Estate Planning

July 6, 2010

Naming Alternate Beneficiaries in Florida Estate Planning Documents

An alternate beneficiary is a person or entity that you name in your Florida Will or Florida Revocable Trust to receive a gift or devise in the event that the direct beneficiary does not outlive you or is not fit to receive the gift because of a legal reason, disclaimer, or other provision in the document that would disqualify them. Many times when an elderly individual makes a Florida Will they assume their demise will be sooner than all of their beneficiaries. It is important to name at least one other person to take in the event a direct beneficiary dies before you. The following is an example what a gift might look like: “I leave to my son Aaron the house but in the event he predeceases me, the house should pass my brother Bob.”

Florida does provide some default language in most cases for close relatives. In Florida close relatives who predecease the person who leaves them something will have the item left to their children in many cases. Since this is not always what is desired or always the case, you should have any documents that are depending on this to be reviewed by an Florida Estate Planning Lawyer who is familiar with the provisions.

Although it is rare to think someone is not fit to take a gift, a child who stands to inherit a large sum of money may not be prepared to receive such a gift. Under this scenario, it would be wise to then name one or more alternate beneficiaries and place a condition on the child’s gift such as: “I give to my son Aaron $1,000 if he has reached the age of 25. In the event he is not yet 15, I leave the $1,000 to my cousin Barbara in trust for my son until he reaches the age of 25.”

July 2, 2010

Digital Asset Trust and Picture Sharring

by David M. Goldman

Digital Asset Protection Trust can help preserve your pictures and other website information after you die or if you become incapacitated.

Most picture sharing websites promote the freedom to assign ones property rights to another. While all of these websites prohibit reselling the account to another, Flickr was the only picture sharing website that prohibited the assignment of rights in their terms and conditions of use. This may be due to their affiliation with Yahoo! which has one standard user agreement for many of the websites they own.

Part of the appeal of picture sharing sites is that they allow many family members and friends to view your pictures. Although it may not be illegal to assign your rights to the pictures, they may be deleted automatically if your account is deactivated due to inactivity. Therefore, a Digital Asset Trust should be created to protect your Digital Assets from being destroyed when you pass away.

Picture Sharing Websites	Deactivation	Assignable
Flickr	“Extended Period of Time”	NO
Shutterfly	180 Days	YES
Kodak Gallery	Paid – 5 years Free Trial – 90 Days	YES
SnapFish	1 year	YES

For more information on how a Digital Asset Protection Trust can help you and your estate contact a Digital Asset Protection Trust Lawyer

July 1, 2010

What a Prenuptial Agreement Can and Cannot Protect?

by David M. Goldman

According to a recent statistic in the USA Today, a poll found that only 4% of married couples in the United States have a premarital or prenuptial agreement. Florida was reported as having one of the country’s worst divorce rates in 2009. Due to this alarming rate, Florida allows couples to enter into valid prenuptial agreements so long as there is full disclosure and the agreement is in writing and signed by both parties.

There are many important things that a prenup can protect. First, prenups can protect the rights and obligations of both spouses with respect to property. So if one spouse owned a car before the marriage, a provision could state that that spouse would be responsible for all payments on that car. The agreement can also protect a spouse’s individual right to sell or lease real property. Other common provisions include what career path a spouse may choose, where the couple will live, and cash penalties if one spouse cheats.

Since prenups cannot violate public policy or criminal law, there are a few things they cannot accomplish. Child support is always governed by state guidelines enacted by the legislature. These guidelines cannot be overridden by a prenuptial agreement between spouses. Given that prenup terms usually include outlining the disposition of property when the marriage ends as a result of death or divorce, it is vital to have an experienced Florida Family Law Lawyer or Florida Estate Planning Lawyer with you to represent your best interests.

June 30, 2010

Gary Coleman’s Will Contest

by David M. Goldman

During the late 1970’s through mid 1980’s, Gary Coleman became a promising young star on the television sitcom Different Strokes. His character’s catchphrase “What you talkin’ ’bout, Willis?” made numerous people laugh during the shows 8 year run. Sadly after his passing and subsequent cremation, his relatives will not be able to hold a funeral until a judge in Utah decided who will permanently control his estate.

There are records that indicate Coleman created a will in 1999 and another in 2005. However, a handwritten amendment was added to the 2005 will later on, in 2007. The significant difference between the 2005 will and the 2007 amendment is that the 2005 will leaves his entire estate to ex-girlfriend and former business associate Anna Grey while the 2007 amendment leaves the entire estate to his ex-wife Shannon Price.

Price and Grey are both claiming in court they should be entitled to the entire estate but have significant legal obstacles to overcome. Price’s strongest argument is that Utah is one of the states that recognize holographic (handwritten) wills, although they must be entirely written in the handwriting of the person, signed and dated. However, Grey’s best argument is that the 2007 amendment was revoked because it was made while Price and Coleman were married. Since they divorced there is a presumption that the amendment was automatically revoked and struck from the will. Price is trying to rebut this presumption by claiming she and Coleman were living in a common law marriage at the time of his death.

June 30, 2010

Florida Estate Planning is Important for Women Too

by David M. Goldman

As generations grow older, more and more women will find that they have significant assets worth giving to others when they pass away. In most parts of the world women have a longer life expectancy and commonly marry older men. This means that there is a good chance a wife will inherit her husband’s estate if she outlives her husband. Since the wife will typically outlive the husband, she will have the last word about the division of property between heirs when she passes away.

