Estate Planning

Protecting Your Family, Your Assets and Your Wishes

Estate planning is about more than deciding what happens to your property after your death. A thoughtful estate plan can help protect your family, preserve your assets, document your wishes and establish who will make important financial and health care decisions if you are unable to do so.

At Syprett Meshad & DuBose, our attorneys help individuals and families create comprehensive estate plans tailored to their circumstances and goals. Whether you are planning for the first time or updating existing documents, we can help you put the appropriate protections in place for the future.

Comprehensive Estate Planning Services

Every estate plan is different. Depending on your family, assets and wishes, your plan may include several important documents and strategies.

Our attorneys can assist with:

• Last Wills and Testaments – Establishing how you want your property distributed and naming a personal representative to carry out your wishes.
• Revocable Living Trusts – Providing for the management and distribution of assets during your lifetime and after your death.
• Durable Powers of Attorney – Authorizing a trusted person to handle financial and legal matters on your behalf when necessary.
• Health Care Surrogate Designations – Identifying someone you trust to make medical decisions if you are unable to make them yourself.
• Living Wills and Advance Directives – Documenting your wishes regarding medical and end-of-life care.
• Trust Funding and Property Transfers – Helping properly title assets and prepare deeds transferring Florida real estate into a trust.
• Beneficiary and Asset Planning – Reviewing how property ownership and beneficiary designations coordinate with your overall estate plan.

Wills and Trusts

Wills and trusts are often central components of an estate plan, but they serve different purposes.

A Last Will and Testament provides instructions regarding the distribution of certain property after your death and allows you to name a personal representative to administer your estate.

A revocable living trust can provide additional flexibility for managing assets during your lifetime, planning for incapacity and directing how trust assets are distributed after your death. Properly funded trusts may also allow certain assets to pass to beneficiaries outside of probate.

Our attorneys can help determine which estate planning tools are appropriate for your particular circumstances.

Planning for Incapacity

An effective estate plan should address what happens during your lifetime as well as after your death.

Durable powers of attorney, health care surrogate designations, living wills and other advance directives can identify the people you trust to act on your behalf and document your wishes regarding important financial and medical decisions.

Putting these documents in place in advance can provide valuable clarity for your family during an unexpected illness, injury or other difficult circumstance.

Keeping Your Estate Plan Current

Estate plans should be reviewed periodically and following significant life changes. Marriage, divorce, the birth of children or grandchildren, the death of a beneficiary, purchasing property, changes in finances, relocating to Florida or changes in family circumstances may all affect your plan.

Individuals who have recently moved to Florida may also benefit from having estate planning documents prepared in another state reviewed for compatibility with Florida law and their current wishes.

Estate Planning Is for More Than Large Estates

You do not need substantial wealth to benefit from an estate plan. Estate planning can help anyone who wants greater control over how their affairs are handled, who will make decisions for them if necessary, and how their property will ultimately pass to the people they care about.

The goal is not simply to plan for your assets. It is to provide clarity, protection and peace of mind for you and your family.

Speak With a Sarasota Estate Planning Attorney

Whether you need to create your first estate plan, prepare or update a will or trust, establish powers of attorney and health care directives, or transfer Florida property into a trust, Syprett Meshad & DuBose can help.

Contact us by completing the form on this page or calling 941-365-7171 to schedule a free consultation.

We proudly serve clients throughout Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice, North Port, Lakewood Ranch and surrounding Florida communities.