If you own a home, have some money in the bank, or own any goods such as a car or furniture, then you have an estate. Planning now for the future disposition of your estate and the payment of your debts will have a positive effect on the financial security of those you love.
If you don't plan for what happens to your estate upon your death, the Florida Legislature has already made those decisions for you.
You should have an estate plan if:
- you care about who inherits your property
- you want to arrange for the payment of your debts upon your death
- you care about your health care treatment
- you are the parent of minor or disabled children
- you are married for the second time and you or your spouse have children from a first marriage
WILL PACKAGEThe Swanson legal team offers a will package that consists of the preparation of a Last Will and Testament, a Durable Power of Attorney, a Healthcare Surrogacy and a Living Will. We work closely with our clients to develop a good estate plan to protect themselves and their children and loved ones. Here is an explanation of the terms used in our will package:
A Last Will and Testament is a document by which a person plans for the disposition of his or her property after death. It may also set up a trust to take care of minor or disabled children, and may nominate persons to serve as guardians. It can also provide for the care of beloved pets, and pass on family heirlooms.
A Durable Power of Attorney is a written authorization for someone else to act on your behalf in a private legal, financial, or business matter. This may be useful if you are traveling or otherwise need help taking care of your business or financial affairs.
A Healthcare Surrogacy is a written authorization for someone to act on your behalf if you are unable to make your own decisions with regard to medical care.
A Living Will covers specific directives as to the course of treatment (or refusal of treatment) that a person wishes a caregiver to follow in case of a terminal illness or injury. By giving these instructions, you can save loved ones from having to make this decision for you, and from having to guess what you would have wanted. Please note that these documents are not suitable for very large estates where tax planning is important. However, for most of us with estates of under $2,000,000, this is a good package. When you first contact us, we’ll send you an initial letter with some information you will need to gather. Then, we’ll meet with you to get to know you and your family and financial situation, and we’ll discuss your wishes for the disposition of your estate. We will then get to work on preparing your documents. After we have drafted your documents, we will meet with you again to explain them thoroughly and be sure they say what you want them to say. Finally, we will help you execute them and provide you with copies to give to the important persons in your life.