ESTATE PLANNING IN LAKELAND, FL

TRUSTS & ESTATES LAWYER
LAKELAND, FL

Our experienced and professional estate planning and trusts attorneys at Medina Law Group, P.A. offer a wide range of comprehensive estate planning legal services, including the creation of a trust or trusts. Individuals, families, businesses, and estates in Lakeland and around Central Florida benefit from our trust planning and implementation legal services. Our team of diligent estate planning attorneys assists our clients in the establishment of trusts tailored to their unique circumstances and financial goals, such as asset protection, minimizing tax liability, probate avoidance, creditor protection, business succession, and Medicaid eligibility.

What is a legal trust?

A trust is a fiduciary relationship in which one party, the trustor, authorizes another party, the trustee, to hold title to property or assets for the benefit of a third party, the beneficiary. Trusts are created to offer legal protection for the trustor’s assets, ensuring that those assets are transferred according to the trustor’s wishes, to save time, to decrease court fees and paperworks, to reduce inheritance or estate taxes, and, in some situations, to avoid probate.

Types of Trusts

Our trust attorneys can assist you in the recommendation, creation, and implementation of an appropriate trust, including:

Testamentary Trust – created according to the terms of a person’s will; only come into being after the testator has passed away
Living Trusts – an agreement between you (the settlor, grantor, or trustor) and an individual or entity (the trustee) made during your lifetime
Revocable Living Trusts (Inter Vivos Trusts) – allows you to use and control your assets during life and control their disposition after death; most common form of living trust, provides for professional investment management and for control and management of the trust after the death of the creator (grantor) for the benefit of minors, incapacitated beneficiaries, and spouses of second marriages
Irrevocable Living Trusts – can be created to own a life insurance policy, provide liquidity for estate taxes, or provide for the care of beneficiaries after the death of the insured; can be used to fund charitable giving; can be used to deal with a second personal residence or provide for grandchildren

When structuring and implementing trusts for our clients, our trust attorneys collaborate with financial planners, accountants, and other specialists to ensure you and your loved ones receive the outcomes you desire. We understand the value of all estate planning elements functioning together. We examine existing estate planning methods such as wills, advance directives, powers of attorney, and business succession plans to verify that a trust is compatible with the overall estate plan.

Medina Law Group, P.A. specializes in providing comprehensive estate planning legal services to clients in Lakeland, FL and throughout Polk County and Central Florida, including trust creation and trust administration. If you or your family have questions about estate planning, we encourage you to contact our office and discuss your options today.

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SEE OUR OTHER ESTATE PLANNING LEGAL SERVICES IN LAKELAND, FL

Last Will & Testament

A will is a legal document that directs the distribution of your assets after your death to your designated heirs and beneficiaries. It is the building block of an effective estate plan for all individuals.

Trust Administration

If you were named the trustee of someone’s estate, it is recommended to work with an experienced attorney to help facilitate the management of trust property according to the trust document terms.

Probate

Probate is the legal procedure your estate goes through after you pass. A court will assess all your assets, authenticate your will (if you have one), and distribute your estate to the proper heirs.

Asset Protection Planning

You’ve worked hard for your property—be sure to protect it. Asset protection planning helps keep your property and wealth safe from being taken by someone who wins a lawsuit against you.

Advance Directive

Advance directives are written, legal instructions regarding your preferences for end-of-life care and naming a health care proxy. They are an essential part of a complete estate plan.

Gun Trusts

Gun trusts, also known as firearms trusts, NFA trusts, Class 3 trusts, or firearms revocable trusts, are an excellent way to legally purchase and own a Title II firearm and/or regular firearms in Florida.

Your better legacy depends upon the accuracy and completeness of your estate plan