With the proper guidance, planning for the future and protecting your assets for those you care about makes good sense, regardless of age or personal circumstances. With over 40 years of experience, our wills, trusts, and probate lawyers in Leesburg help families to organize their affairs related to will writing, creating and administering trusts, probate administration, and estate planning.
With a personal and sensitive approach, we take the time to understand the issues that matter to you and your family. We listen to your concerns and translate your wishes into concise legal documents. This way, every detail is accounted for in line with your specific preferences. Below, we highlight different ways to structure and protect your assets to provide financial security and enhanced quality of life in the future for you and your family.
Creating a Will with the Help of a Lawyer Can Be a Valuable Investment
Planning ahead gives you peace of mind that your loved ones will be looked after, whatever the future holds. As such, we act as trusted legal advisers to many families from all walks of life. When we help our clients to draw up a will, we understand what is required to ensure their wealth is properly managed and assets distributed according to their wishes.
With over 40 years of experience, we are well-positioned to protect your family’s wealth for the future by carefully drafting your will to ensure it is legally binding under Florida’s laws and procedures. We can help you structure and organize your intentions concerning the following:
- What assets to include in your will
- Nominating who will inherit your assets
- Choosing an executor and personal representative to manage your estate and ensuring the terms of your will are carried out.
- Choosing a guardian for your children
- Naming a trusted person to manage assets left to minor children
- Drafting the will
- Arranging signatures in front of witnesses
- Storing your will securely
- Managing any changes to your will or creating a new one should the need arise.
- Tax planning and tax reliefs that may be available
Do I Need a Will?
If you die without a will, your estate will be managed per Florida’s intestate succession laws, which could result in undue stress and disputes for your loved ones after you die. This is because the state distributes your assets among your heirs in a particular order (regardless of your wishes), as follows:
- Spouse
- Children or grandchildren
- Parents
- Siblings
Having a will allows you to control what happens to your estate and ensures your assets go to the right people in accordance with your intentions. This way, you have peace of mind your loved ones are suitably cared for when the time comes.
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Living Trusts offer Further Control over Your Estate than a Will
Trusts are similar to a will in that assets are transferred to designated heirs per the grantor’s wishes. However, this arrangement offers more control and flexibility than a will alone can guarantee regarding how and when specific heirs will receive trust assets (when an heir reaches a certain age, for example).
Additionally, a trust provides more privacy than a will as it does not go through the probate process, meaning it does not become a matter of public record. With a trust, legal ownership passes to the designated successor(s) after the grantor passes away. They will administer the trust rather than the court overseeing the process of paying debts and distributing assets.
Further, if you require help managing your affairs due to illness or disability, a Living Trust enables you to appoint someone to manage your financial healthcare costs. This way, you keep your estate assets separate until the time comes when they. Trusts can be especially beneficial if:
- You have assets (within or out of Florida State) that you want to include in your trust to deliver optimal value to your loved ones through reduced inheritance tax liability.
- You want to avoid the court and attorney fees associated with the probate court.
- You want to keep your financial status private.
- You want your assets to be distributed strictly according to your wishes.
- You want to make arrangements as straightforward as possible for your loved ones when the trust passes to your nominated successor(s).
- You want a financial plan in place to provide for your health care needs while protecting your assets if you become ill or disabled.
The Benefits of Hiring Legal Representation to Create Your Living Trust
Your trust is a clear and detailed plan followed if you cannot manage your affairs or after you die. It is a complex document that must be precisely crafted to ensure it meets all your intended needs while being legally compliant with state and federal laws.
Our wills, trusts, and probate attorneys serving Leesburg can advise on the creation and administration of trusts regarding:
- Trustees’ responsibilities.
- Taxation of trusts and tax planning.
- Protecting your assets.
- Structuring how your loved ones will benefit the most when the time comes for them to inherit.
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We Can Represent Your Family during Probate Claims and Disputes
Probate is a legal process related to distributing the estates of people who write a will or beneficiaries of a decedent who passed without a will. Surviving family members and creditors can make legal challenges regarding their right to inherit or debt recovery during probate litigation which can add considerable stress and complexity to the process.
Commonly contested matters our real estate litigation lawyers can handle include:
- Challenging the validity of a will or contesting guardianship
- Breach of fiduciary duty through fraud, conflicts of interest, self-dealing, or issues related to the administration of a trust or probate estate
- Termination, reformation, or modification of trusts
- Trust or will compliance and construction
- Inheritance disputes
You may need a probate lawyer for many reasons, as litigation cannot always be avoided. We will manage your case with sensitivity and assertiveness to ensure you receive the support and advice needed to resolve probate litigation matters.
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Work With Our Leesburg Wills, Trusts, and Probate Attorneys
We hope you have found this information helpful; however, everyone we represent is unique. If you have questions or want to know more specific details about wills, trusts, or probate, we are here to help. Contact us and learn more about planning for your family’s future today.
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