Tag Archives: Tampa Estate Planning Attorney
Religious Concerns in Estate Planning
The areas of estate, asset and tax planning seem mechanical, dry, and technical. They certainly seem far divorced from something like religion or religious beliefs. But estate planning isn’t just about laws; it’s about people, and those people often have devout religious beliefs that they may want reflected or avoided in their estate plan…. Read More »
All About the Blind Trust
During a presidential election cycle, interesting legal issues concerning criminal law, civil rights and social issues often arise. Rarely do estate planning topics enter the national debate, other than the occasional discussion of tax policy. But recently, the candidates and the media have been raising the issue of blind trusts. These trusts have long… Read More »
Human Remains Can Be a Difficult Subject of Estate Disputes
Sometimes the law is ill equipped to deal with some of the most sensitive subjects in life, especially in the area of estate planning and probate, which deals with often painful and sensitive issues. Trying to fit the staid, cold provisions of law into the realities of human interaction can often lead to miserable… Read More »
Benefits and Income That May Be Creditor Exempt
When we think of property or income that can’t be touched by most creditors, we tend to think of the more common ones, such as homestead property or an IRA. But there are many sources of income and assets that federal law protects from creditors (who aren’t collecting tax debts). Knowing about them can… Read More »
When Should a Gun Trust be Considered?
Of all the things that we think of leaving in trusts, or that we try to plan to make sure our beneficiaries receive, one thing is probably likely to slip someone’s mind when doing advance planning: guns. Despite where you stand on gun control, people own guns, they are property, some even have significant… Read More »
When to Consider a Special Needs Trust
If you or someone in your family is disabled, or has any kind of special need, you may want to consider a special needs trust (SNT). An SNT can be crucial to protect government benefits, and to ensure that people get the continuing care that they need in the future. Why Use a SNT?… Read More »
Simpson’s Creator’s Estate Plan May be Vague About Care For His Own Dog
We’ve written in the past about the importance of planning for pets when considering an estate plan. It turns out that even those with huge assets often forget to consider animals, or else, have estate plans that are vague or confusing about how they want their animals to be cared for. What appears to… Read More »
Some Estate Planning Tools to Consider When Planning for Minors
Its pretty common—and in fact pretty normal—for someone to want to provide for their children when the kids grow up. Surely, you can stuff money in a savings account or a mutual fund or some other investment vehicle. But the problem is that if you keep the funds in your name, they could be… Read More »
Your Homestead Status Could Be at Risk in a Divorce
Most of us have heard of Florida’s strong homestead protections—specifically, that homestead property is exempt from creditors, both those that may appear during your life, and those that may make claims on your estate after you pass. The protection is in the Florida constitution and is one of the strongest protections that Florida residents… Read More »
What is a Holographic Will and is it Valid in Florida?
We speak often about intent when it comes to determining how property will be devised or inherited, and about intent being a major factor in probate litigation disputes. And surely, intent does play a big role when there is litigation over how property should be passed on. But it’s important to remember that in… Read More »
