Regardless of your age, marital status or the amount of wealth you currently possess, establishing an estate plan is not only important, but downright crucial. Why? Because as FindLaw explains, if you do not have at least a last will and testament when you die, the...
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Year: 2020
QTIP trusts for blended families
If you are preparing to get married and you have children and grandchildren from a previous relationship, you will want to have open discussions with your new partner about how you want to prepare your estate plan. It is common for people to want to leave a legacy in...
Discussing an estate plan for aging parents
The topic of estate planning surfaces many emotions for most people in Florida ranging from feeling overwhelmed, to optimistic to confused. Because of the breadth of creating an estate plan, some people avoid the topic even though they have a real need for discussing...
Get the facts about Florida spousal support
If you have concerns about your finances after divorce, you may want to ask the court for spousal support. This type of support, sometimes called alimony, is a monthly payment or lump sum that helps a spouse who earns less become self-supporting after a marriage ends....
What are the four types of protective orders in Florida?
If a person commits an act of violence against you, or if another person’s conduct causes you to fear for your safety, you may wish to obtain a protective order against him or her. A protective order is a legal injunction that the courts issue to prevent someone from...
What should you consider with respect to joint custody?
When you and your spouse split up, your household goes into a period of dramatic change. During this time, it is important to keep things as stable as possible for your children to minimize the impact of this life-changing event. Most couples work out an agreement to...
Understanding your obligations to your children
As a parent, you have many obligations to your children. There are a few obligations that the state government takes a particular interest in, especially in the wake of a divorce. The greatest emphasis is on fulfilling your child's physical needs, although proper...
The rights of unmarried fathers in Florida
Like most states in the U.S., Florida law automatically grants the mother sole custody of a child born outside of marriage. Even if his name is on the child’s birth certificate, an unmarried father must establish his paternity before the courts grant him any legal...
How to recognize micro-cheating in yourself or your spouse
Just because an action or behavior is small does not necessarily mean that it is harmless. Micro-cheating is a newly coined term used to describe interactions with someone outside your marital relationship that are small enough not to meet the criteria for cheating...
How should you handle your estate plan during your second marriage?
After a divorce, it may be time for you to alter your estate plan. The truth is that you should update your estate plan whenever there is major event in your life. This includes any divorces or marriages that occur. After your divorce, you may plan to remarry. Couples...