Florida Estate Planning Lawyer Blog

In Florida as with most states, Estate Planning is something that needs to be addressed when one has major changes in their life. This includes divorce and separation.

You only have to think about your spouse or ex-spouse getting all of your assets if you should die to realize the importance of addressing the issue.

In the last year I have seen a number of families who have been adversely affected because of a lack of planning. Several couples were separated for many years when one died and the estranged spouse received a significant portion of the estate. In Florida, even if you change you will to disinherit your spouse, the spouse is entitled to an elective share of your estate. This is equal to 30 percent of your entire estate. If you are divorced in theory, go ahead and file the paperwork to make it official.

When you get a divorce, be sure to change payable of death designations on your retirement accounts, life insurance, bank accounts.

Be sure to revoke any guarantees associated with credit established in both of your names. Change the way property is owned, even if you plan on selling it soon.

The 401(k)s is also a non-probate assets also, but be careful because ERISA, a federal law, protects a surviving spouse. I have seen children loose their parents life insurance because their parent never finalized the divorce and made changes when they separated from their spouse decades ago. If you are getting a divorce be sure that proper paperwork to change the designations is made part of the divorce or separation agreement.

Unless your Florida Divorce Lawyer is also a Florida Estate Planning Lawyer, it is best to have a Florida Estate Planning Lawyer Contact and work with your Florida Divorce Attorney.

For families living in Florida, choosing a guardian for their minor children is a primary reason why a Florida Will is such an important document to create and keep updated.

Often choosing who will care for your children is a difficult decision. Many families find it the hardest decision that they make in terms of estate planning. This is one area where it is common for the husband and wife to have completely different views of who should raise their children in the event that both the husband and wife die prior to the children reaching the age of 18.

First it is important to know that the planning is more important than agreeing with your spouse. Although it can create some tension between spouses, it is important to know that should one of you predecease the other, and then the surviving spouse gets to make their own decision anyway. Also, as long as one of you lives until the children reach the age of 18, it will not matter who you choose.

It is more important to discuss the reasons with each other and if possible come to a decision as to what is important to each of you than to try to come to a decision that one of you does not agree with.

The Georgia Wills, Trust, and Estate Planning Blog has an article on choosing the right guardian for your children where the break down the process into three steps. This three-step approach should make the process easier to accomplish without damaging the marriage.

Step 1 Make a list of people - make it long and include everyone that would make a better home for your children than the foster care system.

Step 2 Decide What Matters the Most - choose factors that are important and rank them in an order of priority. Some examples are maturity and patience, parenting style, religious beliefs, values, ability to care for additional children, and do not forget their willingness to serve (don't forget to ask them)...

Step 3 Match People to the Priorities - rank and evaluate your choices. Listen to each other and try to come up with a coherent reason for the choices you will make as a couple, or individually. Remember you may not be exactly happy with your spouses’ choice, but if you live longer you get to change your mind anyway. Perhaps its better to come up with someone you can both agree upon in case you both die simultaneously.

To choose a guardian properly, you should make a valid Florida will. Please contact a Florida Will Attorney or Florida Estate Planning Lawyer to help you prepare valid documents that accomplish your goals.

Before making a Florida will you should think these things before drafting or having your Florida will modified.

In Florida to create a valid will the person needs to know what assets they have, who they are giving them to, and have an understanding of who they would go to if they were not listed in the Florida Will.

In addition, there are specific execution requirements to make sure the resulting document is a valid Florida will. The Jersey Estate Planning Blog
has a nice summary of what should be considered when creating a will.

I have adopted the issues to Florida, but in general they mention the following issues to consider when making a Will:

1) What assets will put into the Florida will.
2) Who you are going to leave your assets to;
3) Who will administer your will?
4) Who will care for (minor children) both financially and physically?
5) Who will witness the execution of your Florida Will

In addition, you may consider what how you would like your body dealt with upon your death. Although this can be placed in your Florida will, it is advisable to let others in your family, those who will make the decisions, know what your plans are. Generally, your will cannot be looked at by the time these decisions need to be made.

A Florida will is a very important document and careful attention should be paid to what it states and how it is executed. Unlike other documents that you may sign during your life, this document cannot be changed once you die. I like to contrast it to dying your hair, if you do not like the color you can seek the help of a professional, try again, let it grow out, or even cut it off and wait for your hair to re grow. With a Florida will or a will in any state, you do not have any of these options and your family, heirs, and beneficiaries do not get the chance to make changes because of unforeseen changes or poor choice of words.

