Video Summary

Our clients commonly wonder, “If I have a Living Will, do I also need a Health Care Surrogate?” To help you make that decision, you should know that there are two occasions in life when a Health Care Surrogate takes effect.

  1. If you are going to expire in the near future and you are unconscious, a Living Will can aid in determining whether life support will be discontinued. The Living Will names the person who will act as your Health Care Surrogate and will make that decision for you.
  1. If you have suffered some injury or medical trauma and you are not in a position to make medical decision for yourself, a Health Care Surrogate document names the person who is legally entitled to make those decisions for you. Appointing a Health Care Surrogate in advance allows you to choose a person who you trust to make vital medical decisions in your behalf when you are not capable of doing so. That person may be called upon to make a medical choice that could save your life.

If you would like assistance in preparing a Living Will or appointing a Health Care Surrogate, please call us at (727) 847-2288.

Video Summary

How much time is involved in setting up a will? Well, usually the time period consists of a conference wherein you meet with myself or an attorney and give him the information as to whom you would like to leave your assets upon your death, and further who you would like to be your executor. You need to have some idea of what assets you have and how they’re titled, and that drafting a will is incorporated in estate planning. Knowing how your assets are titled is important as far as knowing what the will will control since your will will not control jointly-owned assets, assets that are titled with a payable on death, life insurance or IRAs that have beneficiaries. After you have the estate planning conference, then you’ll later have to come back and sign your well.

We also discuss in our well conference a living will which says that you don’t want your life prolonged artificially. Also, a healthcare surrogate form where you authorize someone to receive health information too, as far as HIPAA is concerned, and to make medical decisions for you, as well as a durable power of attorney.

Give me a call if you’d like to do some estate planning and have a well-prepared my phone number’s (727) 847-2288.

Video Summary

Does the landlord have responsibility of hiring professional check for mold,If mold is suspected? No, I don’t believe the landlord has that responsibility. If you believe the property has mold. Well, I think that you need to determine whether or not there isn’t fact mold as a tenant. If you find out that there is, or that there is a leakage, which you have to have moisture in order to have mold, you can give a notice under the landlord tenant act to the landlord that he has seven days in which to correct the problem, whether it be mold or simply a leak, if they don’t take care of the matter within seven days, then you have a right to terminate your tenancy, whether it be under a lease or whether it be on a month to month basis. And then you can go run a different place that doesn’t have these same problems. I realized this presents certain practical problems and also economic problems, but there is no obligation on the landlord’s part to do a higher professional determine whether or not there is mold present in the rental unit. If you have any questions, give me a call at (727) 847-2288

What is a Codicil?

Video Summary

What is a codicil? A codicil is an amendment to your will. Whenever you want to make a change in your will, rather than doing a whole new, well, you can have an amendment. My experience has been, however, is if you have a simple will, it’s easier just to go ahead and to redo the whole will, the cost is all is about the same because you have a conference, you have to come back in and sign it with the same formality as you did your will. So, it’s usually simpler, easier, and the same expense as far as doing them amendment. So that’s what a codicil is. If you have any questions about your will and on a codicil will give me a call at (727) 847-2288.

Video Summary

Do I need to do estate planning, even if I do not have much money? The answer to that question is, yes. And that what money you do have, you want to be able to designate who you would like to receive it when ever you pass on. So, there’s a lot to estate planning other than just writing a will. A will I look at is basically a fallback position in the event that you have not properly planned your state for it to pass to whoever you would like your assets to go to the estate planning includes putting a designation on your bank accounts, to have them pay a belong death to whoever you would like to receive them. If you own real estate, even if it has a mortgage, you can sign a life estate deed whereby you can designate who would receive the property upon your death. This is called some in some circles called old lady bird deed. And these are simple ways to pass your assets on to whoever you’d like to receive them. Even though you don’t have a whole lot, you can do it and avoid having a probate. There’s also documents that go along with estate planning, such as the living will a healthcare surrogate and a durable power of attorney that you need to consider. Whenever you come in for an estate planning conference, my phone number is (727) 847-2288. Give me a call and I’ll be glad to talk with you about your estate plan