Probate

May 18, 2015

Can a Will be signed after a stroke, if the Will was created before becoming incapacitated?

A will is an important tool in the estate planning process that allows a testator, a person who creates a will, to distribute the assets of an estate in the manner is deemed most appropriate. If no will is present, a testator’s estate is executed by the rules of intestate succession and assets are distrusted to the testator’s predetermined beneficiaries at a certain percentage.

To create a valid will, Florida requires the testator to posses the intent to create a will. To make a will, Florida requires the testator to be of sound mind and at least 18 years old. Additionally, a court requires the testator to understand the extent of her property, and to know the nature and scope of the act of executing a will. The testator must also be able to sign the will with this intent.

Courts do not allow a will to be signed by a power of attorney, guardian, or conservator of the testator.

May 15, 2015

Florida Estate Checklist

by David M. Goldman

The estate executor or personal representative is one of the most important roles in managing a loved one’s estate after death. Serving as an executor comes with many responsibilities, but knowing what to expect will make the transition into this important role much easier. The following checklist can be helpful in organizing your efforts.

The first step an executor should take is to look for records and important documents that relate to the deceased’s estate.

The common places to look for records

Personal filing cabinets: Many people keep physical copies of financial records in a home filing cabinet, safe, or in other types of physical storage. Financial records might also be kept near areas where bills are paid in the home.

Electronic storage: Search through the deceased’s home computer, laptops, and other electronic devices for folder names that might relate to the estate. A good place to look on a computer include the “my documents” and “downloads” folders on PC or Mac. Important files are often times kept in storage devices such as an external hard drive or USB thumb drive.

Mail: Look for correspondence from banks and other investment companies. These institutions will periodically send financial statements or even checks.

November 10, 2014

Estate Planning for Out-of-State Property

by David M. Goldman

If you live in Florida and own property in another state an ancillary administration will be necessary upon the death of the owner(s) of that property. This special probate administration will be in addition to the administration you have where you lived. This is required because real estate or real property is treated differently than personal property.

There are several ways to avoid the additional administration:

The real estate could be owned in a business entity. This converts the ownership from one of the real estate to one of a personal property interest in the stock or membership of the business entity.

October 28, 2014

Florida Probate Intake form

by David M. Goldman

Many of our clients have asked us to put our Florida Probate Intake form online so that they can easily download it. You can download the Florida Probate Intake form with the following link: Probate Intake Form.pdf

September 29, 2014

If a person dies intestate what proof must their children show the court to prove they are the heirs to the estate?

by David M. Goldman

Most Florida probate courts simply accept the information contained in the pleadings that are filed with the court. These pleadings are usually signed “under penalties of perjury”.

Some courts (such as Citrus Count and Miami-Dade County) often require an Affidavit of Heirs.pdf to be filed along with the pleadings. There really is no other independent evidence that is required to prove who the beneficiaries are.

When a rightful heir has been omitted from the pleadings, it is important to act timely. Sometimes, there are people who are included that should not receive a portion of the estate.

August 25, 2014

Estate Planning: Dealing with your digital death instead of before

by David M. Goldman

Portland company WebCease is making waves in the probate and estate-planning community by helping attorneys and grieving families locate the deceased’s digital accounts.

CEO Glenn Williamson aims to be the first to provide this service to the growing market of families and attorneys trying to track down digital accounts. Williamson is banking on the need for this service to continue to grow as people continue to use digital accounts for shopping, social media and traveling.

WebCease searches across different vendors to determine if the deceased person had an account. WebCease then generates a report that outlines the location of the deceased’s accounts and includes instructions on how to transfer the account or shut it down. The company will not take any action to use the account, or attempt to login to the account.

July 29, 2014

Dangers of Relying on Joint Accounts for Estate Planning in Florida

by David M. Goldman

Many people see joint accounts as a cheap and easy way to avoid probate, since joint property passes to the join owner at death, but these accounts can actually be quite risky when it comes to estate planning.

Joint ownership of accounts can be a great way to easily pass assets to another owner at death. Joint ownership is also a great way to plan for an elder person’s incapacity, since the joint owner of the account can pay bills and manage investments if the primary owner falls ill or suffers from any other sickness.

There are some potential downsides to joint ownership of an account. The biggest factor to consider is the risk of joint ownership. Joint owners have complete access to the account, and the ability to use the account funds for any purpose. When children are made joint owners of an account, it is often the case they can take money without consulting with the other children.

July 18, 2014

Probate: Is it a good idea to give your heirs their inheritance while you are still alive?

by David M. Goldman

Planning an estate can be a difficult process, but also a rewarding one because it helps to ensure that a person’s heirs will be provided for after he or she dies. Many assume they should wait until after death to convey assets to their loved ones, but there are some benefits to giving assets to an heir while still alive.

There are two types of taxes to consider when determining when to give an heir your assets. A decedent who gives his or her assets to someone while still alive may have to pay a gift tax. This is a tax imposed by the federal government on any transfer of property. Property includes intangible items such as cash and stocks, as well as physical items such as vehicles or furniture.

The most important aspect of gift tax to understand is the unified gift and estate tax credit, which allows a person to give property tax free up to $5.34 million throughout his or her life.

July 17, 2014

Can a surviving spouse claim loss of consortium after the other spouse dies?

by David M. Goldman

A recent ruling by the Fifth Florida Appellate Court on Friday allows surviving spouses to claim loss of consortium separately from others claims after the spouse dies.

The surviving spouse Margaret Randall filed the case, Randall v. Walt Disney World Co., in 2006 after her husband Barry Randall allegedly suffered injuries to his head and neck from riding a roller coaster. Besides personal injuries, Ms. Randall also claims loss of consortium. Loss of consortium is the inability of one spouse to have normal martial relations. Judges will sometimes award the surviving spouse damages for his or her loss of intimacy with their spouse.

The issue here was could Mrs. Randall claim loss of consortium after her husband died. Mr. Randall died shortly after the lawsuit was filed, which Mrs. Randall claims was a result from the rollercoaster injury. In Florida, the rules of civil procedure requires that when a party in a lawsuit dies a personal representative of the deceased’s estate must be substituted within 90 days. This is a rather harsh rule that must be performed on time or else the deceased party will be dismissed from the lawsuit.

July 15, 2014

Estate Planning: The Risk of Creating Your Own Will. Is it valid?

by David M. Goldman

The Florida Supreme Court recently decided the long and costly case of a deceased woman who tried to write her own Will using an online legal form.

In Aldrich, v. Basile, Ann Aldrich used a pre-printed legal form to draft a Will. She did this most likely to avoid paying an estate-planning attorney. This Florida Supreme Court Decision resulted in costly legal fees and most likely years of anguish for her family.

Deciding who would inherit Ann Aldrich’s property was appealed twice, which was finally decided by the Florida Supreme Court. The court’s decision of who would inherit the property was most likely not what the deceased had intended. Justice Pariente wrote in her concurring opinion the result of the court’s decision came not from the interpretation of Florida law but from Ann’s mistake of using an online form that did not adequately express her specific needs.