Category Archives: Wills
Why Not Writing a Will Makes Probate More Difficult
If you have been working with a financial planner, or even if you have just been researching their websites as an early stage of your New Year’s resolution to start working with one, you have probably found a lot of information about how to keep certain assets from becoming part of your estate. Financial… Read More »
If Your Child’s Special Needs Trust and Related Estate Planning Is Not Done Properly, It Could Spell Disaster for Your Family
If you are a parent of a disabled child, setting up a special needs trust takes very careful planning and experience from the estate planning legal team setting it up for you. The attorney(s) that you work with should know about all of the various charitable nonprofit programs – as well as local federal… Read More »
What Won’t a Will Do for You?
Wills are among the simplest estate planning tools and are excellent for addressing a variety of estate planning needs. However, it’s important to realize they will not address all of your estate planning needs. Here are some tasks a will does not accomplish: Leaving certain kinds of property. In most situations, you are not… Read More »
Tips for Storing Your Will
A common problem encountered by estate executors is actually finding the estate planning documents they need to carry out a deceased person’s last wishes. Fortunately, with a little bit of planning on your end, this is an easy problem to avoid for your loved ones. The following are some tips for storing your will… Read More »
The Pros and Cons of Using Online Tools to Create Wills
People are using the Internet to do more than ever today, and there is now the option to create wills and other estate planning documents online. But is this a legitimate option for people looking to truly ensure the security of their documents? The following are a few of the pros and cons to… Read More »
When and How to Revoke a Will
If you wish to revoke a will and write a new one, there are several ways you can officially abandon the old document. You can tear it up, burn it or destroy it in any other manner — or you could simply void the will by adding an attachment noting that it is invalid…. Read More »
Are Oral Wills Valid?
An oral will is a one that has been spoken out loud to another person, but not written down. These wills are only valid in limited circumstances, such as if a person has suddenly become ill and is unable to create a written will before passing away. Witnesses who heard the deceased person state… Read More »
Why it’s Important to Make Sure Wills and Trusts are Updated
At some point, your estate plan is going to become outdated. This will likely happen when your children become grown, your financial condition changes or when you reach retirement. When your own personal situation changes, it’s important to make sure you make the corresponding changes in your estate plan, as well. The following are… Read More »
When to Update Your Will
By regularly reviewing your will and ensuring it is properly updated, you lessen the risk of an inheritance dispute occurring over your estate. Here are some events that warrant a possible update of your estate planning documents: The changing family scene If new children or grandchildren are born or adopted, or if a child… Read More »
Avoiding Probate
When you pass away, your property generally passes either to the beneficiaries you have named in your will, or under Florida’s intestacy rules, if there is no will. The process of distributing a deceased person’s estate is called probate and it can be time-consuming and costly. There are ways to avoid the probate process… Read More »