When you have a blended family or children from different marriages it is very important to have estate planning that deals with the various possibilities. All to often the standard will or generic documents can produce undesired results. Take for example a Husband and Wife who each have children from…
The ABA Journal recently reported an unusual case when an attorney’s client was targeted for murder by his own brother. The parents of the brothers passed away leaving an unexpected $20 million dollar estate. The brother’s were the sole heirs of the estate, but apparently sharing the money was not…
You have recently lost your uncle. He did not own a Florida home or real property but had bank accounts including a money market, CD’s and a checking account. The accounts were solely in the uncle’s name. His wife passed away years ago and he had no children. Whether there…
As a Jacksonville Estate Planning Lawyer I get questions from Lawyers and clients all over the country on how to deal with a Florida Timeshare and if it is necessary to open a separate Florida Probate for the timeshare. It is important to determine if there is any value in…
If you have ever thought about changing or invalidating your Florida Will it is recommended that you speak with an Attorney at an Orange Park Estate Planning Firm, who is familiar with the Florida Statutes which govern the preparation and revocation of Florida Wills. All Florida Wills are revocable until…
The bonus days come thanks to Emancipation Day, a little-known Washington, D.C., holiday that celebrates the freeing of slaves in the district. Emancipation Day falls on Sat., April 16, but it is observed in D.C. on Fri., April 15. That prompted the IRS to extend the tax filing deadline to…
If you live in Ponte Vedra and die before you have made your Florida Will, you have died “intestate”. What this means is that your intentions as to who will inherit what from you, and who will be appointed Personal Representative of your estate is now determined by the state…
A Florida Probate Attorney was suspended from practicing law by the Florida Supreme Court. The attorney was said to be causing great public harm by a pattern of “obtaining fees, controlling assets, enforcing individuals to ‘pay him’ before he would resign as trustee of several trusts”. The attorney has also…
A Florida Personal Representative is appointed by the probate judge to settle the decedent’s (person who died) estate and distribute the property to the beneficiaries. When an Orange Park resident dies without leaving a will (dies intestate), Florida Statutes, Section 733.301 provides for the preference in appointment of a personal…
When a Florida Wrongful Death action is settled, the money either goes to the estate of the decedent (the person who has died) or to the decedent’s survivors. If the settlement is small, it can be handled with a summary administration. When this happens, the settlement money becomes an asset…