Florida Estate Planning Lawyer Blog

Joseph Percope has written an article The Impact of Co-ownership on Florida Homestead in the Florida Bar Journal that discusses the tree kinds of homesteads defined in a 1997 Florida Supreme Court case: The tax exemption; The Protection from Creditors; and The restrictions on alienation of homestead property in Florida.

While most are primarily concerned with their tax breaks, as a Florida Estate Planning Lawyer we often deal with the second two more often in our planning. We see families attempting to avoid probate by adding kids on to deeds all the time. We also see parents who own part of their children's homes. The problem begins when in either of these situations one or more of the owners does not live in the home. The home or at the ownership of the person not living in the home is subject to the claims of their creditors.

When no ownership percentage is specified, Florida will apply equal percentages of ownership to each person named on the deed. If a single person adds their child onto their deed as joint tenants with rights of survivorship, 50 percent of the equity in the home will be exposed to the creditors of the child who is not living in the home.

Once a creditor takes an ownership in the home, it is possible to force the sale of the home.

While these types of deeds are rarely a good idea because of the tax and basis considerations, many have not considered the additional risk due to the creditors of co-owners who do not live in the home or qualify for the second type of homestead (the constitutional protection from creditors)

The same scenario applies to those who try to use a traditional life estate deed to avoid probate. ( a Florida Enhanced Life Estate Deed does not have many of the problems that a traditional life estate does.

If you are trying to avoid probate in Florida and would like to also have protection for your homestead from creditors, not have adverse tax consequences, not lose stepped up basis, and/or not create a disqualifying transfer of assets for Medicaid purposes, you should contact a Florida Estate Planning Lawyer to discuss how to protect your homestead and the options available that deal with your circumstances and goals.
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Florida statutes define probate assets as those assets subject to a probate administration. There are several types of Probate in Florida which are discussed in our Free Florida Probate Handbook that you can request.

Often it is easier to define which assets are not subject to probate.
In Florida any asset with a surviving joint owner, valid payable on death designation, or contract clause which defines what happens to the asset upon death are not subject to probate. Often these include life insurance policies, annuities contract or retirement account with a transfer on death clause, jointly owned bank accounts, real estate with and valid beneficiary designation clause. One of the most common items that is not subject to probate is a Florida homestead. While a homestead is not devised through probate typically, title companies will often require it to be dealt with in a Florida probate to issue title insurance. The good news is unless you messed up your will or other documents, a Florida Homestead will not be subject to the claims of your creditors or the creditors of your beneficiaries if it is their homestead.

a Florida Probate can be expensive so it is wise to review your estate plan with a Jacksonville Estate Planning Lawyer to see if any of your assets will be subject to a Florida Probate and if a probate in Florida can be avoided.

A Florida Asset Protection Lawyer is of most use when you do not have any potential liabilities. When you have a known creditor, you have to be concerned with fraudulent conveyances and fraudulent transfers. Generally if you participate in a fraudulent conveyance or transfer the court can undo a transaction within 4 years of its occurrence.

A Fraudulent Transfer occurs when you transfer an asset to put it outside the reach of a creditor.

A Fraudulent Conveyance occurs when you transfer an asset for less than full value and this causes harm to a potential creditor.

There are many ways of protecting assets as part of an overall Florida Estate Plan but careful consideration must be taken of your present situation and circumstances. Some of the tools used by Florida Asset Protection Lawyers include creating Florida Asset Protection Trusts, Domestic asset protection trusts, limited liability companies, limited partnerships, Florida LLLPs, and different forms of ownership.

In addition to how the assets are structured there can be different ways in which you spend "at risk" money and save money that is not at risk. If you would like to learn more about Florida Asset Protection, contact us to discuss your circumstances and objectives with a Florida Asset Protection Lawyer.

Note: Asset Protection is a complex practice area and as such we do not offer free consultations in this area. A typical consultation takes 2 or more hours.

For those working with Jacksonville Elder Law Attorneys the Florida news that a daughter living with her elderly mother was accused of stealing her mother's money to fuel a gambling and drug addiction was not a shock. In attempting to ascertain the Florida elder mother's mental state, the investigators turned to her doctors.

