Estate Planning

Florida residents should routinely check on their estate plan to ensure that it meets their needs. Ideally, an individual will conduct a review every three years or so. Scheduling an estate plan review may be especially important in the aftermath of the new tax reform...

Creating estate plan documents may make it possible to exercise greater control over where assets go after passing on. Florida residents and others who fail to do so may have their assets distributed according to state law. Therefore, it is less likely that assets...

Florida residents may not be able to fulfill the goals of their estate plan if it is not fully thought out. In some cases, a married couple may create a plan assuming that one spouse will outlive the other. Plans may also assume that a healthy spouse will outlive one...

Many people living in Florida are diligent about estate planning. They've written wills, completed end-of-life planning and updated the beneficiaries on their insurance policies and investment accounts. However, there may be a group of assets that they've neglected to...

Floridians who have family members with disabilities may want to consider setting up special needs trusts for their benefit. These are specialized types of trusts that help to provide care for disabled people after their loved ones have died. Parents who have children...

People in Florida who are creating an estate plan might not think about beneficiary designations as part of that plan. Beneficiary designations are used with assets such as retirement accounts and life insurance policies to name an heir for those assets. One woman...

Some people in Florida might have encountered the term "legacy planning." Although it may sound daunting, it is just another way of thinking about estate planning. Looking at estate planning as leaving a legacy can help a person conceptualize the process as leaving...

People who have small estates in Florida might want to help their intended beneficiaries to avoid the probate process. It is possible for small estate owners to plan their estates in such a way that their assets may be transferred after their deaths outside of the...

Florida residents who are getting a divorce might want to ensure that they make any necessary changes to their estate plans. One couple had come to an agreement about keeping their individual retirement plans and splitting the excess. However, because they did not...

Some people in Florida may think they do not need a will because they have few assets or no dependents. However, even if all a person has is a checking account, a relative may still have to go to probate court with proof the relationship in order to be appointed...