Trusts and Your Estate Plan
How We Can Help
We help create your Wills, Trusts and and comprehensive Estate Planning solutions tailored to your specific needs and goals. Our dedicated team is here to support you in developing personalized Living Wills, Powers of Attorney, Health Care Directives, and robust Estate Plans.
You're Unique, So Your Plan Should Be Too.
We listen carefully to what you need. We work closely with you to create a strategy that effectively protects your assets and ensures the future well-being of your family. With our guidance, we can help you develop and maintain family privacy and fulfillment of your your wishes.
Protecting Your Family And Your Future
What is a Trust?
A Trust holds your money or property in a special way. It helps you avoid probate and keeps your plan private. It's a strong tool to help you and your family.
Effective Trusts & Estate Planning Services
A trust may offer you a variety of advantages, such as:
- Avoiding Probate
- Protecting Adult Children from their Potential Mistakes
- Minimizing or Avoiding Tax Consequences
- Keeping Financial Information Private
- Setting Money Aside for Your Children and Grand Children
- Setting Aside Money for Potential Disability or Long-Term Care
- Assisting with Supplemental Needs or Special Needs
- Obtaining Medicaid for yourself or a loved one
Types Of Trusts
- Revocable Living Trust
- Living Trust
- Joint Trust
- Spendthrift Trust
- Irrevocable Trust
- Medicaid Trust
- Land Trust
- Testamentary Trust
Are Estate Plans Necessary For Everybody?
Links and Resources
Our friend John has a job at Publix. He has a good job, a comfortable salary, and a nice home. However, John has never thought about what would happen if he lost his job or became ill or injured. One day, John is involved in a car accident and is unable to work for several…
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When starting a new marriage, there is much to think about: communication, living conditions, holiday plans, financial stability, and the wedding itself. However, something often overlooked by new spouses is the importance of creating an estate plan. It can be hard to think about what would happen if your spouse became ill, incapacitated, or worse, but an estate plan can ease those difficult times. An estate plan typically includes a will or trust, but the most important documents for a new couple are Health Care Directives and Powers of Attorney.
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Here are key lessons from the Lenos’ experience: 1. Spouses Can’t Automatically Step In: Many believe that being married means their spouse can automatically manage their finances or healthcare decisions if they become incapacitated. This isn’t true. After turning 18, no one, not even a spouse, can manage these affairs without prior consent (through estate planning documents) or court involvement.
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Although television and movies are entertaining with their conflicts and cliffhangers, Real-life estate administration is less dramatic than Hollywood would have you believe
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While finding the time during our busy lives may be challenging, having a well-thought-out and carefully drafted plan to protect our children is essential! Trusts offer a unique opportunity to leave a lasting impact on our children’s lives.
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Today, it is common for adults to be in long-term committed relationships but be unmarried. If you have a life partner and are unmarried, it is imperative that you have an estate plan if you want your partner to receive your money or property at your death or if you want them to make financial or medical decisions on your behalf if you are alive but unable to make your own decisions. If you rely on your state’s laws, an unmarried partner will likely receive nothing at your death and will have no authority to make decisions on your behalf.
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Ask yourself:
● How well do I understand options to protect my money, property, family, or business if I have a medical emergency, a short- or long-term incapacity, or after death?
● What is my financial situation regarding property, income, or debt?
● Is my family structure complicated?
● Am I undecided about my wishes (how to divide my money and property, when to distribute it, or what to include in an advanced directive)?
● Will my family get along if my will is unclear?
● Will someone inherit before they understand the value of their inheritance?
● What if your adult child is on the brink of divorce, will the soon-to-be ex-spouse receive anything from an inheritance?
Do I want a will or a trust? If you die without a will it is known as dying intestate. While many believe that their close family members “know what they want”, it doesn’t necessarily go your way without a valid will. Instead, their money and property are distributed according to Florida’s intestate succession laws, during a Probate action.
But even if someone is fine with the state-imposed inheritance laws, a beneficiary will be required to go through the expensive and long process called “Probate.”.
The law can only assume what you would want, but it may cause your wishes to go haywire. For instance, imagine you have been in a relationship without a formal marriage certificate for many years and love your partner dearly. If you pass without a will, that partner may not inherit according to intestacy laws.
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Your car may be one of the most valuable assets you own, but what will happen if you pass away during the lease term or before the car is paid off?
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Many folks think that the person who looks after your children must be the same person who handles their inheritance. But that’s a myth! You can pick a loving, caring guardian for your children and choose someone else entirely to manage the money side of things.
Read More“Leave A Legacy, Not A Mess”
Emerald Publications – September, 2007
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