Recent Blog Posts
Pre-Nuptial Agreements
What happens if prior to getting married, one of the future spouses comes to the other and requests a pre-nuptial agreement because they want to protect their personal assets that they have worked so hard to earn. This is especially daunting when the request for the pre-nuptial agreement is made the day of or… Read More »
Can I Avoid Estate Tax With an LLC?
I get calls from time to time about individuals who want to avoid estate taxes and how to do it. The short answer is if you do not have greater than a $10 million dollar estate (a single person) or $20 million dollar estate (a married person) you do not need to be concerned… Read More »
New Trust Code Adds Protectors, Directors and Advisors
Florida’s Trust Code has added new provisions by adding new statutory sections in an effort to prevent many trusts from moving out of state. It is called the Florida Uniform Directed Trust Act. The Act is found in Chapter 736, Part XIV of the Florida’s statutes. Some of the major changes are Definitions, Defaults,… Read More »
Tenants by Entireties and Expectation of Privacy
Privacy Expectations: Imagine being in your backyard and your neighbor places a camera on their roof top that is pointed into your yard and recording what you are doing. Would that annoy you to the point of bringing a law suit against your neighbor to enjoin them from having the camera operational? That was… Read More »
Beneficiary Rights
There continues to be confusion about what rights a beneficiary has when it comes to a trust and the information a beneficiary is entitled to receive concerning a trust. The first thing to understand is which beneficiary of a trust is entitled to receive information. The answer is every qualified beneficiary. The definition of… Read More »
Fraudulently Sold Property – Is There a Remedy?
Imagine you own a house and your friend puts it up for sale without telling you. The authorization he used was a Durable Power of Attorney naming your friend as the agent. You either voluntarily or mistakenly allowed him to take possession of it while visiting one day. A buyer comes along and says… Read More »
Estate Litigation (Is It Worth It?)
Is litigation involving Estate Administration worth it? The short answer is probably not. This is especially true if one of the main characters needed to prove the source of litigation is deceased. The reason for this is that the main character who can state whether they consented to certain activities involving the distribution of… Read More »
Adopted Children and Right to Heirship
Do children born out of wedlock who are not adopted have standing to a decedent’s estate? The answer is possibly, provided that an individual follow certain rules and procedures to prove such person has standing before requesting the courts for relief. The primary statute that Florida law relies on in these situations is Section… Read More »
To Be Cremated or Buried, That Is the Question
William Shakespeare’s statement of “to be or not to be, that is the question” fits when it comes to determining what is to be done with a person’s remains at death. Such decisions can generate a great deal of fodder and questions among family relationships. Much of those decisions will depend on the interrelationships… Read More »
Don’t Cut Corners When It Comes to Real Property
I’ve recently had two situations arise that cause me to author this article for the purpose of informing you what not to do when it comes to making real estate titling decisions. The situation is as follows: Prior to getting married, two individuals (I’ll call them Mom and Dad) purchased a property. The property… Read More »
