Estate Planning and Trusts

Estate Planning is the process whereby a person develops a plan and prepares documents to conserve, protect, and distribute estate assets before and after death for the benefit of loved ones and charities, taking into consideration the effect of state and federal tax and administrative laws and regulations. It can also involve planning for the use of your assets for your care if you become unable to manage your affairs during your lifetime.

If you own a home, have some savings, or own any goods such as a car or furniture, then you have an estate. Planning for the future will affect the financial security of those you love. If you don't plan for what happens to your estate upon your death, the government will make those decisions for you.

You should have an estate plan if:

• You care about who inherits your property;
• You care about your health care treatment;
• You are the parent of minor or disabled children; and/or
• You want to avoid the public proceedings of a possible guardianship and/or probate

A comprehensive estate plan should effectively:

• Avoid the need for guardianship during one's lifetime;
• Avoid the need for probate administration after one's death;
• Plan for the uncertainties of changing estate and generation-skipping transfer tax law and reduce the potential estate-tax burden for an individual's beneficiaries;
• Appoint someone to act on one's behalf in the event of illness or incapacity; and
• Provide a clear set of directives about one's wishes both during lifetime, during illness and after death.

Franco & Associates handles all aspects of estate planning, including creating wills and trusts, powers of attorney, living wills; business planning; and planning for incapacity and disability.

Franco & Associates specializes in handling all aspects of your Estate Planning needs in Florida and offers you a free no-obligation consultation. Our office is open Monday Friday from 9:00 AM 5:30 PM and evenings by appointment. Please call our office at 954-617-0440 to discuss how our law firm can serve you. Telephone appointments and Home and Hospital appointments are available.