Creating Long-Term Peace Of Mind With A Crestview Estate Planning Lawyer

My goal is to create a plan that works for you and your family and gives you peace of mind. Ryan M. Mynard, Attorney at Law, P.A., has been providing estate planning services to estate planning clients throughout northwest Florida and Okaloosa County for more than 25 years.

I create and execute estate planning practical solutions and strategies that preserve wealth, provide for my clients’ loved ones, limit delays, and account for medical and financial contingencies throughout the estate planning process. I want to help you develop a comprehensive estate plan that protects your financial decisions, too.

To discuss your goals and concerns with an experienced estate planning attorney, please call my office in Crestview at 850-634-4656 or send me an email. I would be honored to speak with you.

What Is Comprehensive Estate Planning?

Comprehensive Estate planning is the process of organizing and managing an individual’s assets to ensure their distribution according to their wishes after death. It involves creating legal documents such as wills, trusts, powers of attorney and healthcare directives. The goal is to minimize taxes, legal fees and potential disputes among heirs. Estate planning also includes making arrangements for incapacity, ensuring that one’s financial and healthcare decisions are handled according to one’s preferences if one becomes unable to make those decisions themselves.

Building A Better Future

A primary aspect of estate planning is creating a will that is valid under Florida law. A will should distribute assets to your intended heirs in a way that is clear and avoids controversy down the road.

Whether you need to update an existing will or create a new one, I can help. I will work with you to create a will or any other testamentary instrument – a living trust, for example – that fully covers your current and future assets, and provides for all beneficiaries for years to come.

I can work with you and your family members to create estate planning documents that provide for your ongoing needs as you age. To do this, I can help you designate individuals to make financial and medical decisions on your behalf through durable powers of attorney or a health care surrogate designation.

How Can A Crestview Estate Planning Attorney From Ryan M. Mynard, Attorney at Law, P.A. Help Protect Your Future?

Estate planning often intersects with other areas of law, including businesses, taxes and real estate. I have extensive experience in these and other matters and account for my clients’ business and real estate investments when developing comprehensive estate planning strategies.

I also protect the interests of all relevant parties in probate proceedings to ensure that assets are fairly and comprehensively distributed to the appropriate parties. This can be done according to a will or any other testamentary device, or according to state law if no will is in place. I handle probate matters in counties throughout Florida.

When Should You Update Your Estate Plan?

Estate plans should generally get updated every three to five years to ensure they meet estate planning goals. There are also occasions when it is wise to do it:

• Major life events: Marriage, divorce, birth of a child or death of a loved one can significantly alter your wishes and require updates to your estate plan.
• Significant financial changes: Inheritance, acquiring or selling property, or substantial changes in income or assets necessitate revisiting your plan to reflect your new financial situation.
• Changes in laws: Tax laws and estate planning regulations change periodically. Ensure your plan complies with current laws to avoid unnecessary tax burdens or unexpected legal issues.
• Health changes: A severe illness or diagnosis can impact your healthcare directives and power of attorney designations, making it crucial to update your plan accordingly.
• Beneficiary updates: Relationships evolve, and you may want to add formerly minor children who are now adults or remove beneficiaries based on your current circumstances and relationships.
• Change of residency: States have different estate planning laws. Updating your plan ensures it adheres to the regulations in your new location.

Why It’s Important To Start Planning Today

If you pass without an estate plan in place, your family may have to track down all your assets and debts, figure out how to work with your financial institutions to pay off those debts and account to the probate court regarding your financial affairs. In the absence of a will, the court will determine who should receive your assets in accordance with state law. This process can be costly, and the results could be drastically different from the promises you made to your loved ones.

All of this can lead to lasting heartache among family members. I want to help you make your wishes clear and preserve the wealth you intend to pass on to heirs.

Schedule An Appointment

I am an estate planning lawyer with more than 25 years of experience. To arrange a consultation, please call my office in Crestview at 850-634-4656 or contact me via email. I represent individuals and families throughout northwest Florida.