Is it worth paying extra money to have an attorney prepare your deed, or can you save a few dollars by doing it yourself or using a less qualified preparer? Many people assume a deed is just a piece of paper with names on it. However, a recent case in our office highlights exactly why "saving money" on a deed can end up costing your family thousands of dollars and years of stress later. Here is a real-life story of how one missing phrase caused a "double probate " nightmare.

Are TOD and POD accounts guaranteed to avoid Florida probate? No, not anymore.  While Transfer on Death (TOD) and Payable on Death (POD) accounts are specifically designed to bypass probate by passing assets directly to beneficiaries, we are seeing a rapidly increasing frequency in Florida where these accounts fail. This failure forces the estate into the court process, costing heirs time and legal fees. The primary cause is not a flaw in the law, but an administrative failur

Why Adding a Child to Your Assets is Not a Substitute for a Trust We all want to handle our affairs as economically as possible. When looking at the costs of estate planning , it is tempting to find a workaround to avoid probate without paying for a formal plan. A common scenario involves a parent trying to "DIY" their estate plan by simply adding an adult child as a joint owner to a business, a deed, or a financial account. The logic seems sound: If I add them now, they own