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Hey there! I’m Andrej Cuturic, a Florida estate planning attorney who believes that protecting your family’s future doesn’t need to be complicated.
After helping hundreds of clients protect their wealth and family with thoughtful estate planning, I prepared this guide to help you understand your options and make informed decisions.
I did my best to cut through the legal jargon and get to what really matters – the information you need to make sure you give what you want, to who you want, and on your terms.
Estate planning is the process of outlining specific instructions as to how you want your money, property, and other valued assets dispersed upon your death. Your estate plan includes decisions about your medical care and final arrangements, as well.
Without an estate plan, it isn’t easy to carry out a person’s wishes and can bring on a lengthy, drawn-out probate that can be very expensive for the family. If an estate plan is in place, it will provide peace of mind for you and protect your wishes for your property and life.
Look, estate planning in Florida involves much more than writing a will. It’s about making smart choices that protect the people you care about most. Here are your options, explained in plain English:
More than 50% of Americans choose this route, many of them thinking they will have more time and simply procrastinate until it’s too late to plan. While doing nothing is the lowest cost option, here’s the unfortunate side of inaction:
A Will, more formally referred to as a Last Will and Testament, lays out who gets what after you’re gone. You can also nominate guardians for minors that are in your care in a will. This is important for families with young children, and also, with the rise of grandparents raising grandchildren, for seniors who are responsible for minors as well.
While preparing a Will is better than doing no planning at all, here’s what you need to know:
Think of a revocable living trust as a protective container for your assets. You’re still in control while you are alive and well, and you get to write the rules for how the trust assets should be managed both during your lifetime and in the event you (or your spouse) pass away.
Advanced estate planning involves using a living trust, irrevocable trusts and potentially even LLC’s or other business entities to accomplish your goals and objectives.
Advanced estate planning techniques can help you:
Every family is slightly different, and cookie-cutter solutions lead to costly problems.
Here are some situations that need special attention:
No matter which route you take (basic estate planning with a will or trust, or more advance planning), there are a few estate planning documents you will need to make sure everything goes according to plan in the event of your death or incapacity.
Your last will names your personal representative and directs how you assets should be distributed. If you have a trust, you’ll need a pour-over will that catches any assets not in your trust. The personal representative you choose will guide your estate through probate and ensure your final wishes are carried out.
A durable power of attorney allows you trust to make financial decisions for you become incapacitated. They can handle financial matters, property decisions, and other important transactions. Making it “durable” ensures it remains valid even if you become incapacitated.
Your health care surrogate makes medical care decisions when you can’t speak for yourself.
They work with doctors, access medical records, and ensure your healthcare preferences are followed.
This document gibes them clear authority to advocate for your medical care wishes.
While a last will handles things after death. a living will addresses end-of-life medical care. It works together withe your health care surrogate designation to spell out your wishes about life support, pain management, and other critical medical care decisions.
These forms control who receives assets like life insurance policies, retirement accounts, and transfer-on-death accounts. You should review these designations regularly to ensure your assets will pass to the people and coordinate with your other estate planning documents.
Without these documents, Florida law (and/or the Courts) will decide who makes decisions for you if you are no longer able to and who will inherit your assets if you should pass away.
Estate planning isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it deal. Your plan should evolve as your life changes.
Here are a few common life events that should signal its time to update your estate plan.
Florida has many competent estate planning lawyers, and finding the right fit for your family matters. When you work with our firm, we’ll take the time to fully understand your goals and concerns, and prepare an estate plan the gives you genuine peace of mind.
While online services offer quick document preparation, they can’t provide the personalized legal guidance your family deserves. Working with a dedicated estate planning attorney gives you:
Look, there are plenty of online services out there promising quick and cheap estate plans. But here’s the truth: they’re selling computer-generated forms, not solutions.
We take pride in making the estate planning process clear and comfortable. Our goal is to help you create a plan that protects your family and reflects your wishes. No hard sales pitch – just clear and actionable advice so you can make an informed decision on what you need to do to protect the people and things you care about most.
If you’re ready to protect your family’s future without the confusing jargon and intimidating process, schedule a free consultation with me here or call my office at (941) 441-9193.
Remember: You are unique, and your estate plan should be as well.
At Cuturic Law, we can help you build an estate plan to fit your needs and protect your legacy.
Want to learn more or set up a consultation? Reach out today. I’ll lay out your options clearly so you can make an informed decision on how to protect your wealth and love ones.
