What happens to Your Pets When you Pass Away? In addition to the human members of one’s families, many individuals also have animal members of their family. Because pets are so important to many families, it is often appropriate to make provision in one’s will or trust for one’s pets.…
Understanding Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Under Florida Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act Social networking, e-mail, and digital platforms are here to stay; unfortunately, we are not. Internet users must plan for the management and disposition of their assets in similar ways that they make plans for tangible property.…
Probating the Estate of a Missing Person Even more excruciating than the death of a beloved person is arguably the uncertainty when the beloved person goes missing and his or her body is never recovered. Florida laws contain rules that allow the surviving family members to complete the mourning process,…
What is my Deadline to Contest a Will in Florida? Surprisingly, as astounding 55% of adults in the United States do not have a Will or any other sort of estate plan in place. While planning one’s estate certainly makes matters easier for loved ones after death, problems can arise…
Florida Anti-Lapse Statute When preparing a Will, it is assumed that the beneficiaries that you name will outlive you. If you expect someone to die before you, it would not make sense to leave any of your wealth and assets behind for them. However, unexpected things happen. Unfortunately, testator’s live…
Guardianship – What is it? Answer: A court intervention to safeguard the property and personal care of an individual unable to make such decisions themselves. A person under guardianship becomes a ward of the court. State law establishes the process for determining an adult’s need for guardianship, which involves a…
What is Elder financial Exploitation? The Florida Department of Elder Affairs defines elder financial exploitation as “the illegal or improper use of another individual’s resources for personal profit or gain.” This exploitation takes on many forms involving deception and/or coercion, including the improper use of a power of attorney. What…
FLORIDA CHARITABLE TRUSTS: ALTERNATIVE BENEFICIARIES AND CY PRES DOCTRINE Due to applicable tax exemptions and tax deductions, charitable trusts are a great tool for preserving the value of your property intended for charitable purposes and for reducing taxes payable by your remaining estate (intended for purposes other than charitable ones).…
FLORIDA SUPREME COURT ADOPTS “ATTORNEY-FIDUCIARY PRIVILEGE” RULE The attorney-client privilege is one of the oldest legal concepts and the backbone of providing effective legal services. It keeps the communication between an attorney and her client secret and protects it from disclosure, with some exceptions, even when other rules compel disclosure.…
ESTATE PLANNING: CRYPTO CURRENCIES AND DIGITAL ASSETS Although we all unquestionably live in a digital age at least for the past two decades and the legislatures are adopting new laws every day to reflect this reality, digital estate planning remains one of the areas where relying on state-made laws might…