I am pleased to announce a valuable new feature on our web site that I trust you will find helpful. We want to share with you all the Florida local and state legal resources that we routinely use in our probate, corporate, guardianship, and estate planning practices. Resources is a…
Articles Posted in Asset Protection
Living Trusts Do Not Protect Your Assets; So What Does?
Now may be an excellent time to attack a common misunderstanding about living revocable trusts: These trusts do not protect your assets if you are sued. If you can be sued, your revocable trust can be sued. Some people believe that the living trust is like a “pink pill” solution: …
Watch Out for the Florida Stealth Tax: Documentary Stamps
Virtually all states are looking to increase tax revenues and Florida is no exception. One area in which the state is becoming more aggressive is the collection of documentary stamp taxes. As outlined in Florida Statue §201.02, this stealth tax must be considered in virtually all transfers of interests between or within Florida…
New Florida Durable Power of Attorney Law Makes Sweeping Changes
Introduction The Florida legislature recently enacted the “Florida Power of Attorney Act” (“FPOA”, Fla. Stat. §§709.2101-.2402), fundamentally overhauling existing law, and making sweeping new changes. Even though the new law recognizes durable power of attorneys (“DPA’s) executed under the prior law, we are advising clients to update their DPA, if…
US Tax Traps and Possible Solutions for the Non-Resident or Resident Foreign National
By Phillip B. Rarick, Esq. and Gene C. Sulzberger, CFP®, J.D. In the United States there are multiple estate and gift tax traps if you are not a U.S. citizen or your spouse is not. If you are a non-resident, or a resident with a Green Card and own property…
Olmstead Patch Bill Signed by Governor: Multi-Member Florida LLC’s Improved As Asset Protection Entity
By Phillip B. Rarick, Esq., Miami Asset Protection Attorney Executive Summary: Last summer in the case of Olmstead V. F.T.C the Florida Supreme Court held that a charging order is not the exclusive remedy against a single member LLC and indicated that it may not be the exclusive remedy against…
MOVING TO FLORIDA: MANY ADVANTAGES – BUT BEWARE OF THREE TRAPS
By Phillip B. Rarick, Miami Trust Attorney Executive Summary In addition to our sunshine, Florida has one of the best tax and asset protection climates of any state in the country. Florida has no state income tax, no fiduciary tax, no intangible tax, no estate tax, and arguably the most…
11 Point Estate Planning Checklist for 2010
______ #1. Trust Funding. After we signed your trust, we reviewed the funding of your trust and I gave you detailed Funding Notes. Have you followed up on these instructions? Funding is simply the transfer of your assets into your trust. It is a good idea to annually review the…
Florida Single Member LLC’s Have No Charging Order Protection
Who is Impacted by this Decision: Anyone with ownership interest in a single member Florida limited liability company (LLC). Executive Summary: On June 24, 2010, the Florida Supreme court held that a single member Florida limited liability company does not protect against an outside creditor with a judgment against the…
A Life Estate the Spouse Can’t Afford: Florida Homestead Trap Cured by New Law
By Phillip B. Rarick, Miami Trust Attorney Who is Impacted by This Legislation, F.S. § 732.401? The surviving spouse of a decedent when the decedent owned homestead property which was not properly devised or cannot be devised is impacted by this legislation. However, all Florida probate attorneys need to know…