Florida Elder Law & Estate Planning Blog


We are working at home for you. Stop by and visit!
We are working at home for you. Stop by and visit!
May 6, 2020

UPDATE: June 29. 2020:  Our plans to re-open our physical offices have been postponed due to the recent surge in coronavirus cases. Please check back at this website, where we will announce the new re-opening date.   The Karp Law…

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Find Missing Money
Find Missing Money
April 28, 2020

Madonna found money owed her for appearing in a gaming company’s video. Robert DeNiro had money waiting from Warner Brothers. Even Bloomberg LP (yes, that Bloomberg) had checks waiting for him from New York State. You need not be a…

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Warren Buffet Instructs Fiduciaries To Retain Berkshire Stock
Warren Buffet Instructs Fiduciaries To Retain Berkshire Stock
March 25, 2020

Warren Buffet, the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, is worth $82.2 billion. His estate plan provides for his children in a manner consistent with his philosophy: Leave your children enough to do anything, but not enough to do nothing. The bulk…

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What every personal representative should know
What Every Personal Representative Must Know
February 22, 2020

Naming a personal representative (executor) to administer your estate is a serious decision. So is deciding if you want to serve as one. A personal representative is a fiduciary, required to always act in the best interest of beneficiaries. Moreover, he/she…

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Guardianship In Florida: A Bad Apple
February 13, 2020

On February 11, Rebecca Fierle was arrested in Marion County, Florida on felony charges of aggravated abuse of an elderly person. As disturbing as elder abuse is, this case is particularly horrifying because Fierle was a professional guardian, entrusted with…

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deadline
Homestead Exemption Deadline is March 1
January 28, 2020

The deadline for Florida homeowners to apply for homestead exemption on their primary residence is March 1, 2020. The exemption can reduce the assessed value of your primary residence by as much as $50,000. There are also additional exemptions for…

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Family Fighting Over Former Attorney General's Childhood Home
Family Fighting Over Former Attorney General’s Childhood Home
January 10, 2020

You probably think that the estate plan of one of the nation’s most prominent legal authorities would be absolutely airtight. But you would be wrong. Janet Reno was appointed U.S. Attorney General by President Clinton, the first woman to serve…

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With A Do It Yourself Will, They Almost Got Away With Disinheriting a Rightful Beneficiary
With A Do It Yourself Will, They Almost Got Away With Disinheriting a Rightful Beneficiary
December 24, 2019

Online web sites that allow the creation of do-it-yourself estate planning documents have some serious downsides. Among them: making it easier for people with nefarious motives to create fraudulent documents. From Arkansas comes an interesting case that illustrates the danger….

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Panel Disucssion for Older Women, January 12
Panel Disucssion for Older Women, January 12
December 19, 2019

Hear Attorney Adele Harris of The Karp Law Firm and other panelists discuss issues of importance to older women at this January 12 event presented by the National Organization for Women.

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Reasons to Plan Your Estate, Even if You are Single and Don't Have Children
Reasons To Plan Your Estate, Even If You’re Single And Don’t Have Children
October 15, 2019

More and more Americans are living on their own. The 2018 U.S. census revealed that there 110.6 million unmarried people over the age of 18. Of them, 63% have never been married; 23% are divorced; 13% are widowed. Most live…

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