Miami Estate Planning

Find the right Wills & Trusts attorney in Miami, FL

In Miami, estate planning refers to the procedure of deciding what should be done with one's assets after their death.

The problems that estate planning raises are sometimes very confusing. Without competent legal and financial advice, many problems can pop up, which can quickly throw your entire plan into disarray, and cost your survivors a great deal of time, energy, and money.

While planning your estate, there are a few prevalent issues that most people should consider. One big one is the decision relating to power of attorney, which is an arrangement where you give one person the power to make legally-binding decisions on your behalf. You can set up an agreement telling your representative precisely what power they have, what you want them to do, and when the power will vest (typically, if and when you become unable to make your own decisions).

A reliable estate planner in Miami, can make this process much easier, minimizing the chances that your estate plan will end up in court, saving your survivors a huge amount of time and money.

Common Features of Miami Estates

Will: This is a legal document which transfers ownership of the testator's (the person making the will) property to named beneficiaries after the testator's death. The beneficiaries can be just about anyone the testator chooses, but smaller estates, usually only include family members, and maybe very close friends. If you want, you can place conditions on gifts (say, leaving a certain amount of money to your son, but only if he graduates college before he turns 25 - this is just an example). However, a will can't actually compel anyone to do anything, and some conditional gifts won't be enforced, normally because they involve an illegal act, or require a person to marry or refrain from marrying a particular person.

Living Will: A living will contains instructions about your medical care, usually for the purpose of informing your family and doctors of your preferences if you suddenly become incapacitated. A living will is quite essential if you have any strong preferences in this area. It should be written with the advice of a doctor, so you know the precise medical consequences of your decisions, and a lawyer, so it is virtually guaranteed to be legally binding.

Power of Attorney: Power of attorney, while important, is not to be used lightly. This is because it involves granting someone else the power to make legally-binding decisions on your behalf. Typically, your spouse will automatically have power of attorney if you become incapacitated. If you are not married, however, you need to make a document explicitly granting that authority to someone you trust (a life partner or close family member, for instance).

Funeral Arrangements: If you have any strong preferences concerning the disposition of your physical remains, you should make them known to your family early, and should not include funeral instructions in your will. Wills are frequently read weeks after the testator dies, so in most cases, it will be too late by then.

Do I Need a Miami Estates Lawyer?

A poorly drafted or executed Miami estate plan can have major negative consequences. For instance, it might be confusing to the people who are most directly affected by it. This confusion can frequently lead to costly litigation. For that reason, the advice of an efficient estate planning attorney can be invaluable.

Talk to a Wills, Trusts & Estates Law Attorney now!

Life in Miami

Miami is the seat of Miami-Dade County and the city with the 9th largest population in the entire United States with over 2.5 million Florida residents. In addition to the massive population, Miami is one of the most popular tourist destinations. It's the United States' 5th richest city and was voted "America's Cleanest City" by Forbes Magazine. The Port of Miami is the number one cruise passenger port on the globe earning Miami the title of "Cruise Capital of the World." Miami does not disappoint with attractions. The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts ranks just behind New York's Lincoln Center for the largest performing arts center in the entire United States and hosts world renown operas, ballets, concerts, musicals, and plays.

You shouldn't be surprised to find that the City of Miami attracts so many performance artists like musicians, singers, actors, and dancers. You may also know Miami for it's notoriety as a modeling capital with world renown agencies and events like Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Miami, an annual event. The Art Basel Miami Beach is an annual art exhibition of contemporary pieces that's known worldwide as "the Olympics of Art" for its size and diverse attendance.

Miami is a city that thrives off f business from tourists. The Cuban immigrants introduced conga, Dominicans brought meringue, Brazilians come with samba, and the Caribbean reggae have blended into a diverse and exciting music scene. The front line of cutting edge music can be heard by famous DJs like DJ Khaled, DJ Laz, and Pitbull. Miami clubs are famous in tv and film.

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