The terms you set in your estate plan reflect your family relationships and your personal values. You may want to leave more property to one person than another. Sometimes, you might even choose to disinherit a loved one who has addiction issues or who has not been...
Serving Northwest Florida Families For More Than 25 Years
Estate Planning
How can you use a trust to incentivize your heirs?
Working out the right way to leave money to your children can be challenging, especially if you have a substantial sum. People often misquote the Bible, saying that “money is the root of all evil,” whereas the actual phrase was “a love of money is the root of all...
How to create an inventory of someone’s estate
If you are the executor (also sometimes called a personal representative) of someone’s estate in Florida, you are entrusted with carrying out many important tasks. One of them is making an inventory of the person’s estate for probate reasons. This is a key step in the...
What should you consider when passing down real estate?
People often want to pass down real estate to their loved ones, but there are a few things that you must consider if you want to do this. In many cases, it’s best to discuss your wishes with your family members ahead of time so you know how they feel about your...
Will you attend a will reading?
If a loved one passes away, you hope that they have a will or an estate plan to show you what to do with their assets. In the event that your loved one leaves behind a will, are you going to attend a will reading to find out what it says? Readings of the will are...
How do enhanced life estate and life estate deeds differ?
One critical part of the estate planning process is deciding how to pass on real estate once you pass away. Two options for doing so here in Florida are to pursue a life estate or an enhanced life estate deed. As you'll note, there's only a subtle difference in the...
If you have a vacation home in Florida, you can help your heirs avoid probate
Many Florida property owners consider their real homes to be elsewhere. “Snowbirds” have long traveled from points north to Florida for the winter months. Other people have vacation homes here where they spend part of their summers and other vacation time. When a...
Creating an estate plan can be life-affirming
Many people associate estate planning with the gloomy realization that their life will one day come to an end. But estate planning does not need to be morbid -- it can be quite the opposite. Instead of focusing on the end of your life, the process can focus on all...
You’re not alone if you don’t have an estate plan
Any time that you hear someone talk about writing a will or making an estate plan, do you make a mental note to get your own estate plans started? On some levels, this is a very good mindset. It shows that you know how important estate planning is for your family’s...
Why a QTIP trust might be wise if you’re entering a second marriage
If you’re about to embark on a second (or third) marriage, you’re likely considering what changes you need to make to your estate plans. If you don’t already have an estate plan, you shouldn’t wait any longer. Likely, your goals for your estate plan include ensuring...

