Tampa Estate Planning Attorney - Wills & Trusts

At Peart Law Office, P.A. we have been preparing customized and professionally created Wills, Trusts and other estate planning documents since 2007. When you hire an established and experienced Tampa Estate Planning Attorney you get what you pay for: a reliable and dependable service and product. 

We promise to deliver to you the best and most reliable customized Wills, Revocable Trusts and estate planning documents that your money can buy, at a reasonable price. Sarah E. Peart, Esq. and  Peart Law Office PA bring over 12 years of estate planning experience to the table when planning your estate. Our Wills & Trusts Attorney has the experience to give you peace of mind together with your estate plan package.

Our Attorney does not just enter your information onto a form as some estate planning services or document preparation businesses will have you believe. Each document we prepare is hand tailored to each and every client's needs and wishes.

To schedule a free initial consultation to speak with a Tampa Estate Planning Attorney please call us at (813) 314-2475 or kindly fill out the contact form at the bottom of this page.

An estate plan is legally enforceable plan of action, delineated through a series of legally binding documents, which were drafted during a person's lifetime, with the intent of assigning and distributing powers and assets on a person's behalf to specifically assigned beneficiaries. Hiring an Estate Planning Attorney for this process eliminates any second guessing and gives you peace of mind. If you are ready to schedule your Free Initial Consultation with a Tampa Estate Planning Attorney please call Peart Law Office, PA at (813) 314-2475 today!

"Probating an estate" or "probate" is the process of distributing assets and paying off creditors on behalf of a decedent, through a court action commenced by any heirs or beneficiaries to the decedent's estate. 

A judge will decide whether an estate plan exists and whether or not it is legally sufficient or binding. Furthermore, the judge will direct how to distribute any assets and pay any liabilities and expenses.

The answer to this question depends on the your estate . As we mentioned above, probate is required in Florida when the value of a decedent's estate is above $75,000.00 (excluding any protected homestead). Anything below that amount should qualify for summary administration. 

Either way, in Florida, your estate must be probated. Most people end up having to hire an attorney to represent them throughout the probate process. However, if you want your loves ones and/or beneficiaries to avoid probate entirely, then you will most likely need to have a trust set in place by a wills and trusts lawyer. To schedule a Free Initial Consultation with an Estate Planning Attorney please call Peart Law Office, PA at (813) 314-2475 today!

Unfortunately, we do not work in the area of probate. We only work with clients in planning for the future or litigating Trust disputes.

In order to avoid probate altogether you must have a testamentary trust in place. The trust can be revocable or irrevocable. We always recommend revocable trusts, as they can always be amended. Irrevocable trusts cannot be amended.

Individuals over the age of 18 who are of sound mind and body may sign any estate planning documents.  To schedule a free initial consultation to speak with a Tampa Estate Planning Attorney please call us at (813) 314-2475 or kindly fill out the contact form at the bottom of this page. 

The answer to this question depends on several conditions, most of which are listed in our introduction above. Here are eight reasons why you may want to hire an attorney to draft your estate plan:

1. You want peace of mind. It's the reason why you find yourself on this website in the first place. 

2. You want to make sure that your beneficiaries and/or loved ones avoid having to probate your estate.

3. Unfortunately, you do not possess the knowledge of all of the estate planning procedures in Florida, necessary to best plan your estate.

4. You want to decrease any tax burden or tax liability by your loved ones and/or beneficiaries.

5. You would like to currently grant free use of your assets to your beneficiaries without any personal liability or burden to them.

6. You would like to decrease your personal liability through a Trust, similarly to how an LLC operates.

7. You would like to eliminate any exposure of your assets to any creditors seeking them out.

8. You would like to maintain anonymity of real property ownership in public records.

8. You want to minimize or eliminate any in-fighting in your family over your assets.

9. You want to exclude somebody from receiving anything from your estate (aside from a spouse or minor children, who in Florida will have a legal claim to a portion of your estate and cannot be written out of your estate).

All of these reasons aside, any mistakes made while planning your estate could cost your loved ones, trustees and beneficiaries thousands of dollars and could take months or even years to resolve. Even worse, this all has to be carried out while your family members are grieving.  And somebody always comes out of the woodwork to make a claim for something. You know, that distant cousin of yours that you haven't seen in 30 years who thinks they are entitled to something. 

If your wishes are properly recorded, they are harder to dispute. Hiring the proper estates attorney that has been drafting wills and trusts for years is key to having your wishes followed. Call us today to schedule your free initial consultation to speak with an experienced Estate Planning Attorney at (813) 314-2475 or kindly fill out our contact form at the bottom of this page.

A Special Needs Trust is a trust specifically designed for the benefit of an individual with special needs, who does not want to risk losing their government benefits due to a future income stream, financial settlement or benefit. It is created specifically for any supplemental funds that will soon be received by the beneficiary. 

By utilizing a special needs trust, any future income will not change the individual's personal income, either for the purposes of filing personal taxes or for any application for any government benefits, as the funds will flow directly into the trust. This instrument is vital to maintaining qualification for any current government benefits. You will most certainly need the guidance of an experienced estate planning attorney to create one of these trusts. Please contact our office to setup a free initial consultation to discuss the creation of a Special Needs Trust for your loved one.

A Florida Special Needs Trust is valid for both state and federal government agencies who provide any benefits or assistance.  Please contact our office at (813) 314-2475 to obtain a quote and schedule a free initial consultation to speak with our Estate Planning Attorney to see if this type of trust will fit your individual needs.  

The Trustee of a special needs trust is usually the parent, guardian or caregiver of the trust's beneficiary. The beneficiary is the person receiving the benefits of the trust. The most common question we receive about these trusts is: Can a beneficiary act as trustee? A beneficiary cannot be the trustee of a special needs trust.

A Special Needs Trust should be created before receiving any new income streams, financial settlements or benefits. Once the money has been received it is too late to create the trust.  Please contact our office at (813) 314-2475 to obtain a quote and schedule a free initial consultation to speak with our Estate Planning Attorney.