Wills Trusts Estates

Florida estate planning: wills and trusts

Estate Planning is a topic that most would rather ignore; the fact is most tend to procrastinate when it comes to estate planning or planning for one’s own demise.  Let us face it: it is not a pleasant topic to discuss.  Estate planning boils down to two major topics: planning during one’s life for incapacity and planning at death for the redistribution of your assets.  There are several pitfalls and other issues in estate planning that one needs to be mindful of: nursing home (Medicaid planning), estate tax planning (Federal Estate/Gift Tax) and several others.  That said, a Will (and Durable Power of Attorney and Health Care Surrogate) or Trust are powerful estate planning tools that assist in the management of your affairs while you may be incompetent and the redistribution of your wealth and personal assets upon your death.  Without the proper planning, your loved ones may be left with unnecessary work and loss.  Call on us to schedule an appointment to review your estate planning needs.

Medicaid planning

Many families find a time of need when dealing with a loved one who is entering a nursing home facility, whether for a short stay for rehabilitation or as a result of a health issue under which we may or may not know how long our loved one will require long term nursing care.  The private pay costs of Florida Nursing Homes in our community averages $200 – $235 per day, which is more than $6,000.00 per month.  Florida Medicaid is available for families who meet the technical requirements for this public assistance and it helps defray the monthly costs of nursing home care.  Call on us today to schedule an appointment to review the technical requirements of Medicaid to see if your loved one is eligible or if there are steps that your loved one can take to better plan for this assistance.

Guardianship administration

Sometimes when proper planning is not completed, a Guardianship may be necessary to assist a loved one in a time of need.  Guardianship administrations are necessary to assist with the financial transactions or decision making of loved ones who have been deemed incompetent for purposes of making their own decisions.  If you are a court appointed guardian or have been told that a guardianship may be necessary for you or a loved one, we can assist in the establishment of a guardianship and/or the continued guardianship administration.  Call on us to schedule an appointment to review your guardianship needs.

Will/probate trust administration

The loss of a loved one is a traumatic experience and the fact remains that there are many legal and administrative steps that must be taken following the death of a loved one.  This is another arena in which we can help.  We are experienced in helping those grieving the loss of a loved one get through the probate and trust administration process.  Not only can we assist in drafting your Wills or Trusts, but we can assist your family with the administrative process to carry out the administration of your Will or Trust to finality.  If you have lost a loved one and need assistance in this regard, call on us to schedule an appointment to review your probate/trust administration needs.

Contact a Lake City, Florida wills or trusts attorney

The lawyers at Robinson, Kennon & Kendron, P.A. are available to help you with estate or Medicaid planning. To schedule a consultation, please contact the law firm online or call 386.755.1334.