Jacksonville Law Firm for Probate, Estate Planning & Family Law

Estate Planning

Estate planning is a proactive measure, allowing you to assert control over the distribution of your assets; this can include management while you are alive and after your passing. Elder law is a related legal area that deals with the issues of the older population.

Estate planning and elder law can include: 

• Asset protection, such as through inheritance law
• Business succession planning
• Conservatorships and guardianships
• Living wills and advance directives
• Long-term care planning
• Medicaid planning
• Powers of Attorney
• Retirement planning
• Special needs planning
• Trusts, trust administration, and trust litigation
• Wills

Probate

Probate, on the other hand, is a court-supervised process that takes place after an individual's death. It involves authenticating the deceased person's will, appointing an executor, identifying and gathering all estate property, identifying heirs and beneficiaries, paying off any debts owed by the estate, and distributing the remaining assets according to the person's last wishes or state law if no will exists.

The estates of those who pass away without a will (called “intestacy”) are subject to the dictates of Florida probate laws regarding how the estate is divided, which could lead to unsatisfactory consequences for surviving family members. 

Where disputes arise in the probate process, litigation may be required to resolve them.

Formal administration is a probate process in Florida for estates valued at more than $75,000, involving court oversight of the validation, inventory, and distribution of the decedent's assets. 

Summary administration is a streamlined probate process for smaller estates in Florida, such as for those valued at less than $75,000 or where the decedent has been deceased for more than two years. Lastly, ancillary administration is a secondary probate process required when a decedent owned property in a state other than their state of residence.

Mason Law Firm, P.A., can represent you in any of the above probate matters. 

Family Law 

Family Law in Florida covers various legal matters related to familial relationships. This includes divorce, child custody and support, alimony, the division of marital property and debt, enforcement and modification of family court orders, relocation of children, mediation, and domestic violence. 

Each area of law is complex and carries significant implications, making competent legal counsel crucial for optimal outcomes.