You’ve likely seen ads promising that drafting your will or trust will save you time and money. The reality, though, is that most, if not all, of these fill-in-the-blank kits aren’t capable of generating customized plans that reflect all your wishes and protect your beneficiaries. Many don’t even take into consideration Florida’s specific estate planning and probate laws, such as homestead property protection.
Cobb Cole’s estate planning attorneys are skilled at interpreting the state’s various laws relating to wills, trusts, probate, taxes, and property rights, something no off-the-shelf or online software can match. An attorney can also answer your questions about estate distribution, guardianship options, and potential legal challenges.
3 Reasons To Hire an Estate Planning Attorney
Working with an estate planning attorney offers numerous benefits, including these three key advantages:
1. Tailored Services
Florida has several unique laws and rules regarding probate and estate planning, such as disposition of remains, elective share, and ancillary probate. Hiring an estate planning attorney ensures your estate is tailored to your unique circumstances. This can be particularly important if you own a business or have other complex assets. Additional factors can impact how your assets are distributed including children from previous relationships, property ownership in different states, and specific bequests in your will.
2. Avoid Lengthy and Costly Probate
Probate can involve extensive paperwork, court fees, and potential legal challenges. An estate planning attorney guides you on strategies that help minimize or even bypass the probate process, simplifying the transfer of assets to your heirs and reducing associated costs and delays. Documents and tools like revocable living trusts, joint ownership, and designation of beneficiaries on IRAs, insurance policies, and other accounts are just some of the mechanisms an attorney might use to help your estate avoid probate, ensuring a quicker and smoother transition for your beneficiaries.
3. Ensuring Your Estate Plan Holds Up in Court
An attorney with in-depth knowledge of estate planning and applicable state laws can help ensure your assets go where you want them to, even if your estate plan is challenged in court by disgruntled relatives or other parties. They can help you draft valid and enforceable documents according to Florida statutes. With proper planning, you can protect your final wishes.
Contact an Estate Planning Attorney at Cobb Cole Today
You work a lifetime to build up your assets. Unfortunately, putting them at risk by preparing your own estate plan can cost far more time and money than you might imagine. The truth is, that developing an estate plan can be complex and is better left in the hands of a qualified professional.
One of the most thoughtful steps you can take for your loved ones is to work with an attorney in creating an estate plan that fulfills your wishes, avoids court intervention, and protects your beneficiaries. Cobb Cole’s estate planning attorneys can help you safeguard your assets and secure your legacy, ensuring your estate is managed as you intended, with minimal legal hurdles and maximum stability for your heirs.
Contact us online or call 386-255-8171 to learn more.
