Estate Planning Notes

Informal Posts for Everyone

“Privatizing” Estate Settlements.

Posted on March 28, 2016 Written by Paul M. Stokes Leave a Comment

See the excellent blog post by my partner,  Juan C. Antunez, entitled "2014-15 Probate Court Filing Statistics," which supports the following thesis: Keeping estate settlements, whether a decedent's estate ("probate") or an incapacitated person's … [Continue reading]

Filed Under: General

Aging Clients: When Two Trustees are Better than One

Posted on March 27, 2016 Written by Paul M. Stokes Leave a Comment

The Revocable Trust is the centerpiece of the estate plans that my clients usually adopt.  This kind of trust, which I will abbreviate "RevTrust," is not only a Last Will substitute, but it also can also address the contingency of the client's … [Continue reading]

Filed Under: General

But What Kind of Property Do You Own, Exactly?

Posted on March 19, 2016 Written by Paul M. Stokes Leave a Comment

How do you divide up the world?  For me, it depends on the context.  With respect to wealth in its various financial or economic forms, I, as a lawyer, divide the world initially into two kinds of assets: "real property" and "personal property."  If … [Continue reading]

Filed Under: General

The Revocable Trust as a Funnel for Life Insurance Benefits

Posted on March 12, 2016 Written by Paul M. Stokes Leave a Comment

The client, a father whose wife had passed away the year before, leaving not only her husband but also two young children, came in for a revision of his estate plan. His late wife’s parents were well off and had already set up trusts for the … [Continue reading]

Filed Under: General

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About Paul M. Stokes

Paul M. Stokes works at Stokes McMillan Antunez, P.A., received his law degree from the University of Chicago Law School, and is Board Certified by the Florida Bar in Wills, Trusts & Estates.

This site focuses on Florida law and is for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for an engagement with a competent attorney. The events in the posts do not identify actual clients. Those events are sufficiently fictional to preserve confidentiality. In telling his stories, however, the author does not compromise the points being made.

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  • Stokes McMillan Antunez, P.A.

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Recent Articles

  • Default Takers: Unmarried Decedents
  • Acquisition of an Asset by a Maiden-Name Couple: Another Estate Planning Event
  • Step-Dad as Health Care Surrogate for a Minor Child
  • A Health Care Surrogate for Children.
  • The Designation of Health Care Surrogate: Immediate or Springing?

Topics

  • Adoption
  • Assets
  • Disability Documents
  • End of Life
  • Estate Planning
  • Estate Planning and Divorce
  • Famous Last Words
  • General
  • Homestead
  • Joint ownership. Or not.
  • Minor's Guardianships
  • Prenuptial agreements
  • Safe Deposit Boxes
  • Same-sex Marriage
  • Trusts

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