At Irama Valdes, P.A. We look forward to getting to know you and your family in order to create an effective estate plan that reflects your wishes and flows with your family’s unique dynamics. Families have different structures and finances and thus require an estate plan that accurately represents them. You are unique: So is your estate plan. A properly tailored estate plan is a tool your family can use in the event you become incapacitated, providing you with peace of mind that both your wishes are being followed and that your finances are handled according to your standards.

So, what’s included in your estate plan? During the initial consultation, we take the time to explain each of these documents in detail and discuss with you whether or not you need them for your plan. The documents most often included in estate plans are:

Last Will and Testament (commonly referred to as a Will): In a Will, you are able to clearly specify which property should go to certain individuals. If the court recognizes the will as valid, the assets will be distributed to the beneficiaries as intended. This helps avoid property passing according to Florida’s intestacy laws, which apply when no valid will is in place.

Living Will: This allows you to state the type and extent of medical care you wish to receive if you are unable to express your concerns. It generally refers to whether or not life-sustaining treatment should be administered if you cannot communicate consent to such care, as well as organ donation, the use of euthanasia, dealing with pregnancy-related decisions, etc.

Powers of Attorney: This document is extremely important because it allows you to appoint someone to make financial decisions for you in the event you are incapacitated.
Designation of Healthcare Surrogate: Like the Power of Attorney, the Designation of Healthcare Surrogate allows you to appoint someone to make decisions for you in the event you are incapacitated, but the Designation deals with healthcare related decisions.

Trusts: A Trust is one of the most effective methods of passing property down to your beneficiaries outside of the probate process.