Former "Sopranos" star James Gandolfini passed away suddenly while on vacation in Italy before the Fourth of July holiday. Millions of fans mourned his passing and were surprised by how the life of someone who was relatively healthy was cut short. According to...
From time to time, we learn from our older clients of the pain they experience from not hearing from their children or other loved ones. They describe how they do not speak very often to them, and how they worry about not having anyone around to care for them or...
The United States supreme Court recently issued a ruling on U.S. v. Windsor, the estate tax case that pitted 84-year-old Edie Windsor against the Internal Revenue Service over taxes imposed when her long-time spouse, Thea Spyer, left Windsor her estate when she died...
Imagine if a loved one passes away without a will. In this instance, Florida law will determine how the estate will be divided amongst his or her heirs. When a person passes with a will, the terms and conditions of the document will control. However, what happens when...
Many people realize that estate planning is more than just putting together a will and choosing beneficiaries, but few understand (or consider) the emotional issues that come about when assets are actually distributed after they pass away. Indeed, the person creating...
Naming beneficiaries to a Florida based insurance policy should be easy. After all, one only has to consider who should receive the balance of the assets left behind, identify them in a will, and the rest should be simple. Unfortunately, there are unforeseen pitfalls...
Naming beneficiaries should be easy, right? You just think about who you would want to pass the proceeds of a life insurance policy to, and jot their name on the dotted line. In theory it is, but in practice, there are a number of pitfalls that can complicate the...
The notion of what is a family heirloom, or at least passing them down through generations, is beginning to change in Florida and across the country. In decades past, a classic piece of furniture or a one-of-a kind trinket would be guarded like a secret family recipe....
Estate planning is not a popular topic for a number of reasons. To most it is simply a morbid topic that they don't want to approach. To others it may not be appropriate because they are not independently wealthy or have little (if anything) to leave behind. Yet...
A comprehensive estate plan deals with many aspects of passing on assets upon one's passing. This may include physical assets (e.g. automobiles, real estate), heirlooms and memorbilia, as well as monetary assets (e.g. life insurance proceeds and retirement...
Contact us today to schedule a consultation with one of our experienced attorneys.