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Estate Planning

Protect Your Family’s Future with a Florida Estate Planning Lawyer

Your Florida estate is the culmination of a lifetime of hard work. From the day you get your first job to the time you start planning your retirement you have been trying to accumulate assets to provide a secure future for you and your family. Why is an estate plan so important? It is important because you did not work, plan, and fight your whole lifetime to accumulate your assets only to see them siphoned off through avoidable tax burdens, litigation, or the foolish undisciplined spending habits of your relatives. Careful estate planning allows you to safeguard your property, provide a better future for your family, and  leave behind a legacy and expression of your love.

To fully recognize the importance of estate planning, you first have to understand what it is and what it can accomplish. Estate planning is the process of anticipating and organizing the distribution of an estate while the owner is still living. By taking the time to plan and prepare documents during your lifetime, you can conserve, protect, and distribute your assets for the benefit of family, friends, and charities.

What are your assets? Your assets may include your bank accounts, brokerage accounts, life insurance, retirement accounts, your home, business assets, and other property you own. Assets may also include other real estate, cars, furniture, jewelry, art and other personal property.

Through proper estate planning, you can protect these assets from being wasted on avoidable taxes, trust and estate litigation, court costs, administrative fees, and the spending habits of irresponsible in-laws or family members. You can ensure your children and other family members are cared and provided for while reducing uncertainties over how your property or assets will be managed and distributed. You can also express your wishes regarding life-prolonging medical procedures thereby ensuring your independence and keeping the court out of such decisions.

Each estate plan is as unique as you. Crafting the most effective plan for you and your family requires the help of an expert Florida estate planning attorney experienced in this complex, often emotional process. Experience is the key.

Wintter Law has been helping Florida residents plan their estates for over 30 years, working tirelessly to ensure matters are documented and implemented in an efficient manner to avoid disharmony and respect our client’s wishes. Drawing from our years of training and successful experiences, the lawyers at Wintter Law can provide you with personal attention and guidance in all aspects of estate planning.

Who Should Have an Estate Plan?

Would you like the short answer? Everyone.

The fact of the matter is that everyone should have an estate plan. Regardless of whether your estate is big or small, you should have a plan in place for caring for your assets, health, and family in the event of illness, incapacity or death. Otherwise, the court may appoint someone to administer your estate and distribute your assets to your intestate heirs. If you want to stay in control of who inherits your assets and how they are distributed, you need a professionally designed estate plan.

Small estates. No matter what your estate is worth, it is important to have at least a basic plan in place. When planning for smaller estates, your plan may be largely focused around naming beneficiaries who will receive your assets after your death. Your plan should include appointing a personal representative to handle distribution of the assets and satisfy any final debts.

Larger estates. With larger estates, in addition to the foregoing, it is also important to plan to safeguard assets for your family and loved ones while minimizing the amount of estate tax.  Of course, it is always important for your plan to be competently prepared and designed to prevent family members or others who might want to challenge your plan because of greed or unfortunate family dynamics.

Regardless of the size of your estate, it is essential to enlist the aid and counsel of a seasoned attorney. Our firm can help you make sure the assets you earned through a lifetime of hard work are distributed in accordance with your wishes.

In addition to helping you control the distribution of your assets, an effective estate plan can:

Decide care for children. If you have young children and you and your spouse die, you can nominate a guardian in your estate plan to ensure they receive adequate care. Otherwise, the court may decide who will raise your children and it may not be someone you or the other parent would have ever chosen.

Provide for your care upon your incapacity. If a tragic accident or illness leaves you incapacitated, you may not have the mental or physical ability to manage your affairs. If you want a family member or someone else to care for you and manage your property in the event of this travesty, you need to create  legal documents to provide for incapacity. These documents can designate a person to, among other things, manage your property, pay bills, make financial decisions, make medical decisions and more.

Reducing or eliminating estate taxes. If you have a very high net worth, your estate may be subject to a federal estate tax. With careful and timely planning, you can significantly reduce or eliminate these types of taxes.

Provide charitable gifts. If you want to leave a portion of your assets to a charity or community foundation, you can specify this in your estate plan and your charitable contribution can be put to work in accordance with your desires.

An estate planning attorney at Wintter Law can provide you with strategies and assistance to implement these and other advantageous outcomes. As lawyers experienced in estate planning, we can offer you the counsel, direction, and management you need to meet all of your estate planning goals.

Wintter Law Can Help You Navigate Estate Planning in Florida

With our firms help, you can protect your family and possessions. Wintter Law can help you craft a comprehensive estate plan that fits you and your family’s unique needs. Start planning today— call our office at 954-920-7014 or if you would like us to contact you please complete our online form.

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Fort Lauderdale Office 17 Rose Drive
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33316

T. 954-920-7014 | F. 954-920-7080

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West Palm Beach Office 777 South Flagler Drive, Suite 800
West Palm Beach, Florida 33401

T. 561-470-3448 | F. 954-920-7080

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