TAMPA OFFICE
Estate Planning
(Avoid Costly Probate)Planning for the transfer of your assets upon your death is not only important, it could save you and your heirs thousands of dollars if you take the time to plan adequately.
For individuals who pass without pre-planning, a probate may need to be opened to transfer the decedent’s assets to his/her heirs. The probate can be costly and can take time. Instead, you may have the ability to use legal mechanisms that will prevent the need to file a probate in court in order to transfer an asset to an heir.
Think ahead and contact us today for a free initial consultation. Our law firm can represent individuals in the following matters:
- Avoid Probate
- Deed to designate future beneficiaries of a property
- Durable Power of Attorney
- Health Care Surrogate
- Last Will and Testament
- Life Estates
- Living Will
- Name Change
- Power of Attorney
- Special deeds to avoid probate
- Lady Bird Deed
- Probate
It is a vital time to have a plan in place that will help protect your assets, provide for your family, and spare them the burden of unnecessary expenses and delays. If you do not have a Will, a Durable Power of Attorney, or you have not formally designated your heirs, you should seriously consider getting your affairs in order in case of an unexpected disability or death.
If you do have an Estate Plan in existence, you may want to consider updating those documents if they are more than three years old for a number of reasons including a change in family dynamics, a change in financial status and changes to the law.
If you do not have an Estate Plan, consider the following questions which may help you decide if you want to take immediate action and move forward with the preparation of your estate planning documents. For example, did you know that if your partner is not on the title of your property, this can cause avoidable problems if one of you were to pass away? You should also consider the following:
- Who will inherit my assets when I pass away?
- Is my spouse on the title of my home? What happens if he or she is not?
- Can I leave my home to anyone without going through probate?
- Can I designate a person to make decisions on my behalf if I’m hospitalized or unconscious?
- How can my heirs avoid an expensive probate process in court?
- How would a Will help my family when I pass away?
- Do my heirs need to go through probate if I have signed a Will?
- Can I exclude any of my children from inheriting my property?
- I am a co-owner of a property, and the other person wants to sell, but I do not. What should I do?
- If my life partner dies, can I continue to live in our home?
- Should I continue paying the mortgage after my family member who is the mortgage borrower dies?
- Do my heirs really want to inherit my time share?
- What happens if I’m in an accident and lose my memory?
- Can I choose to die naturally?
- Who can make decisions for me if I’m hospitalized?
These thought-provoking questions should be carefully considered. If you wish to take the steps now to prepare for your legacy, please call our law firm so we can help you get started. The consultation is free.