When Florida residents create an estate plan, many spend a lot of time choosing a personal representative. After all, they will play a pivotal role in ensuring you get the outcome you want after your passing. Because of that, your personal representative must be a...
Probate
Probate In 2020
The top of a decade can present an opportunity to reflect on years past and look forward to years ahead. For many, that can involve securing their legacy. Whether a person is 40 or 80, it is never too early to consider a will -- which means considering probate. ...
Florida’s rules for intestate succession
A random poll of Naples residents about the importance of accumulating assets in order to pass them on to their loved ones would likely reveal that most view such action as being important. However, the actions of many suggest that actually stipulating how such assets...
How can you choose an executor for your will?
In a solid will, Florida residents have to choose an executor. Forbes suggests that choosing an executor can be a difficult decision because there are many ways that an executor choice can go south. It may not be as simple as choosing your oldest friend or your close...
What are signs of undue influence?
When it comes to matters of the estate, Florida residents should be able to write down exactly what they wish to have happen with themselves and their assets after their passing. Unfortunately, some people take advantage of a person in their worst time to get what...
Have you taken steps to avoid probate?
You have done what you can to provide for your loved ones in Florida and elsewhere after you pass. While admirable, the state can drag its feet in distributing the contents of your estate to your beneficiaries, which is a process called probate. Know that you can...
Make sure your will and trust work together
At the Dickman Law Firm in Florida, our attorneys help our clients establish and update their estate plans. Should they have already made a Last Will and Testament prior to seeking our legal counsel, one of our most important functions is to make certain that their...
What does an executor do?
When you accept the position as executor of someone’s Florida last will and testament and therefore administrator of his or her estate, you likely will feel nervous, possibly even a little overwhelmed, thinking about all the things you may be called upon to do. This...
Would Aretha Franklin’s handwritten wills be legal in Florida?
Singer Aretha Franklin was highly respected in Florida for her chart-topping hits and her philanthropic work. After passing away in 2018, her feuding heirs said she died intestate. According to The New York Times, however, one of her attorneys claims he warned her to...
3 common probate myths
Probate is the legal process of administering the assets of an estate once the owner passes away. There are many misconceptions regarding probate and estate administration since it is something that many people do not want to think about. After all, most people do not...