When a couple splits up, they initially believe that they can get out of the marriage relatively painlessly. Their plans are simple—they'll move out, legally separate, agree on everything, and file for divorce. Because they have very few things to argue over, particularly if there are no children...
With the 2020 election decided and President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration fast approaching, it's time to look at how policy positions as President of the United States might affect your estate planning and tax planning over the next four years. Luckily, President-elect Biden released detailed i...
Email accounts, social media profiles, websites, cryptocurrency—each of us leaves behind a digital footprint. But what happens to your digital presence after you die? Your digital assets might be valuable and should be part of your estate plan. What Are Considered Digital Assets? In 2013, secur...
Divorce is always hard, but it can be even more challenging when you have children. When you're considering divorce and have young children, your biggest worries are probably how the divorce will affect your kids emotionally and how the divorce will affect your finances and, therefore, your abili...
The Coronavirus pandemic has rocked businesses and families across the country. In Florida alone, as of September 2020, we've had more than 671,000 cases of the virus and more than 13,000 deaths. Since Governor Ron DeSantis urged Floridians to stay at home to help slow the virus's spread on March...
This year has been challenging under the best of circumstances. Since Governor DeSantis placed Florida in a state of emergency on March 9, 2020, non-essential businesses and courts across the state shut down. As of September 14, 2020, Florida has had more than 662,000 cases of Coronavirus and mor...
With the 2020 election fast approaching, it's time to look at how the two candidates' policy positions for President of the United States might affect your estate planning and tax planning over the next four years. Luckily, both candidates released information on their tax plans for the country. ...
Estate planning with blended families can prove challenging under the best of circumstances. But this recent Market Watch column raises a nightmare scenario that's popping up far too often in the time of COIVD-19. A column reader explained that his father died without a will, leaving behind the r...
The COVID-19 pandemic has unquestionably changed life as we know it in Florida over the last six months. With more than 542,000 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus and more than 8,500 deaths in Florida, attorneys specializing in estate planning are seeing a surge in new business. The pandemi...
An estimated 1.3 million people in the United States are under guardianship in this country, with another person appointed to look after their finances and physical and emotional well-being. About 85% of those under guardianship are over the age of 65. While most guardians are conscientious, some...
COVID-19 and the novel coronavirus have turned life as we know it upside down. With more than a quarter of a million cases in Florida and more than 16,000 in Orange County alone, this virus has many of us thinking about our mortality and long and short-term estate plans. If you are considering re...
Administering a loved one's estate in Florida can be convoluted and anxiety-inducing. That's because Florida probate law is complicated. Florida law requires personal representatives, also known as executors, file forms, inventory estates, and provide notices to heirs. Ensuring that you follow th...
Protests have rocked Central Florida and the Orlando area night after night since May 28, 2020. Thousands have gathered to show outrage over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died pinned under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer, clashes between Orlando police. While the vast majori...
The last two and a half months have been a stressful time period for all of us. As the COVID-19 pandemic has spread across the country, we've all had to readjust our day-to-day living by practicing social distancing, staying at home as much as possible, and wearing masks when we are out and about...
In part, what makes getting a divorce in Orlando, Florida so difficult is the who-gets-what part of it. One of the biggest concerns is who gets the house, if anyone. And so the question posed here is: Who really does get the house in a Florida divorce? The answer is dependent on different factor...
Many Floridians have suddenly found themselves without their jobs as a result of the novel coronavirus and the economic shutdown. At the time of this writing, the unemployment rate is at 4.3 percent, with over 1.6 million people applying for unemployment claims with the state government since mid...
If you were contemplating getting a divorce before the novel coronavirus hit, you may have decided to put it off for the sake of your children or maybe for financial reasons. But with many people now stuck at home together for long periods of time, couples who were having marital issues before ha...
The coronavirus has put us all on edge in Florida, in this country, and throughout the world. From business closures to state closures to the daily rise in infection numbers and deaths, it's scary out there. Many people are thinking about life generally and mortality specifically. Then, they thin...
It's hard enough co-parenting without a national emergency, but now we are in the midst of one. The COVID-19 crisis is affecting all areas of life, not least of which includes parenting time and co-parenting. Here is a brief discussion of how this crisis could incidentally impact co-parent and ti...
The number of unwed mothers giving birth to children in Florida has steadily increased since the 1970s. According to Florida Vital Statistics, In general, the percent of live births to unwed Florida mothers had been steadily increasing, representing 15.0 percent of all births in 1970, 22.9 perc...
For many Orlando residents, an estate plan is a comprehensive tool they use to make sure their loved ones benefit well after they have died. This security we provide makes us feel good and nurtures a want to be financially responsible. But for some of you, you may soon feel like you are being pun...
USA Today just published a report comparing the costs of divorce in each state of the United States. Florida had some surprising statistics. According to the report, Florida has: Avg. cost of divorce without children: $13,500 (15th highest) Avg. cost of divorce with children: $20,300 (16th hi...
When you have a minor child, you are responsible for that child financially. In a divorce or custody case, one parent may be ordered to pay child support to the other parent. The purpose is simple: to help the parent with primary custody pay for essential things the child needs, like: food w...
During the divorce process, one spouse may fight for spousal support. If the support is awarded, the paying spouse must comply. In the divorce decree, the parameters of the spousal support are outlined, and this can include the duration of the alimony. It could be only a few years or it could be ...
A power of attorney (POA) in Florida has many responsibilities when the principal of the power of attorney – the one who appointed the agent to manage his or her financial affairs in the event he or she cannot manage those affairs – becomes incapacitated. Parents often choose one trusted, respons...
