Dunedin Estate Planning Attorney
Many Pinellas County residents put off making a will because they do not want to think about the subject. Indeed, estate planning of any kind is often a touchy subject as it reminds us of our own mortality. But consider the alternative: If you do not have an estate plan in place when something goes wrong, your family will be without any legally binding guidance as to your wishes.
Do not wait until it is too late. If you are thinking about making an estate plan, it is already well past time to contact a qualified Dunedin estate planning attorney. William Rambaum is a Florida Board Certified Elder Law Specialist who has spent the past 35 years helping clients prepare wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and other basic estate planning documents so that they can have a peace of mind.
What Goes into a Florida Estate Plan?
While every client’s estate planning needs are unique, there are a few basic documents that every Dunedin resident should have:
- Will: A last will and testament governs the disposition of your probate estate after you die. Your will nominates a personal representative (executor) to oversee the estate, designates beneficiaries to receive your property, and can also nominate guardians if you have any minor children and the other parent does not outlive you.
- Durable Power of Attorney: A power of attorney names an agent to manage your property and finances during your lifetime should you become incapacitated and unable to act for yourself.
- Advance Healthcare Directive: A Designation of Health Care Surrogate names an agent to specifically make health care decisions on your behalf in the event of incapacity. Similarly, a Living Will leaves instructions to your medical providers regarding your wishes for end-of-life care.
- Pre-need Guardian Designation: When an adult is determined to be legally incapacitated, a Florida court may need to step in and appoint a guardian to oversee that person’s financial or personal affairs. Before your become incapacitated, however, you can designate the person you wish to act as your guardian if the need arises.
In addition to these basic documents, our office can advise you on creating trusts as part of your estate plan. Trusts serve a number of important functions, such as enabling you to manage and transfer assets outside of probate, shielding certain assets from judgment creditors, and helping you to qualify for public benefit programs such as Medicaid.
Contact a Dunedin Estate Planning Attorney Today
No matter your current personal and financial situation, everyone can benefit from having a properly drafted Florida estate plan. Our Dunedin estate planning attorney will be happy to sit down with you and explain the process. We can help ensure that your final estate plan reflects your needs and wishes so that you and your family can rest easy knowing your legal and financial affairs are in order should the worst happen. Call attorney William Rambaum today at 727-781-5357 to schedule an appointment.