Category Archives: Estate Planning

How to avoid probate by “operation of law”

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| Written by Wendy Mara | One of the goals of estate planning is to help clients avoid estate planning probate. No, everyone does not have to go through probate. And no, contrary to popular belief, a will does not avoid probate. A will is not self-executing; that is, it doesn’t transfer ownership of assets […]

What happens to your assets if you or your spouse need to go into a nursing home?

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| Written by Wendy A. Mara, J.D., M.B.A | Long-term care planning is key to protecting your assets should you or your spouse need to go into a nursing home.  In Florida, the Department of Children and Families (“DCF”) determines your eligibility for Medicaid Long Term Care (“Medicaid LTC”).  DCF looks at two separate things: […]

What is a revocable living trust and do I need one?

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| Written by Andrew C. Grant | One of the most frequent questions I get when meeting with new clients to plan for their estates is whether they need a trust or not.  This question is usually prompted by a lack of information, or misinformation, as to what a trust does as part of a […]

What happens to your email when you die?

Gmail on Apple computer

| Written by Andrew Grant | As a child of the 80’s, when I heard the term “digital” it usually had to do with watches, and when I finally got one I thought it was one of the coolest things ever. It was really the only “digital” asset I had. Now, of course, most of […]

You may not know this detail about elder law and estate planning

senior couple getting counseling

| Written by Andrew C. Grant | Any caricature of Florida inevitably shows a sizable senior population, which makes it no less true.  With an aging population come certain needs, including increased needs for health care and day-to-day living assistance.  Lawyers who work in Elder Law seek to assist clients with those needs in an […]