Wills, Trusts and Probate Law

Probate attorneys handling wills, trusts, and estate administration must typically advise their clients on matters such as beneficiary designation, how to form a life estate in property, what will happen to property if your client fails to make an estate plan, and more. FindLaw’s Corporate Counsel Center Law Library has law articles written to help you better understand specific estate planning techniques and when to consider forming a trust on your client’s behalf. If your client needs a living will or an advance health care directive, click on the articles below to help inform your research and learn the requirements of each state, such as the number of witnesses necessary and who can be designated as a health care surrogate.

Law Library

Wills, Trusts and Probate Law Articles

Florida Powers of Attorney

Unless otherwise specified, the information in this manual applies only to Powers of Attorney signed on or after October 1st of 1995, the effective date of revisions to Florida's Power of Attorney law. Consult a lawyer regarding use and ...
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Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Wills.

Yes. The cost of a "simple" will (which is all most people need) will save, easily, 10 to 20 times the drafting fee in reduced probate costs. Texas law, as with most states, allows the estate to be probated easily and simply, if there is a will ...
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Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax

This memorandum summarizes the general provisions of the generation-skipping transfer ("GST") tax. The GST tax is imposed at the highest estate tax rate, which is 55%. The GST tax was enacted so that all family property would be subject to a tax ...
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Getting Your Property To The Right People, At The Right Time

Estate planning, without concerning yourself with estate taxes, involves making certain that your property will pass to the right persons, at the right time. ("Property" is used generically, and refers to cash, stocks, bonds, etc., as well as to ...
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Gift Giving Tips

Generally, you are subject to U.S. gift tax whenever you give property to individuals. Three types of gifts are exempt from the gift tax: (1) gifts to a spouse, (2) gifts to any individual of up to $10,000 in value per donee per year, and (3 ...
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Gifts to Minors

This memorandum describes several methods by which you may make lifetime gifts to minors (i.e., persons under age 18). Generally, you are subject to U.S. gift tax whenever you give property to individuals. Three types of gifts are exempt from the ...
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Giving it away – Donations of Property Hot Item for Nonprofits

Three years ago, super-heated stock and IPO shares were warmly welcomed by nonprofit community foundations as wealthy donors gave a share of their equity in return for valuable tax deductions. Then the Wall Street bubble burst. Today, the ...
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Goodmans Update: Income Funds

The Canadian Securities Administrators (the “”) have issued CSA Staff Notice 41‑304 Income Trusts: Prospectus Disclosure of Distributable Cash (the “”), which provides guidance to income trust issuers regarding prospectus disclosure of estimated ...
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Grits, Grats, Gruts What?: Estate Planning-Beyond the Basics

It has been said that the best estate planning is to die shortly before your last check bounces. For those of us not planning on spending every last penny, some attention to estate planning is warranted. Current law allows each individual a one-time ...
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Guardians & Powers of Attorney

If there is no surviving spouse, then one of "the heirs" of the decedent may be appointed as guardian of minor children, if the decedent has made no appointment. This leaves considerable uncertainty about who will step forward and who will be ...
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