Due to statistics that show many women do not make as much money in their lifetime as men, it is important for women to do

Florida Estate Planning

June 29, 2010

Time is Running Out on the 2 Year Rolling GRAT

by David M. Goldman

Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts are used in the United States to make large financial gifts to beneficiaries without paying a U.S. gift tax. A GRAT is a trust with a specific life or term, usually anything longer than 2 years. In most cases a wealthy grantor transfers assets to the GRAT and retains an annuity interest in the trust. This means that the grantor receives an annual payment from the GRAT for a fixed period of time. When the GRAT term ends, any remaining assets will be distributed to the named beneficiaries. However, the grantor must outlive the trust term or the funds will fall into the probate estate and subjected to estate taxes.

Recently, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 5486, a bill that requires all GRATS to have a term of at least 10 years. This is a significant increase from the previous 2 year minimum and significantly dulls the attractiveness of this type of trust. The trust will now be more risky due to the requirement that the grantor must outlive term in order for the beneficiaries to receive the tax breaks from the trust.

The bill has passed in the House and now needs approval from the Senate. This shot period provides a window of opportunity for those who wish to seek the benefits of a GRAT. This is also a great time to review existing GRATs if asset values have declined, so that a GRAT now in place is unsuccessful. If the asset could possibly bounce back and become profitable, now is the time to contact a Florida Estate Planning Lawyer to create a new GRAT.

June 25, 2010

Lawmakers Considering Billionaire Estate Surtax

by David M. Goldman

According to Forbes Magazine the United States has over four hundred billionaires. Currently, three Liberal members of the Senate are working on a plan that calls for a 10% estate “billionaire surtax” that would go into effect retroactively. This would raise the tax rate to 65% on all estates that have accumulated more than $1 billion in assets. These lawmakers believe that billionaires should be required to pay more in estate taxes due to the increasing federal budget deficit and national debt.

This harsh tax proposal may have been spurred by the death of Texas billionaire Dan L. Duncan who passed away in March with a net worth of $9.8 billion. Since Duncan died this year, his entire estate passes to his heirs tax-free. If these Senators’ proposal is enacted, it will hit Duncan’s estate retroactively, immediately prompting a court challenge to its constitutionality.

Republican Senators and some less liberal Democrats are opposed to any retroactive plan. Seeing that the only way to come up with a legitimate plan is through bipartisan cooperation, two other Senators have been working on a compromise. This would impose estate taxes on estates above $5 million at a maximum tax rate of 35%. If Liberals have their way they would also seek to eliminate or restrict the use of GRATs because those trusts are popular tax breaks for the wealthy. If you have any questions or concerns about how these new laws may effect you contact a

June 23, 2010

The Florida Slayer Statute

by David M. Goldman

In Florida, it is a common principle of law that criminals should not profit from their crimes. Therefore, it follows that a murderer should not be able to inherit from the estate of their victim. The most common, but unfortunate event that would trigger a slayer statute would be when a spouse murders the other spouse.

Under the Florida statute, a surviving person who unlawfully and intentionally kills or participates in killing the victim is not entitled to any benefits under the intestacy code or the victim’s

Florida Will

June 22, 2010

Choosing Your Florida Personal Representative

by David M. Goldman

Being named the “Personal Representative” or “Executor” of someone’s estate under a

Florida Will

should be a decision made after consider several factors. Although many people may be tempted to name their spouse or one of their children as personal representative, there are certain qualities one should look in a candidate before deciding who to name. The following is a list of traits you should look for when deciding who should serve as your executor:

June 21, 2010

Adopted Children Rights in Intestacy

by David M. Goldman

Intestate succession is a statutorily imposed way of passing property to descendants after death. In Florida, an adopted child is treated exactly the same as if he/she was a natural born child of the adoptive parents (mother and/or father). This means that for the purpose of intestate succession by an adopted person, the adopted person is a descendant of the adopting parent and is one of the natural kindred of all members of the adopting parent’s family. The adopted person is not a descendant of his or her natural parents, nor is he or she one of the kindred of any member of the natural parent’s family.

Adoption of a child by a step-parent, who is married to a natural parent, has no effect on the intestacy rights between the child and the natural parent or the natural parent’s family. This is true even if the child was adopted by the step-parent after the death of the other natural parent. For example, imagine that Tom and Kate are married and have one child Jane. If Kate dies and Tom later remarries and his second wife adopts Jane, Jane would maintain her rights to inherit from Kate’s family under Florida intestacy statutes. As long as Kate’s family lives in Florida Jane will be protected, but if Kate’s family lives in other states, you would need to check how step-parent adoptions are treated in the state where the relative lives.

One final thing worth mentioning regarding adopted children’s intestacy rights is that in certain circumstances an omitted child from a Florida Will can receive a share of the estate equal in value to that which the child would have received if the testator had died intestate. However, an obvious intentional omission or devises of substantially all the estate to the other parent of the omitted child will likely result in no gift for the omitted child. To discuss your circumstances or ask questions about this or other Florida Estate Planning issues contact a Jacksonville Estate Planning Lawyer.