Crackdown on Abuse of Guardianships in Florida
How is Florida trying to protect its most vulnerable seniors?
The Sunshine State, where so many Americans look forward to spending their retirement years, has a disportionately large elderly population. Unfortunately, along with the outsized senior population comes a larger than average proportion of guardianships and, regrettably, the fraud that sometimes accompanies them. Not only...
Probate and Estate Planning In the Cloud: Florida Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
What is the Florida Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act, and why is it important?
On July 1, 2016, the Florida Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act took effect. "Digital assets" include electronic records like emails, texts, online photographs, and social media accounts. Before the passage of the Digital Assets Act, Florida, like...
Improvements in Estate Planning for Same-Sex Couples
How has legalizing gay marriage in all states positively affected estate planning for same-sex couples?
Until very recently, gay and lesbian couples have faced discrimination and injustice with regard to many legal issues, including such routine family matters as hospital visits, inheritance, adoption, and health benefits. Though some of these issues can be...
The Need to Include Planning for Long-Term Care in Your Estate Planning
Seniors are gradually becoming a larger proportion of the American population. The U.S. Census Bureau predicts that this growth will become more and more rapid in the future. By the middle of the next century, it is estimated that there could...
Guardianships and the Law
For many people, estate planning includes making provisions for family members who require assistance throughout adulthood. Such individuals may suffer from severe congenital defects, deteriorative or incapacitating illness, psychiatric disorder or disability as the result of an accident. Any condition that prevents such individuals from...
“Strange Inheritance” Reports on a Verras Law Client Who Inherited the World’s Largest Autograph Collection
The Fox Business News show “Strange Inheritance” recently visited the offices of Verras Law, P.A. to meet with probate attorney Spiro J. Verras and his client Juan Carlos Saucedo-Campos, who inherited the estate of legendary autograph collector Jack Kuster, including over 35,000 celebrity autographs and 17,000 never-before-seen celebrity photographs.
Kuster, a native of...
Buying a Home and Then Leasing It Back to Its Former Owner
There are several reasons that buyers purchase a house and then lease it back to the seller for some period of time. Typically, it is a favor to the seller who requires...
For-Profit Adult Day Care Centers: New Approach to a Growing Problem Are there any innovations in adult day care facilities?
Daniel and Genevive Barbeau-Nassar have recently opened a new and different kind of day care center for older adults in Venice, Florida. What makes their business unusual is that All Smiles Adult Day Care Center is primarily financed by for-profit providers. In addition, All Smiles offers more security for participants in the program...
Evidence Shows that Medical Errors Are the 3rd Leading Cause of Death in U.S. How common are medical mistakes?
We have all heard the horror stories of medical mistakes: the wrong breast is removed; the wrong kidney is implanted; the surgeon leaves a contaminant in the gastrointestinal tract. Terrifying though these stories may be, most of us assume that safety and sterility standards will be observed when we are hospitalized or...
Are Inherited IRAs Protected From Creditors?
Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) are a popular way to save for retirement. They offer tax advantages and, under federal bankruptcy law, protection from creditors. But what happens when you inherit an IRA from a loved one? Is that protection still available?
This question became especially important after a 2014...