Author Archives: Larry Bray
What Role Does a Personal Representative Play in a Florida Probate?
When someone passes away and leaves a will, the estate will need to go through probate to verify the validity of the will and how the estate will be divided. The personal representative is a person, trust company, or bank who is appointed by judge to be the one in charge of administering the… Read More »
Basic Legal Requirements of a Florida Last Will and Testament
If someone dies without a will in Florida, it’s considered to be “intestate,” and the state laws will determine how the estate will be distributed. The potential beneficiaries will have no legal standing to dispute the court’s distribution of the estate pursuant to the applicable intestate laws. Creating a Last Will and Testament is… Read More »
The Advantages of Purchasing an Attorney-Written Title Insurance
Title insurance protects the buyer of a home or land against loss of the property should there be later discovery that the title of the property was “imperfect.” Imperfect title is a legal term of art that means that someone has a claim (whether legitimate or illegitimate) to the property. Imperfect title could also… Read More »
3 Myths about Small Asset Estates
In Florida, small asset estates are estates that are worth $75,000 or less. These estates are also eligible for summary administration, which provides a speedy process for disposing of estates without the long wait brought on by traditional probate requirements. The common misconception is that the smaller the estate, the simpler the probate process…. Read More »
Business to Business Debt Collection Strategies
Every successful business relies on other businesses. This is the only way to keep a business thriving. Restaurants rely on wholesale food vendors to stock a busy kitchen and a large law firm relies on temporary staffing agencies to staff temporary personnel needed to prepare for a document-heavy trials. Smart businesses know the importance… Read More »
Home Insurance Regulations in Florida
Home insurance or hazard insurance is inextricably linked to the legalities of a real estate purchase. The function of home insurance is to provide the lender with peace of mind in the event of property experiences damage or some other kind of loss. In addition to property damages or loss, home insurance also protects… Read More »
The Role of a Personal Representative
A personal representative (also known as an executor or an administrator), in the simplest form, is someone named in a will that is directed to carry out the testator’s formal wishes. The personal representative is normally a person, but sometimes can be a bank or trust company. If the testator does not have a… Read More »
Common Disputes in Trust Administration
A trust is a legal document that forms a division of property rights. A trustee manages the assets in the trust according to the wishes of the creator of the trust, who is also known as the grantor. The beneficiaries of a trust benefit from the assets or property in accordance with the directions… Read More »
The Importance of Purchasing Title Insurance
Title insurance is a type of real estate insurance. This type of insurance protects the buyer of a home or land against loss of the property should there be later discovery that the title to the property was “imperfect.” Imperfect title is a legal term of art that means that someone has a claim… Read More »
Small Asset Estate Planning Options
Individuals with small assets who are seeking estate planning options usually have a false misconception that estate planning is not for them. However, this way of thinking is flawed. On the contrary, estate planning is a wise decision no matter the size of the estate or the dollar amount associated with it. Individuals with… Read More »
