan are to (1) avoid probate, (2) […]
Use of Trusts in Estate Planning
A trust is created when a property owner (the settlor) transfers legal title of assets to a person (the trustee) who has the duty to hold and manage the assets for the benefit of one or more persons (the beneficiaries). The property transferred into the trust is known as the trust principal, trust estate, or […]
How You Can Avoid Probate
An estate planning attorney can help you weigh the pros and cons of probate and give you an idea of the probate costs and time frames in your jurisdiction. If you decide you want to avoid probate, here are the principal ways to do it: 1. Create a revocable living trust (RLT) and transfer your […]
Choosing an Agent for your Health Care DPOA
Your health care DPOA agent will be empowered to make health care decisions for you when you are not able to make your own decisions. In deciding whom to choose, you may want to consider the following: Are you comfortable discussing your wishes for medical care and end of life treatment with this person? […]
Can You Prepare Your Own Estate Plan?
The prevalence of do-it-yourself options for drafting estate planning documents leads many people to wonder whether they can prepare their own estate plans. For all but the simplest estates, however, writing your own estate plan is not a good idea. Estate planning is not a one size fits all model. These do-it-yourself forms, whether found […]
Everyone Needs a Will
Every adult should have a will. If you die without a will, state intestacy law will likely determine who inherits your property. These rules are exactly the same for everybody, regardless of his or her circumstances. What Happens When You Don’t Have a Will When you die without a will, Florida law in essence writes […]