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Why Young Families Can Benefit from Talking to Elder Law Attorneys
Elder law attorneys help senior citizens deal with and plan for the issues which can come with aging. However, seniors are actually not the only ones who could benefit significantly from consulting with an elder law professional. In fact, in many situations, it may be important for young families to get legal help from an attorney […]
read more >Do I need a Will? Can I just write down where I want my assets to go or tell someone my intentions?
In Florida, as in every state, there are specific requirements that must be met in order for a Will to be validly executed. In order to be legally sufficient and distribute assets as the testator (one who executes a Will) intended, a Will in Florida must be executed according to Florida law. If the Will […]
read more >Can Probate Be Avoided?
Probate is the legal process of settling the estate of a decedent. The probate process occurs in court. If the decedent left a Will, the process involves proving that the Will is valid, resolving creditor claims against the estate, filing any necessary tax returns and distributing the assets to the beneficiaries according to the terms […]
read more >Estate Plan for Second Marriages
The elder population is experiencing more and more second and third marriages. Second and third marriages almost mandate a revisit to an estate planning attorney or an elder law attorney for advice. Is a pre-nuptial or post-nuptial agreement needed? Almost certainly yes. If the second or third marriage is late in life or if the […]
read more >Why the Need for Effective Estate Planning
An estate plan is not just for the wealthy. Everyone should have an effective plan. Effective estate planning must consider many things and the plan must “dovetail” together. What happens at death; burial or cremation, disposition of assets, who will be the personal representative? Is a trust needed? Tax issues should also be considered. What […]
read more >Ten Common Estate Planning Mistakes
Barbara Buxton, a fellow elder law attorney, recently posted an article with common mistakes made during the estate planning process. We believe these tips to be helpful and beneficial to anyone in this position. Ten Common Estate Planning Mistakes Procrastination. Not creating more than a Will in your estate plan.(You don’t create a Revocable Trust […]
read more >New Estate and Gift Tax Laws…For Awhile
For 2011 and 2012, we have an estate tax with a 35% rate and a $5 million unified-credit exemption equivalent. That means that if you have an estate of under $5 million, there will be no federal estate tax. For all wills and trusts that have been drafted with any type of formula clause, whether […]
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