The medical insight gleaned from treating physicians can lead to tougher charges against those who use their position of trust to scam the elderly. However, many doctors' are hesitant to get involved in the Florida legal proceedings of their elderly patients.

In Florida counties, where the population of elderly over the age of 60 often exceeds 25%, many law enforcement financial crimes units are seeking volunteer licensed physicians. These doctors assist in determining the mental and physical state of a victim at the time of the perpetration and fraud.

Jacksonville Elder Law Attorneys have experience with numerous elderly who are victims of financial exploitation. Jacksonville's elderly victims are described by Florida Statutes as a "person of 60 years of age or older who suffers from infirmities of aging manifested by advanced age or organic brain damage, or other physical, mental, or emotional dysfunctioning. . . that the ability of the person to provide adequately for the person's own care or protection is impaired."

Many cases of Florida elderly abuse and exploitation are by home health care providers, relatives, guardians, and even opportunistic friends and neighbors.

A Jacksonville Guardianship Attorney can talk to you about the elders in your life who may need assistance. Jacksonville Estate Planning Lawyers have the experience to advise of ways to protect your loved ones before they become victims. Some of these strategies encompass having a trust prepared and consulting with a Jacksonville Medicaid Law Attorney.

Jacksonville Estate Planning Attorneys working in Jacksonville Beach watch for Florida issues about gay and same-sex partner benefits.

More and more Florida counties are making positive steps by providing health care and other benefits for same-sex couples. Central Florida's publicly owned Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) now offers Florida Domestic Partnership health care benefits for the domestic partners of their employees. Some nationwide companies that do business in Florida likewise provide same-sex partner benefits.

Despite the fact that Florida does not recognize gay marriage, newly-released U.S. Census figures, show nearly 6,800 same sex couples call the Sunshine State home. That's based on how many gay couples checked the "husband" or "wife" options. The Census bureau also reported an estimate of the number of same sex couples in Florida, both married and unmarried, at 48,456.

Gay couples who reside in Jacksonville Beach are wise to make their own benefits. A Jacksonville Estate Planning Lawyer can provide many options so you can provide benefits for your partner. Estate Planning can consist of having a will drawn up, a revocable living trust prepared,and other legal documents which will give your loved-ones the protection and security they need.

A Jacksonville Florida Living Trust is used to avoid the probate process and possible will contests from disapproving family members. A trust is set up and managed during your lifetime and avoids the need for a guardianship over your property in the event you become incapacitated. A trust must be funded and titled in specific ways to be effective, but the benefits are many.

Meet with a Jacksonville Beach lawyer sensitive to the unique issues that same-sex couples and unmarried partners face.

Today there is much speculation about what Steve Jobs' will reading will reveal about his life. Steve Jobs has always been very quiet and protective about his personal life and we all know that he has been very good at protecting business secrets.

I was interviewed today about what Steve Jobs's will and the potential huge estate tax that will be paid. I think if you look at how he managed his life and businesses, it is likely that if Steve had a will, it will not be read and there will be no probate. I believe that none or almost none of his assets will pass under a traditional probate and that there will be no boom to the economy from his huge estate. Steve was married at the time he died and as such jointly held assets or those in a joint trust will probably not be subject to any estate taxes.

It is unlikely that we will hear anything in the next few months and may never know about Steve's estate.

Forbes is reporting that Steve Jobs's estate will probably not owe taxes also

As of September 20th 2011,the old "don't ask, don't tell" rule that has been in force for about 18 years is gone. The end of this policy marks a victory for Mayport gay and lesbian military personnel.

Now Mayport gay sailors and soldiers who don't have to fear the loss of their military career because of their sexual orientation can feel free to obtain the legal advice and LGBT legal documents which will not only protect them but their relationships as well.

There are several Estate Planning Documents that will enable Jacksonville military men and women to provide for their loved ones. Same-sex couples do not have the inherent rights that heterosexual couples enjoy. Preparing a Will, Trust and Advance Directives will ensure that your decisions are honored when you are no longer able to communicate your wishes.

