Best Landlord & Tenant Attorneys in Bonita Springs, FL

Yes, but you must domesticate your out-of-state company by qualifying it to do business in Florida before transacting business in Florida. Additionally, if you have an employee in Florida, you may also need to file and register with the Florida Department of Revenue for issues potentially involving sales tax and unemployment tax (referred to as reemployment tax in Florida). To find out how to domesticate your company, contact one of our business attorneys.

In addition to a will and, if appropriate, a revocable trust, everyone should have a durable power of attorney and advance medical directives. The power of attorney names an agent (also known as an attorney-in-fact) to deal with your finances in the event you are unable to do so. In Florida, advanced medical directives include a designation of health care surrogate and a living will. Your designation of healthcare surrogate names one or more representatives to make health care decisions for you in the event you are unable to act. Your living will contains your instructions for end of life care when you are beyond recovery and unable to make decisions for yourself.

You should meet with a Florida attorney to review your current documents. Generally, some changes are recommended to make it clear that you are now domiciled in Florida and to change the governing law from your former state to Florida. It is also a good idea to execute Florida durable powers of attorney and advance medical directives because to assure that these documents will be recognized here in Florida in the event of your incapacity. There are also some Florida laws that may require changes to your estate plan, e.g. to comply with Florida restrictions on the devise of homestead property and the qualifications of nominated personal representatives.

With the proliferation of inexpensive online do-it-yourself legal services, many people are tempted to save money and do their own estate plan without using an attorney. However, while low cost online service providers may provide legally valid estate planning documents, the documents are often generic and do not consider any specific circumstances, including family issues and tax planning. They also are often not properly executed. Accordingly, the documents that are printed and executed without advice may lead to family disputes, lost opportunities, and problems, and often end up costing families significant amounts of legal fees to address such problems. Hiring a competent Florida estate planning attorney should ensure that your estate plan carries out your wishes and protects you and your family and that appropriate estate planning techniques that are tailored to meet your specific needs are recommended.