Most people think a Florida Will is an expensive document to create, but generally they are not much more than what you would pay an online service. Many online services allow you to create documents that have unintended consequences. I have a section on this blog with many examples of estate planning problems created by the wrong choice of words. Before you create a Florida Will you should contact a Florida Estate Planning Lawyer or a Florida Will Lawyer to discuss your needs and objectives.

Often clients do Florida Estate Planning in anticipation of an overseas trip or international relocation. They often ask if they should make special considerations because of their anticipated location.

Generally we advise clients that the planning is basically the same even if they will be living overseas for an extended period of time. The one area where there may be differences is in their Durable Power of Attorney where it might be advisable to make changes.

These changes require an evaluation of the current and anticipated needs of the individual client and cannot be generalized.

If you are planning an international trip, going on a cruise, or moving overseas for a time, you should contact a Florida Estate Planning Lawyer to discuss or review your Florida Estate Planning Documents .

A Florida Living Trust is a Florida Revocable Trust created while a person is alive, while a Bypass Trust is usually a testamentary irrevocable trust. Some Bypass Trusts are created by a Living Trusts or even Florida Will.

A Trust is an ownership arrangement where property is held in the name of a "trustee" rather than in the name of the person who really owns the property. It is a separation of legal and equitable ownership. People often create Living Trusts for their own benefit, to avoid probate, address the possibility of future incapacity, or keep their finances private.

Normally, the person who creates a Living Trust names himself or herself as trustee and as beneficiary. Upon that person's death, all or a portion of the property which remains in the Living Trust passes according to the terms specified in the trust agreement.

A Bypass Trust is created when a husband or wife dies and their assets are more than the estate tax deduction. Currently this is when a couple is worth over $2,000,000. The Bypass Trust is a way to shelter the first spouse's $2,000,000 exemption from taxation when the surviving spouse dies, thereby doubling the amount that can be left tax-free to $4,000,000.

Also a Bypass Trust can protect the trust property from creditors' claims, and allow the deceased spouse to direct where the trust property passes when the other spouse dies.

It is important to keep your Florida Estate Planning Documents safe. In some cases if the original documents are lost, a copy is as good as the original. With the will, the original is the document that is important.

Some people choose to keep originals documents at their Florida Estate Planning Lawyer office, in a bank vault, with other people, or at home in their filing system. It is important to let someone know where they will be kept in case they are needed.

People have different views on their Florida Estate Planning Documents. Some do not want to disclose them and others want to openly disclose them with their family and friends.

Each person has to look at their family circumstances and determine the risks and benefits of sharing their documents as compared to keeping them private.

Sometimes when the documents are kept private, it is important to let someone know how to obtain the documents in the event they are needed.

It is important to remember that your will is different than your other Florida Estate Planning because it is the original that is important. A copy of any other Florida Estate Planning Documents is the same as the original, but only the original Florida Will can be deposited with the court.

Some people are afraid that family members will destroy the original Florida Will in order to change how property is distributed at death.

Documents like living wills and medical powers of attorney should be given to your agents before the need arises for their use.

Some people pick a Personal Representative that does not stand to inherit property under the will and give them copies or instructions to follow upon their death.

It is generally not advisable to pick a PR or trustee that you have concerns about are.

Most wills distribute property as expected or evenly among their family members. In such a case it is a good idea to distribute copies of the documents to everyone and keep them updated with changes.

If there is a sudden change in the terms of the will, it may give the other family members reason to suspect that there might be something wrong with the documents.

One of the nice advantages of a Florida Revocable Trust is that you can not designate an individual to receive notice who is different than the beneficiary. This helps to keep the subject matter and contents of one's estate private. For those who are interested in privacy a Florida Revocable Trust may be a solution.

In Florida when an individual left their Florida Will in a bank vault or safety deposit box a court order is necessary to open the box unless there is a joint owner on the account.

The process involves having a judge issue an order to inspect the contents of the box. If there is a will it should be deposited with the court in the probate proceeding.