Same-sex couples are often encouraged to consult with a Mayport Attorney to learn about other ways to legally ensure that you, your partner, and your children are provided for not only now but in the future as well.

Mayport gay and lesbian naval and military members can feel comfortable consulting with a Mayport Law Firm that accepts them for who they are, not who they love or how they love.

We all need someone to look after us and care for us when we become part of the eldery population. We also need to take care of our spouses, our children, and our loved ones, when we have passed away. Looking to, and preparing for our future is in a nutshell, what Estate Planning in Jacksonville is all about.

Florida Estate Planning can be as simple as having your Florida Will, Florida Living Will, Florida Designation of Health Care Surrogate, and Florida Durable Power of Attorney prepared. You can also have different types of trusts prepared if you would rather have your assets managed by a trusted individual, after your death. In Florida, Trusts are also a great way to minimize your taxes as well as to manage your assets.

Preparing for future medical and financial decisions to be made on our behalf in the event of our incapacity, or illness, is the reason we prepare a Living Will, Do Not Resucitate Order, Health Care Surrogate Designation, and Power of Attorney.

Preparing for future disposition of our assets and property is the reason we "Estate Plan". Whether you live in a large home or a small home, have extensive assets or are just scraping by, whatever we own as individuals, (real property, personal property and intangible property) is important. What we pass on to our loved ones has value to us and to them.

No matter what you have as assets and property, make sure it is protected when you pass away. Prepare now and your family won't have the burden of going through the difficult process of grieving, while at the same time having to make decisions on your behalf, when you have not put your wishes and desires down in writing.

In a nutshell, Estate Planning in Floridais easy, just call a Florida Estate Planning Attorney to schedule an appointment today.

Many Middleburg families have thought about their future and what they want to happen upon their incapacity or death. However, many Middleburg families have not made that important call to consult with a Jacksonville Estate Planning Attorney about memorializing their thoughts in valid legal documents.

When you plan in advance you make your own decisions, you pay less, and you rest comfortably knowing that if you become incapacitated, and when you pass away, you have important legal documents in place. Legal documents that direct what you want to happen, to your children, your assets and you.

If you are a parent, whether you are married, divorced, or single, you must consider who will take care of, and provide for your minor children in the event of your incapacity or death. It is important to designate in a Forida Will or Pre-need Guardianship document your choice of who would be your child's guardian. Better that you make this choice than a judge.

You may not have minor children or any children, however, you still want to control what individuals inherit your assets. If you do not prepare your Will, the State of Florida will distribute Your assets according to state law, which may be in conflict of what you may have wanted.

Middleburg residents should also discuss with an Attorney about appropriate legal documents needed to designate the person you want to make those important personal, health care, and financial decisions, in the event that you are incapacitated, or are suffering from a serious illness or injury.

A Middleburg Estate Planning Attorney is able to advise you as to what documents are best suited for your needs.

Does the term " Florida Estate Planning" evoke thoughts of the very rich standing by their Bentleys in front of their massive estates? Maybe the term should simply be Planning, because no matter who you are or how much you own, Everyone needs "Estate" Planning

Everyone has a Florida Estate, no matter how large or small. One's estate is simply the possessions or property you have acquired, inherited, and worked for during your life. There are generally three types of property that comprise one's estate, these are:

Real Property - Your home, land, houses or other structures on land;

Tangible Personal Property - Property other than real estate that has a value due to its physical existence, such as motor vehicles, boats, furniture, antiques . . . and;

Intangible Personal Property - Property that you cannot touch, but that has a value due to the legal rights you hold. Examples include stock certificates, promissory notes, copyrights, patents and other "intellectual" property.

Everyone has an estate, but most people have not planned what happens to their estate in the future. Estate planning is the process where you decide and put in writing what you want to happen to your estate in the future, and to whom you want your estate to pass once you have passed. Estate planning is easy, contact a Jacksonville Beach Estate Planning Attorney to schedule a consult and discuss the ways you can "Estate Plan". Whether you prepare a Will, establish a Trust, or have other legal documents prepared, estate planning puts in writing how you want your real, tangible and intangible property distributed upon your death.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT), was adopted by Congress in 1996. On December 20, 2011 the the federal law banning openly gay people from serving in the military is repealed.

