Florida Elder Law & Estate Planning Blog


What Can An Elder Law Attorney Do For You?
May 21, 2012

Could you use help from a Florida Elder Law Attorney? To answer that question, we should probably start with an even more basic question: What the heck is elder law, anyway? Since May is National Elder Law Month, this is…

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How to coordinate your life insurance with your estate plan
How to coordinate your life insurance with your estate plan
May 15, 2012

Life insurance can be a powerful tool in your estate plan. It can provide financial support for your spouse or heirs when you’re gone. If your estate is taxable, life insurance may be used to pay estate taxes and other expenses. As with…

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Summitt steps down less than a year after Alzheimer’s diagnosis
April 20, 2012

Pat Summitt, 59, the celebrated coach of the University of Tennessee women’s basketball team, resigned her post this week, less than a year after being diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease. Alzheimer’s Disease tends to progress more quickly in younger patients…

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Your flesh-and-blood estate planning lawyer
January 30, 2012

A shout-out to Attorney Greg Herman-Giddens, who posted this excellent piece on his North Carolina Estate Planning Blog. It’s easy to tell horror stories about the trouble clients get into with do-it-yourself estate planning forms. His post instead concentrates on all the positive…

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Our client who left it all to the IRS (and not by mistake)
January 23, 2012

How do Americans feel about taxes? You might think you know the answer, but surprisingly, a Pew Research Center survey back in December revealed that over half of Americans think that what they pay in taxes is “about right.” People…

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“The Descendants” shows challenges for trustees
November 28, 2011

The just-released film “The Descendants” has an estate planning subplot that masterfully portrays how difficult it can be to satisfy all family members when an estate planning pie must be divided and distributed. Matt King, played by George Clooney, is…

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New Florida Durable Power of Attorney Law Effective Oct. 1, 2011
September 26, 2011

Don’t panic:  If you are a Florida resident with a valid Durable Power of Attorney (DPOA) signed before October 1, 2011, it will still be valid after Oct. 1.  You do not need to do anything. You do not need…

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Estate Challenges: Learning from Neil Rogers
April 10, 2011

South Florida radio personality Neil Rogers died Dec. 24 at the age of 68. You either loved him or hated him. He had no close family, but left behind legions of bereaved fans. And he left behind something else: Two contradictory Wills. The…

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No Florida Will? Does Florida Have a Plan For You!
April 1, 2011

It’s said only death and taxes are certain. Most of us give taxes the necessary attention (especially this time of year). But when it comes to that other certainty, we tend to stick our heads in the sand. A March…

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Another Madoff Mistake: An Out-of-Date Estate Plan
January 24, 2011

Looks like Bernie Madoff’s youngest son Mark didn’t do what we always recommend our estate planning clients do:  Review his estate plan whenever there’s a substantial change in financial or family circumstances. And what changes there were in the Madoff family circumstances…

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