If you need help getting a Florida will that is stored in a safe deposit box at a bank, you should Contact a Florida Estate Planning Lawyer

In Florida an encumbered property shall be entitled to have the encumbrance on the property paid at the expense of the residue of the estate only when the will shows that intent. A general direction in a will to pay the debts does not show that intent (Florida Probate Code Section 733.803 , Florida Statutes (2002))

In a recent case a Personal Representative tried to make the argument that since the debt was paid off a mortgage during the probate proceeding and that the above rule only applied if the debt was in place at the time of the distribution. In re Estate of Woodward (Fla. 2d DCA Apr 09, 2008)

The court said that the PR could not rewrite the decedents will and pay off the mortgage. The Florida Probate Code makes it clear that without a specific instruction in the will the property was to pass with the encumbrance.

If you are a PR or a beneficiary of an estate in Florida and you have a question about whether you can pay off a mortgage, Contact a Florida Estate Planning Lawyer to discuss your circumstances.

Divorcing spouses can add flexibility to their tax and estate plans using property settlement agreements according to Private Letter Ruling 12572406.

Kreig Mtichell a Colorado Estate Planning Attorney wrote an article on this process. He stated that the facts involved a Husband and Wife who shiged a property settlement agreement pursuant to their divorce. The husband owned a large amount of publicly traded stock. The wife was to recieive a portion of the stock in the divorce agreement approved by the court.

Later the husband and his ex wife renegotiated the agreement to provide a larger amount of stock to the wife.

The IRS ruled that this accelerated lifetime payment by the husband to the wife was not taxable income to the husband or wife and not a taxable gift from the husband to the wife.

The IRS found that the accelerated lifetime payment by the husband to the wife was not taxable income to the husband or wife because the transfer was “related to the cessation of marriage." Even though the modification of the property settlement agreement occurred “years after the divorce.”

The IRS stated that the accelerated lifetime payment by the husband to the wife was not a taxable gift from the husband to the wife based on the same reasoning.

Many pet owners think of their pets as part of their family. Legally pets are considered personal property like a car or jewelry.

If you are sick, injured, or unable to care for your pet and have not planned ahead, your pets may not be taken care of by the person you want. They may be managed like your other personal property.

Upon your death, your pets will pass as residual property under your will or your states intestate laws.

It is important to make specific provisions in your will, trust, and other estate planning documents to provide for your pet. If not, you pet could end up like many, in a shelter or on the street.

A Pet trust give you the ability to control your pets care if you are unable to. You can also add additional pets to the trust during your life. The trust can go into effect as soon as you create it.

Other less expensive methods of taking care of your pets include provisions in a will to create a pet trust if a pet survives you and conditional gifts in the will. Although a gift in the will does not require that the funds be used for the benefit of the pet the funds are given with the instructions to be used for the purpose you request.

If you would like to know more about creating Estate Planning Documents to provide for your pet, please Contact a licensed Estate Planning Lawyer in your state.

Invalid transfer of Florida Homestead with do it yourself deed leads to unintended consequences!

Man wants his second wife to have a life estate in his homestead after his death with the remainder to go to his children and not his second wife's children.

His mistake, he used a preprinted deed and filled it out wrong. The court found that he did validly convey a life estate to his wife, but did not convey the remainder of the property to his daughter because it must have been signed by both spouses.

The property went back to his heirs per stripes after his spouses death and not to his daughter as intended.

Florida's homestead provisions make it difficult to properly convey real property as you desire. There were valid ways of conveying the property correctly, but a preprinted form does not deal with non traditional families or non traditional conveyances.

Some other examples of Do it your self wills and bad news are covered in my articles listed below

Do it Yourself Wills? More bad news and
Do it Yourself Wills? a Good Idea or Not?
Do it yourself Estate Planning: Bad News Part 3
Do it yourself Estate Planning: Bad News Part 4
Do it yourself Estate Planning: Bad News Part 5
Do it yourself Estate Planning: Bad News Part 6
Do it yourself Estate Planning: Bad News Part 7
Do it yourself Estate Planning: Bad News Part 8

This is a common mistake found in Florida Probate cases, when people try to make their own wills, or transfer their assets without getting professional help from an attorney or accountant who is familiar with the effects of gifting and estate planning.

If you have used software, a form, or an online service to prepare your will, a deed, or other document, you Contacta Florida Estate planning Attorney or Florida Estate Planning Lawyer to review your documents for potential problems.

