Florida Elder Law & Estate Planning Blog


Attorney Honors Clients’ Final Wishes With Donation To Animal Charity
February 24, 2024

The Karp Law Firm handles Probate and Trust Administration. Last year, three of our dear, longtime clients passed on. All were animal lovers who had named Attorney Joseph Karp as their trustee and personal representative. They instructed him to use…

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Five Reasons You Might Want to Disclaim An Inheritance
January 21, 2024

The legal term for rejecting a bequest is disclaiming.  When you disclaim a bequest from an estate, you are effectively saying: Treat me as if I had predeceased the person who died and left me the inheritance. Then distribute the…

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How To Get Your Tangible Personal Property Appraised
December 30, 2023

Many of us own tangible personal property that we want to leave to certain people. These items run the gamut. It can be jewelry, art, antiques, china. It can consist of collections of various sorts: baseball cards, stamps, coins, etc….

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Frequently Asked Questions About Life Insurance And Estate Planning
October 5, 2023

Clients often ask us about how their life insurance policies fit into their estate planning, and vice-versa. In this post we answer frequently asked questions on this subject. We will also tell you about specific traps you should avoid. Note:…

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Who Are Your Children Under Florida Inheritance Laws?
September 17, 2023

Do you know who your children are?  From an estate planning perspective, the answer may not be as obvious as you think! Inheritance rights under Florida law depend on your child’s status in relation to you. Is the person your…

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Whom Should You Name As Your Personal Representative?
August 18, 2023

Your Personal Representative is the person you select to administer your probate estate after you pass on. Often referred to as an “executor” in states other than Florida, a Personal Representative must be named in your Last Will & Testament….

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Pampered Felines Inherit Riches, Despite Estate Plan Glitches
August 15, 2023

Talk about fat cats! When Nancy Sauer died last year at age 84, her precious felines became instant millionaires. Widowed and having outlived her only child, the Tampa resident lavished love on her seven Persian cats: Leo, Midnight, Napoleon, Cleopatra,…

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5 Ways Probate’s Lack of Privacy Can Harm, Inconvenience Heirs
April 27, 2023

Probate avoidance is a key feature of many people’s estate plans. In this blog post, we take a deeper dive into one of the perils of probate: lack of privacy.  We discuss the potential negative impacts on  your family, beneficiaries…

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Is a Lady Bird Deed Right For Your Estate Plan?
January 25, 2023

Clients often ask us about creating a lady bird deed for them. They have heard that this type of deed can be useful for both Medicaid planning and probate avoidance. While it is true that a lady bird deed confers…

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Actress Ann Heche Had No Will: Impact On Her Children
September 15, 2022

Updated 9/18/22 The lives of celebrities are always under a microscope. So are their deaths. The latest celebrity to receive such attention is Ann Heche. The 53-year-old actress was in a fiery car crash in Los Angeles on August 5….

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