Do you live outside of Florida but are the beneficiary of a Palm Beach trust? Are you a non-Florida family member of a person who died in Miami or Jacksonville? Are you in need of a Florida probate lawyer but live outside of Florida? Pankauski Hauser is the firm that non-Florida families turn to when they need probate assistance in Florida.
Do you live outside of Florida, but need probate help IN FLORIDA? Pankauski Hauser is the firm that non-Florida families turn to when they need probate assistance in Florida.
When interviewing West Palm Beach trust and estates litigation lawyers, you should ask certain questions to insure that you are hiring the right firm. Here are four questions you should definitely ask.
Our Florida probate law firm is asked to represent families and beneficiaries all over Florida. Right now, Pankauski Hauser is in all 5 Florida district courts of appeal, and, over the last two years, has been in 15 of Florida’s 20 circuit courts. This means that Pankauski Hauser has pending matters before all of Florida’s appellate courts, and is in virtually all of Florida’s state probate and trial courts.
What do you do if the probate court has concluded – by an order with findings of fact—that the AIP is partially incapacitated, but does NOT appoint a guardian (and, evidently, there is no lesser restrictive alternative)? File a motion asking the Probate Court to appoint a guardian within X days. You may want to read the January 10, 2017, 1st District Court of Appeal (DCA) opinion in Cason v. Ross, a guardianship matter. You must make an express request that the trial court enter an order appointing a guardian if one is not being appointed and a guardian is required or needed.
As we all know, Rockstar Prince passed away last year. His estate is currently being probated. With such a large estate, there has been a good amount of litigation, especially since Prince died intestate. What does dying intestate mean? This means that Prince died without a will. Therefore, heirs had to be identified, inheritances will need to be distributed, business decisions need to be made, and more! Could all of this money spent on litigation have been saved if Prince would have died with a detailed estate plan? Hiring an estate planning lawyer before you pass away is definitely a good idea, especially when your estate is worth millions. A February 2, 2017 article by CMU discusses Prince estate’s disputes with various entity’s and people. To read the entire article and learn about some of the litigation currently happening, click here.
Exploitation of the elderly has become a growing issue. Unfortunately, probate lawyers know that people can be greedy and choose money over love. Frequently, elderly victims are taken advantage of by someone they trust, or even a close family member. In Florida, there are both civil and criminal remedies for financial exploitation of the elderly. You may want to read this news article about a Florida deputy sheriff who financially exploited an elderly woman and even attempted to arrange her murder.
Do you have a Florida estate plan? Did you know that meeting with an estate planning attorney can help you to avoid a Palm Beach guardianship that you do not desire? We recently blogged about a former army ranger who says his parents forced him into an unnecessary guardianship. He said he was not mentally incompetent and was able to care for himself. Could you imagine not being allowed to make decisions for yourself?
On January 25,2017, The New York Times reported that actress Mary Tyler Moore had passed away. She was best known for her role in the popular CBS sitcom, The Mary Tyler Moore Show. She also had roles in a number of films. At the time of her death, Moore was 80 years old. According to The Richest, Mary Tyler Moore’s estate is worth around $60 million. This may or may not be accurate. At this time, the media has not released information regarding Moore’s estate plan. Hopefully, she had one in place! Did she have a will? Did she have a trust?
Rockstar Prince passed away without a will. A probate proceeding is in progress. Now that there is a good idea as to who the heirs are, it is important that the right person is appointed to help the heirs manage the massive estate. According to a January 24, 2017 Reuters article, Prince’s six siblings, who are the heirs, disagree about who should be the estate lawyer. Furthermore, the probate judge has held off in appointing one. What is a personal representative? When will the probate judge make a final decision as to who the new Personal Representative will be? Who is “competing” for the position?