Here to Help you plan for your family's future
Injured?
If you or someone you love is in need of estate planning, or questions about creating a will or a trust, please contact our offices.
Estate Planning
At Lucas, Macyszyn & Dyer Law Firm, we pride ourselves on our dedication to being your personal advocate. Our offices can provide a variety of services including a consultation with one of our Florida Estate Planning attorneys.
Our Florida Estate Planning attorneys are knowledgeable in all areas of the estate planning process, from drafting simple wills to drafting complex trusts. Lucas, Macyszyn & Dyer Law Firm can help you plan for your family’s future and make sure your final wishes are carried out.
The idea of putting together a set of documents in end-of-life preparation may seem daunting to say the least- after all, estate planning is the process by which you organize your legacy for your loved ones to carry on. At Lucas, Macyszyn & Dyer Law Firm, we strive to make this process as smooth as possible for you and your loved ones. We understand that every family is unique and we’re more than happy to work with you to accommodate your individual needs.
When you first begin the estate planning process, we realize you may feel overwhelmed by the sense of responsibility seem to have suddenly gained. We strive to make the process easy for you by answering any questions you may have. We can begin by providing answers to some common questions regarding estate planning.
Experienced Attorneys
Lucas, Macyszyn & Dyer Law Firm legal team is comprised of several attorneys who are Florida Bar Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyers and National Board of Trial Advocacy Civil Trial Lawyers. This Double Board Certification is a distinction of experience in specialized skills, knowledge, and proficiency within the field of personal injury. A Board Certified Specialist can make a huge difference when you need to retain a Personal Injury Attorney.
Florida Board Certification is a volunteer program recognition of “specialist” or “expert” based upon the attorney’s experience requiring:
- The practice of law for at least five years;
Substantial involvement in the specialty of civil trial law — 50% or more — during the three years immediately preceding application; - Handling of at least 15 contested civil cases, including cases before juries as lead counsel and as the trier of fact on some or all of the issues;
- 50 hours of approved civil trial law certification continuing legal education in the three years immediately preceding application;
- Peer review; and,
- A written examination.
Other Common Questions:
-
What is included in an Estate Plan?
Each Estate Plan is tailored to your specific individual needs. No two Estate Plans are the same! There are several key documents in an estate plan that provide instruction on a variety life circumstances. The following are the basic documents in most Estate Plans:
– Last Will and Testament
– Power of Attorney
– Health Care SurrogateA more complex Estate Plan may require the drafting of a Revocable Living Trust. Along with the Revocable Living Trust, various other documents may need to be drafted to assign or transfer stock ownership, personal tangible goods, and/or real property to the Revocable Living Trust.
Some individuals also prepare what are known as an Enhanced Life Estate Deeds, commonly known as Lady Bird Deeds. This instrument allows for a transfer of ownership of your home automatically upon your death without the need for Probate or Trust Administration.
-
When Should I Make an Estate Plan?
There’s no wrong time to make an Estate Plan! An Estate Plan doesn’t necessarily indicate an individual is at the end of his or her life- they are documents that become necessary once a person either doesn’t have the capacity to make financial and medical decisions or has passed away. In the interest of being prepared, no one should feel obligated to wait until they have reached a certain age to make an Estate Plan. Life is unpredictable- if tragedy should ever strike, your family won’t be uncertain about your final wishes or the burden of having to open a Guardianship on your behalf and having court oversight as to all aspects of your life. This provides both you and your loved ones with a certain peace of mind; your loved ones will be fully equipped to celebrate and honor you in your ideal fashion.
-
Why Should I have an Estate Plan?
During your lifetime, unexpected events may cause you hardship to deal with your finances or your physician may deem you incompetent to consent to medical treatment. Advanced directives such as a Power of Attorney and a Health Care Surrogate allow for individuals that you select to make those decisions for you when you are unable to. An Estate Plan also ensures that all of your family members are aware of your final wishes. After your passing, your family will be working through the immeasurable grief of your loss. During such a difficult time, the last thing a family should do is argue over your last wishes and what they might have been. Furthermore, without a Last Will and Testament, Florida Statutes will decide who the beneficiaries are of your Estate. With an Estate Plan, YOU decide who your beneficiaries are of your Estate and it will provide your family with an outline as to those individuals and help avoid disagreements about what your final wishes were. An Estate Plan is the greatest final gift you could give. An Estate Plan shows your love and dedication to your family and provides a layer of comfort that they are doing the right thing.
What is Estate Planning?
An Estate Plan includes what your final wishes as for who should inherit what, but it is much more than just that. Your estate plan should include advanced directives on who becomes the guardian of any minor children you may have at the time of your passing, who has the authority to consent to your medical treatment should you be unable to, who has the authority to make end of life decisions, who has the authority to make financial decisions for you should you be unable to, and much more.