If you were to die without a Will or Trust in Florida, you will be considered to have died “intestate.” Your “intestate estate” – i.e. any asset you own that has not been effectively disposed of or transferred to a beneficiary – will be distributed according to Florida intestate succession law.
Continue Reading...What Happens if I Die Without a Will in Florida?
Now that graduation season is behind us, we have some important information for parents of young adults who are going off to college or starting their first job. Once your child turns 18, he or she is automatically an “adult” in the eyes of the law, no matter how immature or inexperienced. Being an adult comes with the right to manage your assets (including opening credit cards and taking out loans) and make decisions about your life (such as where to live, who to socialize with, and whether you want medical treatment). As you might imagine, this silent leap into full adulthood can cause some nasty surprises down the road.
Continue Reading...CASEY KASEM: ANOTHER HOLLYWOOD PLANNING FAILURE
Casey Kasem became famous as one of the founders and longtime hosts of American Top 40 and the voice of Shaggy on the cartoon series Scooby Doo. However, these days he is making headlines as the subject of a legal dispute between his second wife and his three children from his first marriage.
Continue Reading...GUN TRUSTS: ANOTHER FACET OF ESTATE PLANNING
We have been getting a lot of questions about “gun trusts” lately, especially with Congress and the media focused on potential gun control legislation. Holding firearms within trusts has become necessary and desirable due to the strict rules contained in the National Firearms Act (NFA) regarding certain types of firearms.
Continue Reading...Where Will I Live If I Become Disabled?
With the costs of both long-term care and long-term care insurance increasing, we are seeing a corresponding uptick in concern and questions from our clients about how and where they will live if they lose the ability to care for themselves. The good news is that there are ample housing options that have been designed to match differing care needs and price points.
Continue Reading...CAN I DISINHERIT MY CHILD UNDER FLORIDA LAW?
While even the simplest guardianship is an expensive, lengthy, and public undertaking, a contested guardianship can be much worse. A contested guardianship is a case in which there are multiple interested persons (usually family members) with different ideas of what is best for the incapacitated person (the “ward”). As you might imagine, contests like this can drive up the financial and emotional cost of the proceeding, delay results, and air a family’s “dirty laundry” in open court.
Continue Reading...HOLIDAY GREETINGS
Happy holidays from all of us at Cramer Law Center! We truly appreciate your support which has helped make this another year of steady growth for our practice.
Continue Reading...With the holiday season in full swing, you are likely thinking about and spending time with your loved ones, your “family.” Chances are, they are not all related to you by blood. Most of us have spouses, in-laws, stepchildren, stepparents, or even friends that we consider to be part of our family. Sometimes we are more tightly bonded with these people than with our actual blood relations.
Continue Reading...Long-term care has been on our minds this month at Cramer Law Center because November is National Long-Term Care Awareness Month. To further your awareness, here are the latest long-term care statistics for this year:
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