Florida law requires individuals to work with an attorney during the probate process. What is probate? It is a court-supervised legal process that administers someone’s assets once they have died. Probate helps ensure that all assets are correctly distributed among all beneficiaries. Aaron D. Millman, Esq., CPA, founded The Millman Law Group to offer critical services for anyone moving through the estate planning process. As experienced professionals, we always provide dedicated service to our clients navigating Florida probate in Highland Beach. We also help our clients avoid probate to save valuable time and money.
When Is Florida Probate Necessary?
Florida probate in Highland Beach, FL, is essential to administering a will. Your will includes clear instructions for your probate judge regarding who will inherit your assets once they have passed through probate.
There are different types of probate, but the two most common are formal and summary administration. The probate you use will depend on when the probate is filed, the debts of the decedent, and the value of the assets.
During probate, a personal representative (also known as an executor) is appointed to your estate. During this process, beneficiaries receive notice of the will and can raise objections. The time and money required for probate depend on the type of probate. Using the appropriate techniques makes it possible to avoid probate and enjoy a more efficient transfer of all assets.
How Your Millman Lawyer Helps You Avoid Florida Probate
It is always best to avoid probate because of how lengthy and expensive the process can be. When you work with an experienced estate planning lawyer, they can help you meet your estate planning goals while reducing expenses and avoiding probate. How can they help you avoid it? Through the following actions:
- Name beneficiaries for financial accounts. You can avoid probate by naming beneficiaries to life insurance, retirement plans, and bank accounts.
- Establish the joint ownership of assets. This is an option when people co-own a property. They can do this as spouses, joint tenants with rights of survivorship, or tenants by entirety. When one owner dies, the surviving owner keeps their property ownership without needing probate.
- Own assets under a living trust. A living trust, or living revocable trust, will act as your will since it can pass down assets after your death. To avoid probate, the assets must be owned by the trust. Partnering with an estate planning attorney can help you transfer assets into a new trust.
You can also avoid probate by ensuring that every financial account, piece of property, and asset is jointly owned. This ownership must be between another person or owned by a trust or another current beneficiary.
Benefit From the Help of an Experienced Estate Planning Lawyer
You can feel confident that everything will run smoothly when you work alongside The Millman Law Group during probate. Your lawyer does more than make Florida probate in Highland Beach manageable—they also help you avoid substantial expenses. Your attorney can help prevent challenging situations and help you navigate issues if they do arise. This includes situations in which a person dies without a will, and their assets are “intestate.”
If you want to avoid additional expenses, confusion, and family disagreements after a loved one’s death, you can count on The Millman Law Group.
Contact The Millman Law Group For Assistance with Florida Probate in Highland Beach
Millman Law Group, PLLC is one of the only law firms that offers life planning in South Florida. From life care planning to the preparation of detailed estate plans, Millman Law Group has committed to serving Floridian elderly communities in Boca Raton, Palm Beach County, Ocean Ridge, Hillsboro Beach, and many other areas since 2018. Our dedicated team specializes in special needs trusts and catering to any age demographic because we know that it’s never too early to start preparing for your future. For the latest news in estate planning and elder care law, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. You can also contact us at 561-463-6480.