By: Phillip B. Rarick, Esq., Miami Trust Attorney I am pleased to announce that we have published on our web site a quick and easy explanation of living trusts. Click here: Understanding Living Trusts. Note: A PowerPoint presentation will appear in your lower task bar; click the presentation. Every person…
By Phillip B. Rarick, Esq. and Ashley Fernald In Florida there is frequently the difficult issue of whether to transfer homestead to a revocable living trust. The client wants to avoid probate and therefore generally wants to transfer the homestead to the trust. However, since the Bosonetto case in 2001,…
By Miami Trust Attorney Phillip B. Rarick, Esq. Last year I reminded you of a state-wide corporate scam called Compliance Services. Well, they are at it again! Recently (approximately January 7-11, 2013) you may have received a letter that looks like an “official” letter from the state of Florida by…
By Miami Trust Attorneys Phillip B. Rarick, Esq. and Jay R. Beskin, Esq. We averted one Fiscal Cliff. How does the new “Taxpayer Relief Act” passed by the Senate on New Year’s Eve impact estate and gift taxes for the American family? Here are three key points: 1. Estate and…
By Miami Probate Attorney Phillip B. Rarick, Esq. Florida’s elective share statute allows attorneys to draft standby Florida elective share trusts. (For a summary of Florida’s elective share see our post: Florida’s Sweeping Elective Share.) As of April 23, 2002, trusts that create property interests contingent upon an election being …
By Miami Trust Attorneys Phillip B. Rarick, Esq. and Jay R. Beskin, Esq. I. The Opportunity – And The Problem. The Opportunity: Gifts to family members and others are free of the U.S. gift tax if under the exemption. Specifically, U.S. Citizens in 2012 can give away assets worth $5,120,000…
A common over-sight of persons moving to Florida is failing to take their trust. They may have packed their trust and taken it with them, but the trust situs remains in their original state. This is usually a mistake. The fact that a client has moved to Florida will not…
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…
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…
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…