Trusts & Estate Planning

How We Can Help

We help create your Trust 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 Trusts and 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

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What is an "Estate Plan"?

You don't need a mansion in Beverly Hills to need an Estate Plan.  Your greatest asset is your independence and autonomy.  An "Estate Plan" allows us to prepare a variety of documents to make sure the state or county doesn't step in to control your wishes during your lifetime and following your life.

Estate Planning is the planning of your estate for after your life. Your estate includes all of your money (savings, investments, etc.), your life insurance, your house, other real estate, your business, all of your personal property, and even your pets. By planning what you want to happen to these things before your death, you can guarantee that your life’s work will garner the respect it deserves after your death by having your wishes honored. Your estate plan will also protect you as you get older, making sure you are safe and taken care of. In addition to this, estate planning helps protect your children, family members, and pets amid a hard time, helping them avoid the stress of planning your estate after you are gone. Our team can help you achieve all that you want to with your legacy and to protect it.

 

What is a will?

I like to say a will is a "Dear Judge Letter." A will is not dispositive and must be administered in a process called Probate. Your Last Will and Testament describes how you wish your affairs to be handled and how your assets will be distributed following your death during the probate process.

What is a Trust?

I hear clients ask “Why do I Need a Trust” every day.  A Trust holds your money or property in a special way. It helps you avoid probate and keeps your plans private. It's a strong tool to help you and your family.

Take a look at my recent Article regarding What to Expect at an "Estate Plan Consultation"

What can our team do for you?

We develop your personalized plan using a variety of documents such as Wills, Trusts, Health Care Directives and Powers of Attorney to meet your individual needs and goals. We help develop the plan to best protects your assets and your family’s future; while maintaining family privacy and keeping control of your wishes.

We discuss what your values are, what your needs are and how your needs and the needs of your family can be protected and represented in your Estate Plan.

Our unique law firm experience is a 5-step proven process you will be 100% thrilled with.
Unlike other firms, we don't just sell documents, we deliver peace of mind. We communicate with you, listen to you, and we treat you with the same care and respect we'd want for our own family.

We have streamlined the estate plan process, so you can spend less time at your lawyer’s office
and more time living your life!

The JakobLegal Difference: 5-step process:

1. We Get to Know Eachother

You will be assigned a Client Coordinator who will immediately begin helping you to prepare for your appointment. You will chat with us about your goals, concerns, and your family. We will schedule your signing date so you'll know your goal is in sight.

2. Meet with your Attorney

At your attorney meeting, once our client agreement is signed, we will begin our promised attorney/customer service experience. We will curate the best plan to achieve your goals and ease your concerns at this comprehensive appointment.

3. Personalized Plan Developed

Our team will roll up their sleeves to begin your personalized and detailed plan design. It will be developed and tailored to your exact needs, and the appropriate documents will be drafted.

4. Signing Meeting

At the signing, we'll go over every detail and ensure you fully comprehend your plan. We simplify complex legal jargon, making it accessible to you and your family, so you don't need legal expertise to understand how it benefits you.

5. Life Happens:

We are all human and life has its unexpected twists and turns. Our promise to you is
we will help you along the way and be here for your family when you need it the most.

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

Links and Resources

Blended Families

By Andrea Jakob | February 14, 2023

Imagine that Mike Brady, in today’s world, sits at his desk to draft a will from an online resource. He wants to save some money, so the price looks reasonable. He leaves everything to his lovely wife, Carol, as he knows she will take care of his children. Later that year, Mike passes away. The following are potential problems he created.

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COUNTDOWN TO A STRESS-FREE 2023

By Andrea Jakob | December 9, 2022

We want to protect our lives, our autonomy, and our future to enjoy the years to come worry-free. Here are six ways to enjoy a stress-free 2023!  The countdown begins:

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Holiday Recommendations for Family Harmony

By Andrea Jakob | November 3, 2022

If your goal is family harmony, it could be a huge blunder to fail to consider the emotional ties children may have to their parent’s possessions.

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Planning for Your Digital Legacy

By Andrea Jakob | October 7, 2022

Instead of existing in photo albums and on videotapes and DVDs, most of our family photos and videos are now digital. Even if they lack commercial value, they certainly have sentimental value that you want to preserve for your family and friends. Social media accounts containing your photos and videos can also have value to your loved ones when you are gone.

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LLC Voting Rights: Who Has a Voice?

By Andrea Jakob | September 27, 2022

On average, 4 million new businesses are started each year in the United States. Many of those businesses are organized as limited liability companies (LLCs). Combining the benefits of a corporation and a partnership, an LLC protects its members’ personal assets from business liabilities, avoids double taxation, and provides flexibility regarding its operations, management, and…

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JakobLegal named best estate planning attorneys in Davie, Cooper City and Southwest Ranches

By jakoblegal | September 13, 2022
Jakob legal team

We are honored to be recognized in Our City Media’s Best of Davie magazine as the best estate planning attorneys in Davie, Cooper City and Southwest Ranches! See what they had to say about us below. “The Attorneys at Andrea L. Jakob, PA  have been helping clients and their families prepare for the future for…

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Digital Assets in the Digital Era

By Andrea Jakob | August 19, 2022
Adult using Computer

What happens to all of our accounts and files when we become incapacitated or pass away? Will our spouses and children have access to them? Where will they find our usernames and passwords? Who can take down our Facebook and LinkedIn pages, or would we prefer that they continue for posterity? And if we’ve saved photos, videos and other files on the cloud, who should have access to them and how long should they stay out there?

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What questions should you ask your Florida estate planning attorney in 2022?

By Andrea Jakob | August 8, 2022

Planning an estate may seem overwhelming or challenging, but doesn’t need to be. Estate planning is not just for after your life, but for during your life as well.  Estate plans include guidance to your families if you become sick or incapacitated, or even just traveling!  Whatever the case may be, using a state-licensed, knowledgeable…

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Are “Unequal Inheritances” inherently unfair?

By Andrea Jakob | June 20, 2022

Not all adult children are always treated equally upon their parent’s passing. Quite often I’m asked the question regarding the best way to leave children an unequal inheritance (unequal portions of an estate).  It isn’t always a question of an unequal inheritance; sometimes it is a question of what is fair. If you plan to…

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What Is A Personal Representative And How Should I Choose One?

By jakoblegal | May 31, 2022

If you’re working on your estate plan, one of the most important steps is determining who will be the Personal Representative (Executor) of your estate. It’s an important choice – maybe you’ve read stories of some Personal Representatives behaving badly and wish to avoid that. You don’t want to make a mistake that would cause…

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“Leave A Legacy, Not A Mess”

Emerald Publications – September, 2007