The President, Defense Secretary and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman signed and submitted a one-page certification to Congress that the military is ready to implement the repeal of DADT.

Nearly two million troops have received training in preparation for the repeal of DADT. The Department of Defense stated that sexual orientation is a personal and private matter and that all service members should be treated with dignity and respect. The Defense Undersecretary reported that there will be "zero tolerance for harassment, violence or discrimination of any kind."

Eligibility benefits remain the same as far as service-members being able to choose their beneficiary for benefits, however the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) still prohibits the extension of many military benefits to same-sex couples, including health care and allowances for housing and transportation.

As a Mayport Estate Planning Attorney, I recommend that Mayport gay and lesbian service members consult with an attorney to learn the various ways that legal documents will protect them and their families. Same-sex couples currently lack many federal government protections afforded to heterosexual couples. The best way to provide for your same-sex partner is to draft Florida estate planning and other documents, such as your will, a trust, health care surrogate, power of attorney, and other similar documents.

Florida law does not provide for your same-sex partner, no matter how long you have been together. As a Florida gay and lesbian member of the armed forces who serves our county, serve yourself as well. Continue to protect the U.S.A and begin to protect yourself and your same-sex partner.

Today there is a big hole in most estate plans. Most estate plans do not deal with the property and licence rights that almost all Americans have accumulated with their online lives.

What online assets should be concerned with?

• Email Accounts - Gmail, Yahoo, MSN, Comcast, AOL ...
• Social Networking Sites - Facebook, Linked In, Google +, Twitter, MySpace ...
• Online Storage Accounts, iCloud, Carbonite, Drop Box, mac.com ...
• Financial Accounts - Bank accounts, Stock Accounts, Home Loans, Student Loans ...
• Photo Storage Accounts - Kodak, Flicker
• Personal or Company Websites and Blogs
• Online Businesses Accounts - Amazon, Walmart.com, Go Daddy.com, other online merchants.
• Auction Sites - Ebay
• Music and Application Accounts - iTunes, Amazon, Android ...
• Virtual Property - Second life, World of Warcraft, other role-playing identities
• Payment services - PayPal

Some of the major issues in dealing with Digital Assets we must first determine if we are dealing with a license or a property right. By definition, most licenses expire upon death so the right to asset does not exist when you die. Next you must determine how you will deal with these assets upon your death or prior to your death to preserve access, right of use, limit risks to users for damaging the estate for improper use, and transfer the assets. There are attempts to deal with these issues with software alone, a will, a trust, software and a will, and software with a trust.

One of the problems in dealing with these issues with software alone is that their may be no legal right for the person to access the items and the software may be in conflict with other legal documents like a will or trust.

The next major problem occurs with a legal document only. These can be broken down into two areas. First, the legal document may have no effect on an asset. IE a Will cannot generally transfer a license as it does not exist upon death. Next, the individual is unlikely to keep the legal documents up to date with instructions on how to access the account. In addition, the individuals are unlikely to update passwords as they change. The trend is to require monthly updates to the more secure sites.

What seems to be the best solution: A DAP Trust with integrated software that allows you to update and create beneficiary designations within the trust on the Fly.

If you have a Florida Estate Plan that does not address your digital life or would like to create a DAP Trust for your Digital Assets, Contact a Florida Estate Planning Lawyer who is familiar with Digital Asset Protection.

It is crucial to make your heirs and family are aware of the
fact that there are documents in place and where these documents can be
found. Having your Florida estate planning documents prepared is the first step, and once you have made the call and scheduled a consult with an Atlantic Beach Estate Planning Attorney, you are sure to feel good about it. 

Keep your Florida will, and other documents in a secure place and let someone close to you know where these documents are kept.  Some Florida Estate Planning Lawyer will store the docuemnts for you

There are more than 10 states investigating whether insurance companies are failing to pay out unclaimed life insurance policies to beneficiaries. Insurers are claiming that under policy contracts, they aren't required to determine whether a policyholder is still alive, but rather they pay a claim when beneficiaries come forward.

