Estate Planning Attorney

This firm provides estate planning services to all persons and families regardless of complexity or situation. We provide mobile attorney services in the Sarasota, Manatee area for those clients who cannot come to us.

Planning begins with a conversation. Contact us today for an estate planning consultation. Zoom meetings or video conferencing are gladly available.

Everyone Has an Estate

Everything you own – your car, checking account, savings account, retirement account, home and personal possessions comprise your estate. Regardless of your income or the value of your assets, estate planning is a vital part of the written future plans of any adult. If you desire to have your wishes known and successfully carried out when the time comes, you need good estate planning documents.

Using an Attorney for Estate Planning

The most effective and beneficial estate plan is put into place by an experienced and trusted estate planning attorney. That attorney must become familiar with your goals, personal concerns and family structure. They need to know your assets and how they are owned. Once an estate planning attorney has gathered all of this information from you, your options can be discussed and implemented so that your resulting plan is a legal, workable solution to all of your unique estate planning needs. Because of the importance of the process, it may require coordinated input from other professionals like your accountant or your financial planner.

Purposes of Estate Planning

Estate planning puts your written instructions and strategies in place through properly signed, witnessed and notarized legal documents that carry out your wishes. They are beneficial not only on your death, but also especially beneficial when you face health challenges. Everyone needs a Last Will and Testament, but all adults should also have a Power of Attorney and advance Healthcare Directives. These additional items are obviously important as we age, but become invaluable if we face the inability to act for ourselves at any age due to an accident, injury or illness. Without such fundamental documents in place, you risk putting your families and loved ones in the awful position of scrambling for answers when time is crucial. The lack of advance estate planning can be a costly, contentious and heartbreaking situation for those you most deeply care about.

Do-It-Yourself Documents

Today’s “do it yourself” or DIY online documents further risk outcomes that are unintended. Think twice before leaving this important process to self-prepared, online legal forms. The unhappy and disastrous stories of DIY document nightmares are legion.

Benefits of Estate Planning

Besides putting effective documents in place, the benefits of this firm’s estate planning work for you will include:

• Assistance with solutions on the ease of transfer of assets to your beneficiaries
• Management of your estate plan to avoid unnecessary legal costs or entanglements, including probate avoidance
• Confidential discussions of your particular family situation and personal dynamics as they relate to estate planning matters
• Advice on your choice of healthcare appointees and financial fiduciaries, and on the choice of guardians if you have minor children
• Guidance on how to protect your assets from credit issues, or from beneficiaries who spend or have special needs
• Developing a practical plan for disability or incapacity
• Organizing your financial records and documents for the benefit of those you leave behind
• And, if applicable –
  • Establishing Florida domicile
  • Preparing marital agreements
  • Formulating a business succession plan
  • Other legal services that fit your circumstances

Estate Planning in Today’s World

I think we all can agree that any additional peace of mind to be found in today’s complex world is important. The firm of Elizabeth J. Barber, P.A. is happy to help with all steps that your particular situation may call for. Remember, whether our world is multi-faceted or simple, estate planning is a vital and important process for all adults. Contact us today for an estate planning consultation. Zoom meetings or video conferencing are gladly available.