Articles Posted in Will Law

Is a Handwritten Will Valid Under Florida Law? By: Jacqueline R. Bowden Gold, Miami Lakes Estate Planning Attorney When planning for the future, a crucial step is ensuring that your wishes are respected after your death. This often involves creating a will. However, not all wills are created equal, and understanding the types of wills…

Celebrities Who Died Without a Last Will The Importance of Estate Planning By: Jacqueline R. Bowden Gold, Miami Estate Planning Attorney When we think of celebrities, we often envision lives of glamour, wealth, and success. However, many high-profile individuals have passed away without taking a crucial step that could have spared their families years of…

By Phil Rarick, Miami Trust Attorney Naming a minor child as a beneficiary of a will, life insurance policy, IRA, 401K, bank account or any other source of fund is almost always a substantial mistake for four reasons: Much Better Options For more information about protecting funds for your minor children, contact an attorney at…

Florida Successor Trustee Checklist By Phillip B. Rarick, Miami Trust Attorney You are named the successor trustee and the trustmaker has just died. No doubt these are difficult times, but thankfully there are many resources to help. The following is a checklist of initial important tasks to help guide you after the funeral or memorial…

12 Point Wealth Protection Checklist For 2024 By: Phil Rarick & Jacqueline Bowden Gold, Estate & Business Law Attorneys Note: Rarick & Bowden Gold’s mission is helping all families protect their hard-earned wealth regardless of size – we provide basic estate planning for families with modest savings and advanced planning for those with substantial wealth.…

by: Phillip B. Rarick, Esq. Here is the good news/bad news I received from my bank today regarding my Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Application: The good news: your application has been approved; the bad: the SBA is out of money and you must wait for Congress to refund the program! Although I have heard of…

By: Jacqueline R. Bowden Gold, Miami Lakes and Weston Estate Planning Attorney Don’t make the mistake of drafting your own Will and estate plan to save money. With general forms available and online companies that claim to walk you through the “easy” drafting process, it is common to fall prey to their low-priced services. As…

Does A Trust Need to Be Recorded, Filed or Registered in Florida? One of the most common questions I get as a Weston estate planning attorney is, do I need to record my living trust? Some persons believe that a trust needs to be publicly recorded like a corporation or a deed. This is generally…

By: Phil Rarick, Estate Planning Attorney Many persons are tempted to have a “Simple Will” in which they want everything they own at death to go outright first to their spouse, and if the spouse does not survive then to their children in equal shares. Rather than take the time to consult with a Weston…

Three Big Threats To Your Children Over 18 – And How To Protect Them By Phil Rarick, Weston Estate Planning Attorney You have done it. You have guided (or you have survived) your children’s teen years. They are now over 18. They are now “sui juris” in the eyes of the law: this means they…