Estate Planning for Snowbirds and Part-Time Florida Residents
By Spiro Verras
“Snowbirds” are people who spend the warmer months of the year in cooler northern climates, and then migrate south to escape the cold of winter. Many of these individuals are part-time Florida residents. But like anyone else who lives in our state, part-time or...
How Much Does an Estate Have to Be Worth to Go to Probate?
By Spiro Verras
There is no single minimum estate value that determines whether Florida probate is needed. The first question is how the deceased person’s property was owned and whether a valid arrangement transfers it without probate. The value of the probate property then helps identify which procedure...
Is Intellectual Property Part Of An Estate Plan?
By Spiro Verras
An estate plan should account for the property you own and the rights that may continue after your death. Alongside real estate, financial accounts and personal belongings, those rights may include intellectual property. For an author, artist, inventor or business owner, a thoughtful plan...
What Happens if You Write the Wrong Date On an Estate Planning Document?
By Spiro Verras
Contact Us TodayWriting the wrong year or date is an easy mistake to make. In an estate-planning document, the consequences...
Who Gets The Family Pet? Pet Trusts In Estate Plans
By Spiro Verras
Pets are part of the family, and planning for their care can be an important part of your estate plan. A Florida pet trust can set aside resources, identify responsible people and provide instructions for an animal’s needs if you die or become unable...
How To Manage Inheritances Without Conflict In A Blended Family
By Spiro Verras
In a blended family, a thoughtful estate plan can help you provide for a spouse, children and other people you love while making your intentions clearer. Their needs may differ, and family harmony cannot be guaranteed. The useful starting point is an honest...
Funeral and Burial Planning: Should It Be Part of Your Estate Plan?
By Spiro Verras
Funeral and burial planning can spare loved ones uncertainty at an emotional time. Recording your preferences, discussing them with the right people and arranging a realistic source of payment can help your family honor what matters to you.
Including Funeral Planning in Your Florida...
Creative Ways To Minimize Estate Taxes
By Spiro Verras
Thoughtful tax planning can help preserve more of what you have built for the people and causes you care about. Florida currently has no separate state estate or inheritance tax, but federal transfer taxes and taxes connected with property in other states may matter....
Can A Handwritten Will Hold Up In A Florida Court?
By Spiro Verras
It is important to think about putting a will in place, especially when you get married or have children, or some other significant event takes place in your life that would make designations and protection of your assets necessary. Sometimes you might not want...
Estate Planning Must-Dos For Parents Of Minor Children
By Spiro Verras
Parents can use an estate plan to identify trusted caregivers, arrange financial support and give others authority to help if illness or death interrupts family life. Naming a preferred guardian is an important expression of your wishes, but a nomination is not a court...