Estate Planning

Estate planning is a process. The process involves determining the value of your property; discussing the alternative methods of owning tangible and intangible property; discussing alternative plans for the management and control of your property if you become disabled, and implementing your goals for the disposition of your property upon your death.

Every person has an estate plan. However if you have not set up your own estate plan, then the state of Florida has established an estate plan for you. For example, many people do not realize that under Florida law, if a husband or wife dies without a will, then almost half of the estate owned by the deceased spouse passes directly to the children. Further, if you have migrated here from another state Florida law incorporates several surprises for the unwary.

Services provided include:

Basic Estate Planning: Our services include preparation of Wills, Will Substitutes (such as Revocable ("Living") Trusts) Durable Powers of Attorney, pre and post nuptial agreements; irrevocable trusts, life insurance planning and retirement planning.

Charitable Giving: Identifying and evaluating your options, which include direct gifts, transfers through charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, private foundations, supporting organizations and other options.

Integrated Wealth Transfer Planning: Identifying techniques to reduce the overall transfer tax (i.e., gift, estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes). With the current law dealing with estate and gift tax exemptions constantly changing, a large part of this process is evaluating when to act and what to do.

Asset Protection Planning: This involves structuring your assets to minimize the risk of a potential lawsuit. The first step in this process involves evaluating what the risk is. Many times the solutions are simple and inexpensive.

Business Succession Planning: Assisting the business owner with implementing goals to transfer a business to heirs while minimizing the transfer costs. We also assist business owners with exit strategies when the business owner desires to sell the business.

Download Estate Planning Questionnaire