Clearwater, Florida Estate Planning Blog
Do the Relatives of Your Ex-Spouse Inherit Under Your Will and Trust?
A recent Minnesota appellate court decided whether relatives of an ex-spouse inherits. Minnesota law is similar to Florida law and this case illustrates the importance of reviewing your documents after a divorce to be sure they reflect your intent. In Matter of the...
Could your family benefit from a special needs trust?
If you are the parent of a child with special needs, you understand the complexity of daily life as you care for him or her. As parents of special needs children age, they begin to wonder what will happen after they are no longer around in the future. While you cannot...
The process of administering a trust
A trust is a beneficial estate planning tool as it allows one to set aside and protect his or her assets for a specific use. When putting assets in a trust, the individual is placing control over those assets in the hands of a third party. The third party oversees and...
Life Insurance Proceeds are Not Always Treated the Same
A recent case illustrates the importance of the selection of life insurance to ensure that payments for the benefit of children and a spouse will occur. In Stevens v. Stevens, Kimberly and Gene dissolved their marriage in 2015. Gene agreed to provide that their...
Adult children should discuss estate plans with aging parents
Discussing post-death matters and potential medical needs can be a difficult conversation to have with your parents. While it can be uncomfortable to discuss what will happen if your parents pass away or become incapacitated at some point, it is a necessary...
Which types of advance directives should be in your estate plan?
One of your main goals for your estate planning strategy is to care for and support your loved ones in the future. Through the distribution of assets and careful planning, you can provide for them and leave a legacy that will benefit the generations that come after...
LLC Operating Agreement vs. Will…Which Controls as to Disposition of Property?
The court determined in Tita v. Tita, that a specific bequest in a will overrides language in a limited liability company operating agreement. See a discussion on this matter in another case in a prior blog here. John Tita ("Decedent") signed his Last Will and...
NEW IRA Proposed Regulations…Timing of Distributions over 10 Years is NOT what Most Practitioners Believed!
The recent proposed regulations ("regulations") of the SECURE Act issued on February 23, 2022 surprised the tax community with rules regarding the 10 year distribution rule for beneficiaries, pleased the tax community by providing examples for determining whether...
Protecting your financial interests in case of incapacitation
One of the primary benefits of planning for the future is taking steps that will allow you to decide what will happen to your money and assets in the future. Through a will and other estate planning tools, you can have a measure of control over the distribution of...
What should you expect from the probate process?
After the passing of a loved one, you may have the responsibility of settling his or her estate. There is typically much more involved with this process than simply distributing assets according to the terms of the will. In many cases, many or all estate assets will...