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.