A “Good Advice Article” from Fort Lauderdale Probate Attorney, Kim Douglas Sherman, Esquire
Simple Estate Planning Tips and Creation of a Flexible Last Will
“Probate,” is the court process that transfers property out of deceased person’s ownership, explains Estate Lawyer, Kim Sherman. Probate takes some time and some money, so you would like to avoid probate. If you are married, everything that you own titled as “husband and wife” will pass automatically to the surviving spouse. For those assets, there is no need for a probate proceeding. “For the rest of your assets?” Think about putting your real estate into joint ownership “with a right of survivorship.” For your financial accounts think about making the accounts “payable on death” to your intended heirs. These are easy, simple solutions that take very little effort on your part.
Probate lawyer, Kim Douglas Sherman, from Fort Lauderdale, Florida has been writing Last Wills for almost forty years. How many times have you thought, “I should make a will?” Then there is the old quip about “nothing is so certain as death and taxes.” There are some simple things that you should know and do about planning your estate. They are not expensive or hard to do, either. Mr. Sherman notes that most people look at their Last Will and Testament as dealing with their anticipated estate in the big picture. The Will answers the questions about who is going to get the house, the car, and the remaining financial accounts? In Mr. Sherman’s years of general law practice, he has learned that of equal or greater importance to his clients making their Will is the little, but important, things. They are concerned about the family heirlooms, jewelry, artwork, and collectibles.
Will-writing attorney, Kim Douglas Sherman refers to a useful Florida statute. There is a Florida statute, section 732.515 that allows a person to make a list of the items of personal property and the person, persons, or entities that they want to get those items. All you have to do is refer to the statute and the “list” in the Will and sign the list. The beauty of this provision is that you can change your list, as many times as you want, and you do not have to make a new Will.
Probate Attorney Sherman says that, “The list provision in your Will can accommodate your giving some or all of those important items to your intended beneficiaries while you are still alive.” The provision allows you the flexibility to sell or otherwise dispose of items while you are alive. As you give things away, you just cross them off of your “list.” Keep your “list” together with your Will. It could not be easier, and yet the “list” has all of the enforceability that a Court can grant to your Last Will and Testament. If there is no list found, then it will be assumed that you did not make a list or that you destroyed the list.
In the Fort Lauderdale area, Probate Lawyer, Kim Douglas Sherman, Esquire prepares wills for his clients. If you do not have a Will, you really should have your attorney prepare one for you. A Will makes sure that all interested parties know how you want your estate to go. It is not expensive to make a Will, and having a Will saves your beneficiaries both time and money.
To contact and learn more about Fort Lauderdale, Florida Probate Attorney, Kim Douglas Sherman, visit his website: www.ShermanLegal.com or call (954) 489-9500
