Estate Planning

Quality estate planning in Florida is more than just a matter of drafting legal documents. When it comes to trusts and estate planning that achieves what you want it to, you need a Florida estate planning lawyer who can help you define your goals and counsel you toward a strategy that will achieve those goals.

In today’s world traditional estate planning, with a will and designated beneficiaries, is not enough. Alone, these things will not protect your estate from probate fees, creditors, taxes or unscrupulous people — they will not guarantee that your estate will pass to the people you want it to pass to.

At Stross Law Firm, P.A., based in Oldsmar, Florida, our estate planning lawyer has almost 40 years of experience helping individuals and families protect their estates through estate plans that successfully achieve their goals and dreams.

Elements of Quality Estate Planning in Florida

Trusts and Limited Liability Companies

Key components of good estate planning include limited liability companies (LLC’s) and trusts, and estate planning without them offers little control over your assets. Wills, beneficiary designations and joint tenancy properties do not avoid probate, provide protection against taxes or assure that property will end up in the hands you intended it to. Only a plan involving properly structured trusts and LLC’s, or other types of legal entities such as corporations, give you control over your assets after your death.

Proper Titling of Assets to Fund a Trust

A trust can only control assets that it owns. Unless your assets, property interests and business interests are properly titled to your trust, they can still end up in probate or in unintended hands. Titling assets to a trust or designating the trust as beneficiary of your insurance policies and bank accounts is referred to as funding the trust.

We can help you personalize your estate plan to meet your goals. Click Contact to send us an email or call us at (813) 852-6500 to schedule a free consultation.

Updating of Trusts and other Estate Planning Tools

Estate planning in Florida is not complete just because the papers are signed and filed.

Good estate planning includes a regular schedule of updating. At least every two years you should sit down with your Florida estate planning lawyer and review your trust and other documents to ensure that all your assets are protected and all beneficiaries and inheritance terms are correct.

A Team Approach

An estate plan is much more likely to work if it has the input of all your professional advisors. Your lawyer, CPA, financial advisors and insurance agents all have a unique perspective and insight into your situation and can provide solutions that ensure a strong estate plan. Working separately, however, they are likely to give conflicting advice, which often leads to confusion and indecision.