Florida Elder Law & Estate Planning Blog


Health Care Surrogate
Considerations Before (And After) You Agree to Serve as Health Care Surrogate
July 24, 2017

Consider yourself fortunate if you have been asked to serve as someone’s health care surrogate, for you get to decide if you’ll accept the job. Astonishingly, many people name a surrogate without ever asking or informing the person they select!…

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happy preschool kids hugging
Parents of Minor Children – Make These Plans for Your Peace of Mind
March 20, 2017

Sara Hankins made sad headlines recently. The Illinois mother of four was diagnosed last year with Lou Gehrig’s Disease, and lost her life on March 13, 2017. She was just 36. Her primary concern during her last months was not…

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Elder Law
Services a Florida Elder Law Attorney provide you and your family
March 15, 2017

Just what does an elder law attorney do? What are our services? Why would you want to consult with an elder law attorney? Can younger people use our services? Are our services different from those that an estate planning lawyer…

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Sad Elderly Woman
Beyond the Power of Attorney: Protect yourself from yourself with a pre-need guardian
September 1, 2016

“Gloria” came to my office, convinced her 82-year-old mother was “losing it” after visiting her the previous week. Her mother had always been a fastidious homemaker, but now dirty dishes were piled up and enough trash was on the floor…

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Sumner Redstone’s competency trial dismissed, but the saga continues
Sumner Redstone’s competency trial dismissed, but the saga continues
May 11, 2016

Who do your sympathies rest with in the legal brouhaha swirling around ailing media tycoon Sumner Redstone? Are you inclined to believe that the frail 92-year-old billionaire’s ex-girlfriend, Manuela Herzer, is just a good soul looking out for her friend’s…

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Medical Record
HIPAA developments, dilemmas
February 5, 2016

Recent reports from Pro Publica, the independent investigative news organization, reveal widespread violations of HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) by large organizations, from Walmart to CVS, United Health Care to the Veterans Administration. The behemoths may be…

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Unmarried Couple
Is there common law marriage in Florida?
November 6, 2015

In my estate planning practice, I advise many clients who have been living together for a long time, sometimes for decades. They are committed to one another, take care of one another, and often refer to each other as spouses….

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Estate Planning for Childless Couples: Matters of Life, and Death
Estate Planning for Childless Couples: Matters of Life, and Death
March 2, 2015

Search the web for “estate planning” and you’ll find a vast number of articles directed at married couples who have children. But what if you are  married and do not have kids? You might think that not having “lineal heirs”…

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Happy Mother’s Day to all!
Happy Mother’s Day to all!
May 12, 2013

From Attorney Joseph Karp   In this photo, circa 1940s, my beloved late mother Beatrice Karp is at right. At left is her younger sister, my dear Aunt Pearl, who has always been like a mother to my brothers and…

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Divorce Pending
Florida Durable Power of Attorney for Property: New law terminates spouse’s powers when dissolution of marriage is pending
August 13, 2012

There have been changes to Florida Statute 709.2109 governing the Durable Power of Attorney. Under the new law, in the event of divorce or annulment, or when an action is filed for divorce or legal separation, your spouse loses the…

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