ESTATE PLANNING
WHY SHOULD SOMEONE CREATE AND ESTATE PLAN?
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Define your wishes regarding end-of-life treatment or other critical medical decisions
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Provide for a spouse, significant other, or domestic partner after your death
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Reduce or, in some cases, eliminate expensive probate-related costs
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Disperse property per your wishes
At Minot Law, we offer our clients personalized estate planning. Our staff works closely with clients to prepare wills and other legal documents that are necessary to carry out their goals.
Making an estate plan can help the family of a loved one who passes away. Estate plans also allow an individual to direct the distribution of their estate according to their wishes and goals.
LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT
A Last Will and Testament serves as a directive regarding the distribution of a person’s assets after death. Executing a will can be a relatively simple process. However, the testator (the person who is creating the will) must create it in compliance with Florida law.
The testator must be at least 18 years old and have the mental capacity to create the will. Two people must witness the testator sign the will and sign the will themselves. All signatures must be notarized by a valid Florida Notary Public.
If you would like to create a will, Minot Law can help you. We can also help you create a valid codicil (addition) to your will or help you revoke your old will and create a new one.
DURABLE POWER OF ATTORNEY
Durable Powers of Attorney are legal forms often used in estate planning. This document ensures that an appointed agent can make financial decisions on your behalf if you become incapacitated. Minot Law helps our clients create tailored Durable Power of Attorney documents.
DESIGNATION OF HEALTHCARE SURROGATE
In addition to creating Wills and Durable Powers of Attorney, we also help our clients Designate a Healthcare Surrogate. A Designation of Healthcare Surrogate appoints an agent to make decisions on your behalf should you become incapacitated and unable to make critical end-of-life and other healthcare decisions.
LIVING WILL OR ADVANCED HEALTHCARE DIRECTIVE
A Living Will specifies whether a person desires to receive life support or other treatment to prolong his or her life in the event he/she has a terminal, end-stage condition or are in a persistent vegetative state. It further allows a person to designate the types of treatments he/she would like to help keep him/her alive.
DECLARATION OF PRE-NEED GUARDIAN
A Declaration of Pre-Need Guardian allows you to select who you would like to take care of you if you ever become incapacitated.
When a person gets older he or she may become incapacitated and be vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. Much of the potential for abuse and exploitation can be eliminated by selecting a person to make decisions on your behalf.
ESTATE PLANNING
DOCUMENTS WE OFFER
YOU DESERVE AN
EXPERIENCED ATTORNEY
WHY CHOOSE MINOT LAW
“When clients first come see me, many are unsure about the process of setting up their estate plan. Some have experienced difficulties when a loved one did not have an estate plan. While some clients don’t enjoy the idea of confronting the issue of their death, they realize the importance of ensuring that their loved ones will be provided for when they’re gone. I enjoy helping clients understand the simplicity of the process and seeing their relief once they know that their estate is in order.”
Mike Minot