Florida Elder Law & Estate Planning Blog


Tony Bennett’s Children Fighting Over His Estate
June 22, 2024

Tony Bennett sang I Left My Heart in San Francisco – but he left his family’s trust assets in the hands of his oldest child, Danny Bennett. And that’s a melody his siblings are not happy to hear. His two…

more
How To Find A Deceased Loved One’s Insurance Policy
February 18, 2024

Every year, millions of dollars of life insurance proceeds go unclaimed because beneficiaries do not realize that a policy exists, or if they do, do not know how to find it. Lost policies are more common than you might think….

more
Legal Battle May Be Brewing Among Presley’s Heirs
January 28, 2023

Lisa Marie Presley, the only child of Elvis Presley, aka the King of Rock & Roll, died of cardiac failure on January 12. She was 54. A potential contest for control of her estate has already begun, a mere two…

more
Florida elective share
Florida Elective Share Protects Surviving Spouse, No Matter The Status Of Marriage
November 10, 2021

Florida law offers a robust safety net for surviving spouses: the elective share. A surviving spouse has the right to inherit 30% of his/her deceased spouse’s estate, as well as the right to live in the homestead property (or to…

more
elder abuse
Surprising Estate Plan Suggests Victimizer Became Victim Of Undue Influence
January 27, 2021

Burton Pugach and Linda Riss’ life together is a bizarre saga that captured public attention years ago. Consider the title of the 2007 documentary about their relationship: “Crazy Love.” Pugach’s recent death, allegedly while he was being abused and coerced…

more
personal property in Florida estate plan
How Floridians Can Pass Tangible Personal Property to Loved Ones
September 29, 2020

For most people, the ultimate goal of estate planning is to promote family harmony. If your family members get along well, you want your plan to encourage more of the same. If they don’t, you want to avoid adding more…

more
The story of two wills, one eaten by the dog
July 8, 2020

The dog ate my homework! That time-worn excuse usually gets an unprepared student an “F”. But suppose Rover isn’t interested in your homework, but in your last will and testament? That could result in an “L” – as in lawsuit. …

more
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…

more
Stories Of Assets Lost and Found
Stories Of Assets Lost and Found
January 18, 2020

Reports frequently come in from around the country about misplaced, forgotten or hidden valuables found in deceased person’s homes, or in items that have been donated to second-hand stores. Sometimes the valuables are discovered by rightful heirs, sometimes not. It’s…

more
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…

more

Offices Closed Wednesday and Thursday Due To Hurricane Milton

 
For the safety of both clients and staff, all our offices will close at noon on Wednesday, October 9 and will be closed all day Thursday, October 10. We plan to re-open on Friday, October 11.

You may email or call us on those days. Staff will be working from home, assuming no power outages, and will do their best to respond.

Thank you for your understanding and STAY SAFE, everyone!