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...
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...
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...
Probate and creating an estate plan
Some Florida residents who are planning for the future of their assets might want to avoid having their estates go through probate. One way to do this is by making heirs the co-owners of assets. However, the disadvantage here is that the co-owner also has access to...
IRS files a claim against Aretha Franklin’s estate
Florida residents may remember that Aretha Franklin passed away in August 2018 from cancer. According to the IRS, her estate owes over $6.3 million in unpaid income taxes from 2012 to 2018. The organization is one of many interested parties listed in documents that...
Tools available to avoid probate
Florida residents have many different options as it relates to transferring assets. Assets that are in the name of the deceased person only will have to go through probate unless other arrangements are made. For example, a beneficiary designation could be made on a...
Preparing an estate plan for the death of both spouses
Following the death of George H.W. Bush just a few months after his wife's death, some Florida couples may have wondered how their estate plans would be affected if one died shortly after the after. Sometimes called "broken-heart syndrome," this is not an unusual...