Blog
Top 5 Estate Planning Gems for Business Owners
Top 5 Estate Planning Gems for Business Owners By: Cristin Gerczak, Esq. March 2, 2021 If you’re a business owner, estate planning is more than just protecting your personal assets and the future of your family. Owning a business can be one of the greatest joys anyone...
If a Person Lives Out of the Area, Can They Still Be Named an Executor?
If a Person Lives Out of the Area, Can They Still Be Named an Executor? By: Barry E. Haimo, Esq. February 25, 2021 [BEGIN TRANSCRIPT] BARRY HAIMO: A person can be named executor or a personal representative in Florida under a will. It generally requires you to live in...
What Qualities Should I Look for When I Choose an Executor?
What Qualities Should I Look for When I Choose an Executor? By: Barry E. Haimo, Esq. February 25, 2021 {BEGIN TRANSCRIPT] BARRY HAIMO: In designating an executor or personal representative in Florida, you should look for someone that not only do you trust, but that is...
Why Are Corporation Governing Documents Important? Part 1: Bylaws
Why Are a Corporation’s Governing Documents Important? Part 1: Bylaws By: Barry E. Haimo, Esq. February 12, 2021 When you begin to set up a corporation – or any new business for that matter – you need to have a vision in place. It should cover where the business is...
Your Guide to Estate Planning for Small Business Owners
Your Guide to Estate Planning for Small Business Owners By: Barry E. Haimo, Esq. February 11, 2021 As a small business owner in Florida, you wear an infinite number of hats in any given week. Throw in the unprecedented challenges you probably faced in the last year,...
Top 5 Estate Planning Must-Knows for New Parents
Top 5 Estate Planning Must-Knows for New Parents By: Cristin Gerczak, Esq. February 9, 2021 As a new parent, you have a lot on your mind — if you’ve had enough sleep to think straight! Making sure your new baby is taken care of is at the top on that list. Preparing an...
What Are Florida’s Laws on “Descent and Distribution”?
What Are Florida’s Laws on “Descent and Distribution”? By: Barry E. Haimo, Esq. February 4, 2021 It's never easy dealing with the loss of a loved one. However, there will come a point when decisions need to be made about the possessions they've left behind. This...
How Many Americans Have a Will? One Survey Says Only About 32%
How Many Americans Have a Will? One Survey Says Only About 32% By: Barry E. Haimo, Esq. January 28, 2021 A few years ago, we posted a version of this article lamenting the fact that only around 40% of American adults had wills. Well, the numbers today are even more...
How Your Art Collection Factors Into Your Estate Plan
How Your Art Collection Factors Into Your Estate Plan By: Barry E. Haimo, Esq. January 28, 2020 Every piece of artwork — from internationally renowned photography to mixed media pieces by artists around the country, all the way down to works found at the neighborhood...
What Your Relationship Status Has to Do with Providing a Fair Inheritance
What Your Relationship Status Has to Do with Providing a Fair Inheritance - Part 2 of 3 By: Cristin Gerczak, Esq. January 26, 2021 Welcome back to our series of posts on providing a fair inheritance. In our first post, we went over the general idea of “fairness” in...
Representation Under Florida’s Trust Code
Trust Representation Under Florida's Trust Code By: Barry E. Haimo, Esq. January 22, 2021 When most people in our state think of a "representative," they likely imagine a personal representative -- the individual who handles another’s affairs after their death. By...
What Is Offshore Planning?
What Is Offshore Planning? By: Barry E. Haimo, Esq. January 22, 2021 Transcript BARRY E. HAIMO, ESQ.: Offshore planning generally describes an asset protection technique where you create and fund a trust and the trust is administered by another country -- a resident...
How to Handle In-Laws When Engaging in Estate Planning
How to Handle In-Laws When Engaging in Estate Planning By: Barry E. Haimo, Esq. January 21, 2020 Regardless of your relationship with them, your in-laws should always be a part of your estate planning. Why? Because there are a number of ways they may impact your...
What Does It Mean to Provide a Fair Inheritance to Your Beneficiaries?
What Does It Mean to Provide a Fair Inheritance to Your Beneficiaries? Part 1 of 3 By: Cristin Gerczak, Esq. January 19, 2021 During the estate planning process, it can be difficult deciding not only on your beneficiaries, but also asset distribution. Heirs frequently...
How Do You Know If Someone Left You Money in a Will?
By: Barry E. Haimo, Esq. January 14, 2021 How Do You Know If Someone Left You Money in a Will? A well-off relative recently died. After experiencing an initial bout of grief, you start wondering: what if they left you money in their will? It feels wrong to bring...
#FreeBritney: Petition to Remove Her Father from Conservatorship Denied
#FreeBritney: Petition to Remove Her Father from Conservatorship Denied By: Barry E. Haimo, Esq. January 14, 2021 The #FreeBritney community is huge, and its movement has brought widespread awareness of the pop star’s ongoing conservatorship issues, which in Florida...
Bringing Awareness to Complex Family Situations
Bringing Awareness to Complex Family Situations By: Cristin Gerczak, Esq. January 12, 2021 Estate planning is not a no-brainer and there is no “simple” estate plan. Navigating the world of estate planning can be a challenge for many — especially in cases that involve...
“I’ll Get to It Later”: Why We Put Off Planning Our Estate
“I’ll Get to It Later”: Why We Put Off Planning Our Estate By: Barry E. Haimo, Esq. January 7, 2021 Lockdowns and cancelled vacations have given Americans a lot of free time to check off items on their to-do list... or just do another puzzle with the family. Because...
Three Estate Planning Issues LGBTQ Couples Should Prioritize
Three Estate Planning Issues LGBTQ Couples Should Prioritize By: Barry E. Haimo, Esq. December 16, 2020 Proper estate planning is something everyone considers at some point, especially when they have children. But despite the strides that legislators have made in...
After a Divorce, Should You Just Tear Up Your Will or Execute a New One?
After a Divorce, Should You Just Tear Up Your Will or Execute a New One? By: Barry E. Haimo, Esq. December 10, 2020 While experts continue to disagree on how to pin down the actual divorce rate in this country, one thing is for sure: divorce does happen. For married...
Are You Leaving Chaos For Your Significant Other If You’re Not Married?
Are You Leaving Chaos For Your Significant Other If You're Not Married? By: Cristin Gerczak, Esq. December 1, 2020 Did you know that without an estate plan, your live-in life-long significant other won’t receive any portion of your estate assets if you aren’t married...
Do Your Children Need Asset Protection?
Do Your Children Need Asset Protection? By: Barry E. Haimo, Esq. November 24, 2020 The shortest answer we can give you is that if you have children, then yes, they do need asset protection. Indeed, most people who have children hope to leave some form of inheritance...
How to Use Your Estate Plan to Save on Taxes Even with Interest Rates So Low
How to Use Your Estate Plan to Save on Taxes Even with Interest Rates So Low By: Barry E. Haimo, Esq. November 19, 2020 Due in part to COVID-19 economic recovery efforts, interest rates are at a historic low right now. This has created a number of estate planning...
Don’t Forget How Much the Annual Exclusion Gift Can Save You
Don't Forget How Much the Annual Exclusion Gift Can Save You Tax planning for your estate can quickly become complicated. There are many strategies available, which can seem overwhelming if you’re looking for every little advantage you can get. Paying attention and...
01 – What Can I Expect the Process of Representation to Be Like?
What Can I Expect the Process of Representation to Be Like? Click here to view our Representation Road Map. First, we will send you a brief introductory questionnaire. Acquiring information in advance helps focus our meeting together. We will then sit down...
