Many families in Florida include stepparents and children from earlier relationships. This blended family setup can make planning for the future harder. When someone remarries or raises children from another relationship, questions about who inherits, who cares for...
Planning for a loved one with disabilities can be overwhelming. You want to safeguard their future and well-being, but the challenge is clear: how do you build their financial security without jeopardizing the vital government benefits they may depend on? This is...
Many of the older adults living in Florida are actually residents of another state. Even if they own a house in Florida, they may also own homes in other states too. Snowbirds travel to Florida every winter to escape cold conditions elsewhere. When older adults who...
When you care for someone who can no longer manage personal or financial matters, the court may allow you to act on their behalf for a limited time. Florida’s emergency temporary guardianship process addresses urgent situations that place your loved one’s safety or...
A personal representative or executor administering an estate accepts many responsibilities. They also have to uphold a fiduciary duty to the beneficiaries of the estate. That means they have an obligation to act in the best interests of the estate and its...
There are many different estate planning documents that help to protect people. Wills and trusts can protect dependent family members by clarifying what they should inherit or naming a guardian to support them. Advance directives can explain a person’s medical wishes...
Estate planning is a responsibility that is easy to delay. Adults can always tell themselves that they have time next month or that they want to wait until they resolve a certain challenge before drafting a will. The problem with that approach is that no one knows...
Formal probate proceedings can take months or longer to complete. During that time, family members may need to wait to secure their inheritances. The personal representative overseeing estate administration as part of the formal probate process must continue to manage...
As people age, they may experience changes in their physical health and cognition. Older adults are vulnerable to falls. They may find themselves confused or could become quite forgetful. When an older adult struggles to live independently or a doctor diagnoses them...
Estate administration can be a lengthy, complicated process. Families typically defer to a will if there is a testamentary instrument drafted by the deceased person. They try to uphold the last wishes of the person who died. Occasionally, families may question estate...