In today’s world, nearly everyone has social media accounts and email accounts. Florida trust and estates lawyers know that, via these accounts, pictures are shared, memories are made, and personal information is discussed. How do I keep my email and social media accounts private once I pass away? Who will have access to my accounts? How do I provide my husband with access so that he can cherish my pictures? Do I need a probate lawyer? Google, for example, has set up a convenient way to insure that the people you intend to have access to these accounts do.

There are many great estate lawyers in Florida. Palm Beach estate attorneys can help you get through the probate process in Florida, in a timely way. They can advise you not only on your inheritance rights, but on your fiduciary duties. You should be willing and ready to communicate with the estate attorney you choose and they should keep you informed. How do I choose the best trust and estates lawyer? What factors should I consider? How do I choose a Florida estate attorney? What questions should I ask when I interview probate law firms?

What do Florida trust and estates lawyers need to know about adoption? What do Delray Beach estate planning attorneys need to know about adoption? In Florida, do adopted children inherit from the parents who adopted them? What about foster children? Do foster children in Florida have the same rights as adopted children? If I am adopted, can I still inherit from my biological father? If I’m adopted do I get to inherit from both my natural parents and my adoptive parents? A January 4, 2017  Court of Appeals of Texas opinion discusses adoption and a trust.

What does dying without a will mean in Florida? In Palm Beach, if you die without a will, you are dying intestate. This means that your wealth will pass to your heirs. Who are heirs according to Florida intestacy laws? If you have a spouse and children, they will probably inherit. But what if you do NOT have children or a spouse?

What do litigators in West Palm Beach need to know about the doctrine of res judicata? How can res judicata help you in your probate litigation matter? When can res judicata be applied? What claims can be barred through res judicata? You may want to check out this recent Second District Court of Appeal(DCA) case to learn more. 

On February 26, 2017, The Daily Mail reported about the murder of Helen Bailey, a successful children’s author. Her fiancé, Ian Stewart, murdered her for her fortune. Now that he was caught and sentenced, he will not inherit anything, regardless of the fact that she left him a substantial share in her will. This is because of a Slayer Statute. However, his son’s will still inherit.

Is the estate vicariously liable for damages, when the daughter of the decedent crashes the decedent’s car, if there is no personal representative appointed yet? What is Florida’s dangerous instrumentality doctrine? What should Palm Beach trust and estates litigators and probate lawyers know about this doctrine? What does it have to do with Florida probate litigation? A February 21, 2017 First District Court of Appeal opinion discusses this doctrine and a Milton, Florida estate.

In Florida probate court, familial relations matter.  Who has standing to participate in a guardianship hearing? Does the next of kin of the Ward have standing to participate? A recent guardianship opinion from the Fourth District Court of Appeal discusses standing and a son’s participation in a guardianship hearing regarding attorney’s fees.

Has your mother or father recently passed away and left behind a house in Florida? Do you need help administering a Florida estate? How do you get your West Palm Beach inheritance that your father left you? What should you know beginning the probate process in Florida?

As John Pankauski, managing partner at Pankauski Hauser, always says….your family is going to fight over your wealth when you’re gone and, perhaps, even while you’re still alive.  A recent article by the New York Post discusses a family dispute involving a mother, her child, and her child’s inheritance. Here, the daughter sues her own mother who allegedly used $13 million of the daughter’s inheritance to buy herself a mansion and other luxurious things.