Riverview Estate Planning for Widows
The attorneys at Christmas Spano & Owen, P.A. are dedicated to helping widows find their way through the legal maze. As a widow, you may not know which direction to turn or who to trust. You may feel like you are all alone with no one to help you. We are here to help – in a patient and compassionate way. We will answer your questions in plain language, and we will take the time necessary to help you understand your legal situation, as well as our recommendations for your estate plan.
It is crucial to have an estate plan so that your rights and the rights of your adult children, and even grandchildren, are protected. A carefully thought-out estate plan will ensure that your wishes regarding yourself, your family, and your personal property and assets are carried out.
- Last Will and Testament. A last will allows a widow to clearly set forth her desires about who should receive her assets and who will be responsible for administering her estate and handling final affairs.
- Trust. A trust is also often used by a widow to transfer her assets to her family or other beneficiaries at her death. The great benefit in having a trust, however, is that it permits the transfer of assets immediately upon death, without Court involvement or the need to hire an attorney. This makes the process much quicker and much less expensive. It also permits a trusted person to step in and help with the management of a widows affairs when she can no longer do so.
- Spendthrift Trust. A spendthrift trust is a trust created for the benefit of another person, possibly an adult child, who is unable to effectively manage his or her financial affairs. This preserves the child's inheritance and allows the child's share to be held and managed by a trustee, who periodically distributes money to the child over time or when special needs arise. This type of trust can also help protect a child's inheritance from creditor claims.
- Advance Directives. Advance directives, such as powers of attorney, living wills, and designations of health care surrogate, also help widows plan for the future by appointing agents (trusted friends or family members) to help with financial and medical decisions if they become incapacitated, as well as set forth directions regarding end of life medical care.
Don't make the mistake of writing your own legal documents or relying on self-help document assembly programs. Let the competent, caring attorneys at Christmas Spano & Owen, P.A. walk you through these difficult decisions.
Sun City Center Estate Planning for Widows
Christmas Spano & Owen, P.A. helps widows with estate planning cases throughout the State of Florida from their offices in Riverview, Tampa, Clearwater, and Tallahassee. Call us to day to schedule your free consultation. You can reach us at 813-902-3897 or toll free at 888-432-7421, or contact us by email.