If you don't keep your estate planning and other important documents organized, and if you fail to disclose the location of these papers to a trusted family member or friend, the financial consequences can be considerable.

According to the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators, state treasurers currently hold approximately 32 billion in unclaimed bank accounts. Don't let your hard earned assets be given to the state, inform your heirs and beneficiaries that your estate planning documents exist, and where they can be found.

To see if you have unclaimed treasure in Florida, go to the Florida Treasure Hunt website.

Take the time this summer to consult with an Atlantic Beach Estate Planning Attorney who will give you advice as to the estate planning documents that are best suited for you and your family, as well as recommended ideas as to where to store these documents.

Florida residents be advised, not only is it important to consult with a Neptune Beach Estate Planning Attorney about having your Will, Trust, Power of Attorney and other legal documents prepared, but you must make your beneficiaries and heirs aware that they exist.

Keeping your important legal, real estate, motor vehicle, insurance and financial papers in an organized fashion and storing them where they can be found is crucial. Keeping your original Will secure and accessible is the first step. A Will allows you to decide which of your family members or friends will inherit your assets. If you have minor children, you designate a guardian for your kids, in case of your demise.

Wills are subject to the Probate process, which is a court supervised proceeding in which a personal representative is appointed, an inventory of your property is prepared, your debts and taxes are paid, and finally your assets are distributed to those beneficiaries named in your Will.

As a Neptune Beach Probate Attorney, I have seen first hand what happens after you die, if your relatives cannot find your original Will. It becomes a more complicated, more timely, and more expensive undertaking than had your heirs known where to look for the original will, which you have "hidden" in the back closet, under a pile of clothes, in a box, with hundreds and hundreds of receipts and sheets of papers . . .

A Revocable Living Trust is another Estate Planning tool that not only benefits you and your beneficiaries, but also avoids the probate process. As you can amend your Living Trust at any time during your lifetime, it becomes imperative that you not only keep the original trust agreement but the amendments to the original trust where your trustee and beneficiaries can find it. Failure to find your trust documents may set your estate up for litigation.

A Durable Power of Attorney is a most powerful document as it allows someone you have named, to act on your behalf in financial, banking and business matters if you ever become incapacitated due to illness or injury. If the person you have designated is unable to locate this document, he or she will be unable to conduct banking transactions or deal with business associates on your behalf.

Another important Estate Planning Document is a Designation of Health Care Surrogate. This health care document allows you to name the person you want to make health care decisions on your behalf in the event you are incapacitated and unable to make health care treatment decisions for yourself. Again, remember, it is not only important to have these legal Estate Planning Documents prepared, but to share the existence and location of these documents to your beneficiaries, loved ones, and trusted friends.

To hedge our bet against dying and to financially protect our families in the event death happens, we generally have a life insurance policy. This policy becomes part of our estate and can help our family with after death expenses such as funeral costs. You may already have a life insurance policy or need to get one. In either case, switching your current life insurance policy to a Florida Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust (ILIT), or setting the life insurance policy up in the name of the ILIT, can be done by hiring the services of a Florida Trust lawyer to prepare a Florida Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust.

When you pass away and have a Florida life insurance policy, the insurance payment is deemed to be included in the insurer's (the person who is now deceased) estate. By passing to your heirs under your estate, the insurance payment can be subject to federal and state estate tax, which can be about 40% for the portion which is in excess of the Federal Estate Tax figures. The following example assumes that the entire amount of the policy was subject to the Federal Estate Taxes. So if you have a $5,000,000 life insurance policy, your heirs receive the payment after taxes, which, in this case, would be $3,000,000 ($2,000,000 in estate taxes).

However, this does not have to be the case. If you were to set up a Florida Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust the amount of the policy would not be included in your estate, and you would not have Federal Estate Taxes which could save you more than $2,000,000 based on a $5,000,0000 insurance policy. Talking to a Florida Trust lawyer or Jacksonville Estate Planning attorney will allow you to see if your estate or life insurance is subject to estate taxes or might be subject to them in 2012 after the current exemptions expire.