MOVING TO FLORIDA – WHAT ABOUT YOUR ESTATE PLAN?

Whether it’s the sun, the fun, or the lure of palm trees… you’ve uprooted and relocated to Florida. Along with the moving trucks, one important thing you should be concerned about is your estate planning documents. They were valid in your home state. But will they be legal in the Sunshine State?

Estate Planning Attorney Rebecca Doane of Doane & Doane says:

“As long as your estate planning documents are valid in your original state, they will be valid in Florida, due to the full faith and credit clause of the United States Constitution. That being said, there may be room for improvement as there are very specific Florida laws that vary from other states.”

Doane continues to say that your documents can be updated to ensure that:

– Applicable Homestead Laws are correct

– Durable powers of attorney – in case you become incapacitated

– Advance directives – such as your healthcare surrogate and living will

– Revocable living trusts

Many of these documents are generally interpreted according to their state of origin… and would need to be changed to correspond with Florida law.

While it is likely that many of your documents are valid from your home state, they may need to be updated, regardless… and it will be a good idea to have them reviewed by a Florida estate planning attorney.

If you have questions about your out of state estate planning documents, the experienced attorneys at Doane & Doane will be there for you with the answers. Find them online today at doaneanddoane.com.