Tampa Bay Estate Planning,
Probate, and Trust Attorneys
Since 2003, Verras Law has been providing quality legal services to clients throughout Florida from our offices in the Tampa Bay area. Our lead attorney, Spiro J. Verras, is committed to providing our clients not only with excellent legal representation and guidance, but also with compassion as he helps them to navigate the challenges involved in estate planning, probate and trust administration, incapacity planning, guardianship, asset protection, and business formation. Contact us now for the personal attention you deserve.
What Sets Verras Law Apart From the Crowd
Our team takes pride in working collaboratively with those who come to us for help. We believe it is critical to listen carefully to the details of each client’s specific situation so we can respond individually. We will take the time to answer all your questions and clarify any unfamiliar terms or concepts. More than that, we will make sure you understand your options and the purpose of each document we draft.
Practice Areas of Verras Law
Verras Law serves a broad range of clients with a wide variety of needs. You needn’t be wealthy to recognize the importance of planning your estate, protecting your assets, or incorporating your business. You need not be elderly to plan for retirement or incapacity. The future is unpredictable, but working with us will give you a measure of control and empowerment. Contact us now to protect yourself and those you love.
Estate Planning
No matter how much property you have or what age you are, all adults should consider estate planning. Now is the time to protect your assets, put away funds for your child’s education and/or the pleasures of retirement, and address the necessary issues that are hard to face, like mortality and incapacity.
We have the tools and talents to help you handle all of these matters without stress and prepare wills, trusts, and other essential estate planning documents. We proudly serve a diverse client base that includes single parents, blended families, members of all races, ethnicities, and religions, and members of the LGBTQ community. We will be happy to serve you and will always treat you with respect.
Probate
When someone dies, their estate goes through a court-supervised process known as “probate administration,” which involves gathering, inventorying, and distributing the assets of the decedent as their will directs. If the deceased person has left no will, their estate will be distributed according to the somewhat complex laws of Florida intestate succession.
In any case, our probate attorney will assist in simplifying the process, especially if you have been named a personal representative whose duties include taking charge of this matter.
Trust Administration
Trusts, which can be revocable (“living”) or irrevocable, can play significant roles in estate planning, serving a broad range of purposes. A revocable trust, for example, because it can take an estate out of the trustor’s ownership, can avoid the cost, possible delays, and public disclosure of probate. On the other hand, specific types of irrevocable trusts can perform important functions, such as:
- Diminish the estate’s tax burden
- Provide funds for a special needs child while maintaining
- their eligibility for government benefits (special needs trust)
- Protect a beneficiary who has difficulty managing money or
who is addicted to substances or gambling (spendthrift trust) - Hold assets safely for minor children until they reach maturity (minor’s trust)
There are many other types of irrevocable trusts. Our trust attorney will customize your estate plan to meet your particular needs and wishes.
Asset Protection
Protecting assets is a primary concern for most of our clients. We can help you protect your assets from:
- Costly probate
- Excessive taxation
- Creditors
- Divorcing spouses
- Lawsuit settlements
- Dangerous scams
Our asset protection attorney has several tools to protect your assets, including irrevocable trusts, Limited Liability Corporations, and liability insurance.
Incapacity Planning
Incapacity planning addresses the discomforting reality that anyone can become incapacitated at any time — by a severe injury, a sudden medical event (e.g. heart attack, stroke, aneurysm), or worsening illness. We will see to it that your health concerns, your assets, and your family members are protected by the following essential documents:
- Durable Power of Attorney that will allow the person you designate to handle all legal and financial matters on your behalf
- Last Will and Testament names your personal representative (aka executor), your beneficiaries, and a guardian for your minor children, and states your wishes regarding your funeral, memorial, burial, or cremation after you pass away
- Health Care Surrogate Designation designates the individual you want to make your healthcare decisions when you are unable to do so
- Advance Directive / Living Will clarifies your wishes about your end-of-life care
- HIPAA authorization provides loved ones you name with access to your medical records in spite of healthcare privacy laws.
Each of these documents will help prevent family disagreements and avoid additional stress for your loved ones during a terribly difficult time.
Guardianship
There are two situations in which a person close to you must be in a protective relationship with a guardian:
- The individual is a minor whose parents are deceased or unavailable — e.g. seriously ill physically or mentally, incarcerated, institutionalized, addicted to substances or engaged in criminal or violent behavior.
- The person is an adult who is unable to function independently because of developmental or psychiatric disabilities, severe physical handicaps or cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, or suffering from severe addiction.
Our guardianship attorney will assist you in establishing guardianship to provide your dependent relative (known as the “ward”) with protection, and you with peace of mind.
Business Law
Verras Law also handles a great many aspects of business law. We are sharp legal representatives for small businesses, drafting documents and offering advice for those
involved in:
- Start-ups and entity formations (e.g. C- and S- corporations, LLCs,
partnerships and joint ventures) - Buy-sell transactions
- Property, lease, shareholder, and operating agreements
- Service contracts
- Due diligence processes
We have an impressive track record of successfully helping businesses to launch, facilitating sales and purchases of a broad range of businesses, and drafting customized business documents that are properly detailed and legally binding.
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Whether you are seeking supportive legal representation in a simple or complex business matter or are looking for an estate planning lawyer with intricate knowledge of the field, Verras Law is the place to call. Contact our responsive, responsible attorney now.
Palm Harbor, FL 34684
Call our office 727.493.2900
Tampa, FL 33626
Call our office 813.228.6800
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Call our office 727.892.6050