South Florida Estate Planning News
Recent Posts and Articles
Have a Harmonious Family that Does Not Fight? You Still Need an Estate Plan
In many families, everyone gets along, happily gathering for the holidays, sharing laughs, telling stories, and enjoying each other’s company. Then, the matriarch or patriarch dies. Suddenly, years of pent-up resentment and hurt feelings surface, and the once-happy family is now embroiled in litigation over the head of the family’s…
What Type of Trust Do I Need?
Not Only for the Rich and Famous The term estate may bring to mind mansions, vast fortunes, and a level of wealth that many people do not possess. This misconception may lead to the false impression that estate planning is only for the rich and famous, discouraging those with more…
A Guide for Trust Beneficiaries
Often, trust beneficiaries are confused about how and when they receive their funds. They may not know what they are entitled to or how to ask the trustee for money. The terms “discretion” and “HEMS” are used frequently, but misunderstood by many. Discretion means the trustee has the power to…
Beneficiary and Transfer-on-Death Designations
Do you know which of your accounts have beneficiary designations, sometimes called transfer-on-death (TOD) or payable-on-death (POD) designations? Have you updated them recently? Are you aware of what can go wrong if there are issues with your beneficiary designation forms? If you answered “no” to any of these questions, read…
Spring Clean your Estate Plan: Use a Human, Not AI
As spring blossoms, it’s a perfect time to refresh and renew various aspects of your life, including your estate plan. You might be curious about using artificial intelligence (AI) or platforms such as Legal Zoom, Rocket Lawyer, Estate Plan templates or similar online services to write your plan. While “DIY…
Caution: Your Traditional Asset Protection Plan May Fail
You might be surprised to learn that asset protection planning has been around for a long time, and you’ve likely already engaged in it. In fact, you probably have one or more traditional asset protection plans in place. However, these plans may not be enough to fully protect you and…
The Trust Protection Myth
Many people believe that once they set up a revocable living trust and change the ownership of their accounts and property from themselves as individuals to their trust, those accounts and property are protected from lawsuits. This is not true. While trusts commonly protect a beneficiary’s inheritance, few trusts protect…
Women’s History Month
I am so proud to be recognized alongside other incredible women for Women’s History Month! What an honor! https://ourcitymedia.com/exceptional-women-of-broward-andrea-jakob/
3 Asset Protection Tips You Can Use Now
A common misconception is that only wealthy individuals and people in high-risk professions, such as doctors or lawyers, need an asset protection plan. However, anyone can be sued. A car accident, foreclosure, unpaid medical bills, or an injured tenant can result in a monetary judgment that could crush your finances.…
Do Your Frequent Flier Miles Expire When You Do?
Having just returned from a conference on the west coast, I had plenty of time and gave a lot of thought to all of my accumulated frequent flier miles. As an estate planning attorney, I decided to investigate airlines current policies as to what happens to those miles after someone…
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