Arthur v. Milstein. et al, 949 So.2d 1163 (Fla. 4th DCA February 28, 2007)

In this dispute regarding who controlled the disposition of the body of Anna Nicole Smith, the trial court ruled that the guardian ad litem for her minor daughter Dannielynn had priority over Anna Nicole Smith’s mother based upon interpretation of Florida Statutes section 406 defining a "legally authorized person" upon whom a funeral home can rely to receive burial instructions. The appellate court indicated section 406 simply protects a funeral home from liability, and Florida common law applies regarding who has the right to possession of the body. The court found the trial court’s ruling was "the right result, but for the wrong reasons," and based upon evidence indicating the intent of Anna Nicole Smith, affirmed the trial court ruling.

This issue could have been avoided with a properly drafted Florida Will. If you would like your Florida Will reviewed please Contact a Florida Estate Planning Lawyer.

Gerry Beyer, author of the Wills, Trusts & Estate Professors Blog has a post on his blog Becoming a "Pet Friendly" Estate Planner which points to an article he wrote in Legal Times. "Your Trust-worthy Pet" discusses the history of providing for pets which began in England in 1889. Now around 40 states have authorized statutory pet statutes.

In the Legal Times article he lists 13 important consideration for traditional pet trusts:

1. Create the trust inter vivos or in the pet owner’s will?
2. Who is the animal’s caregiver (the beneficiary of the trust)?
3. Who is the trustee and will the trustee be paid?
4. When should ownership of the pet be transferred?
5. What and how much property should be transferred to the trust?
6. What is the desired standard of living for the pet?
7. How is the distribution of trust property to the caregiver determined?
8. Should the caregiver be “paid” for services?
9. When should the trust end?
10. Who should be the remainder beneficiary when the trust ends?
11. How should the animal be identified?
12. How should the animal’s welfare be monitored?
13. What happens to the pet when it dies?

To create a Florida Pet Trust you should Contact a Florida Estate Planning Lawyer to discuss how you can modify your Florida Will or Florida Revocable Trust.

In Florida, and many other states animals are now allowed to be the beneficiaries of a special trust that is created to take care of them. These are often referred to as a Florida Pet Trust.

Today I was reading an article published in Arizona which stated that a Dog could inherit one's estate. While the article gives the correct advise the title is misleading and seems to suggest that a dog could inherit your estate. A pet may only receive the benefit of a Florida Pet Trust while the animal is alive. Being the beneficiary of a trust is not the same as inheriting part of an estate. In fact, a gift to a pet which is not in the form of a Florida Pet Trust would be void in Florida and most states.

To create a valid Florida Pet Trust please Contact a Florida Estate Planning Lawyer.

In Florida and many other states animals are now allowed to beneficiaries of a special trust that is created to take care of them. These are often referred to as a Florida Pet Trust.

Today I was reading an article published in Arizona where a letter to the editor basically stated that a Dog could inherit ones estate and referred to Leona Helmsley as an explanation of this. While the article gives the correct advise the title is misleading and seems to suggest that a dog could inherit your estate. A pet only receives the benefit of a Florida Pet Trust while it is alive and the pet does not have the ability to use it for anything they want. A beneficiary of a trust is not the same as inheriting one's estate. In fact a gift to a pet that is not interpreted as a Florida Pet Trust would be void in Florida and most states.

To create a valid Florida Pet Trust please Contact a Florida Estate Planning Lawyer.

Rules regarding wills are usually based upon where the will was created. The general rule is that when a Will is valid at the time of creation, Florida will honor the will.

There is an exception to this and it regards certain handwritten or holographic wills. a Holigraphic Will is not valid in Florida unless it complies with the Florida Statute of Wills.

So even while your Mom's handwritten will in California may be valid, it will not be valid in Florida. To make sure you have a valid Florida Will please Contact a Florida Estate Planning Lawyer

A Los Angeles judge has decided that the young daughter of former Playboy bunny and television personality Anna Nicole Smith will inherit her estate.

Although Smith's will, drafted before her now 18-month-old daughter was born, gave everything to her son, Daniel, it also said she intended that the assets in trust for him be shared equally if she had future children, reports the Associated Press. Meanwhile, Daniel died, at age 20, three days after Smith's daughter, Dannielynn, was born in 2006. Smith herself died about five months later, in early 2007, of an accidental prescription drug overdose.

She is perhaps best known as the young wife of an elderly Texas oil billionaire, J. Howard Marshall II. The two married in 1994, when she was 26 and he was