Blog: Estate Planning

How Divorce Affects Your Existing Legal Plan by Stephanie L. Schneider In Florida when the Judge signs the Final Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage it has the following effect: If you named your ex-spouse as beneficiary in your Last Will & Testament, it is as if your ex- spouse died before you; If you named…

There’s no better time than summertime – rest, relaxation and seeing the world. You’ve waited all year for your vacation. You’ve got your passport, the pet sitter is confirmed but wait- do you have your estate & incapacity plan in place? If you do is it so old it needs to be updated to meet…

Clients frequently ask “Doesn’t my revocable trust protect my assets if I get sick and require long term care services?”  Clients are surprised when the answer is that their revocable trust assets, which they control, are countable if the client has a chronic illness and wants to apply for Medicaid. Clients want to stay in control of their…

Starting January 1, 2018 donations of $15,000.00 for the calendar year can be made to an ABLE account. This is an increase from $14,000.00. Additional good news is that Florida’s ABLE United fund is waiving its fee to open a new account. An ABLE account helps a person with a disability save their earnings or,…

We are pleased to introduce our new Premiere Estate Planning Program (PEPP) for our clients for whom we have done estate & incapacity documents. During the subscription year, the PEPP program is designed to: help you keep your plan up-to-date keep you apprised of new law changes that may affect your estate planning documents allow you the…

Calling All Business Owners: Don’t Forget Your Estate Plan! If you do not have legal documents in place because you believe that you don’t have a taxable estate (one whose gross value exceeds $5.43M) you are missing the point. Like most business owners you have probably spent countless hours, energy and ideas on how to…

Santa, Is There a Difference Between a Qualified Income Trust and a Special Needs Trust? Yes, Virginia, there is a difference and you need to consult a qualified elder law attorney to know which document you need based on your personal circumstances. A ‘Qualified Income Trust‘ is required if you are applying for Medicaid assistance…

The death of a loved one is a life-changing event filled with emotion and can be traumatic.  Is there anything that can help ease the pain and promote the healing process? Absolutely – proper advance legal planning can make all the difference. Imagine that someone close to you decided to write their own Last Will…

Divorce can take its toll on a person’s physical, emotional, mental and financial well-being. Even after the divorce is final, moving forward and starting anew can seem daunting especially when there are minor children of the marriage. While keeping up the daily routines of preparing the family for school, going to work, team sports and household chores, it is easy…

In the past ten to fifteen years medical technology has changed in leaps and bounds.  The law has not necessarily kept pace with new technological developments.  No clearer example can be found than the inheritance rights of children conceived through in vitro fertilization. More people are conceiving children with medical assistance than ever before, thanks…