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What Problems Might Your Family Face When You Have No Estate Planning?

On Behalf of | May 3, 2013 | Firm News

Families whose loved one had no estate planning often face certain hardships. Flagler County probate lawyers can help you deal with estate planning beforehand and relieve your family of an unexpected burden.

A study conducted by Harris Interactive® for Martindale Hubbell in 2007 discovered that 55 percent of adult Americans do not have a will. Most family members already face daily challenges with their jobs. Then, their parent dies unexpectedly and without a will. Aside from the emotional trauma of losing someone close, they have siblings who are equally confused. Imagine that you die without estate planning and no one knew your wishes. What are the condition of your finances and debts? Your loved ones rummage through your house trying to discover whether you left a will. How should they divide your things? Two of your children want your car and another believes he or she was meant to have a family heirloom.

However, the distribution of your estate lies in the hands of Florida probate courts that decide distribution based on intestacy laws. Another possible scenario is that while you have a will, you lack other estate planning documents. Suppose you suffer injury in a car accident and lie in a coma. You have no advance directive for healthcare (living will) or no health care surrogate assigned to make decisions for you. The doctor wants to insert a feeding tube, but your children have no idea what your wishes are, so Florida laws will dictate what occurs.

Florida probate lawyers can help you make the difficult but right decisions involved with estate planning so you can bring your family peace of mind.

Mara & Mara ensure that all estate planning documentation is sound, meeting Florida statutory requirements.