Plantation, Boca Raton & Aventura Estate Planning & Probate Lawyer

He also takes the time to get to know you, your family, and your unique goals. This isn’t a rushed, one-size-fits-all service. Daniel makes sure you feel comfortable asking questions, and he won’t move forward until you’re confident in your decisions. Whether you’re planning for your future or working through the probate process after a loss, Daniel’s calm, compassionate approach can bring much-needed peace of mind.

Estate Planning Services in Plantation, Boca Raton & Aventura

A well-crafted estate plan can protect your assets, provide for your loved ones, and give you control over what happens if you become ill or pass away. Daniel T. Fleischer, Attorney at Law, offers a full range of estate planning services in Plantation designed to help you make thoughtful decisions for the future.

Wills

Your will is the foundation of your estate plan. It allows you to clearly state who should inherit your assets, who should care for your minor children, and who will handle your affairs when you’re gone. Without a will, the state of Florida decides how your property is divided, and that process might not align with your wishes. Daniel will help you create a will that reflects your goals, avoids family confusion, and provides clear instructions for your loved ones.

Trusts

Trusts can be a powerful tool for protecting your wealth, minimizing taxes, and avoiding probate. Daniel can help you determine whether a revocable living trust, irrevocable trust, special needs trust, or another type of trust is right for you. With the right trust in place, you can manage how your assets are distributed, provide for minor children, support charitable causes, or plan for long-term care. Trusts can also offer privacy by keeping your estate out of the public probate process.

Powers of Attorney and Advance Directives

Planning for the unexpected is just as important as planning for the inevitable. A power of attorney gives someone you trust the legal authority to manage your financial affairs if you’re ever unable to do so yourself. Advance healthcare directives, including living wills and healthcare surrogate designations, let you make your medical wishes known and appoint someone to make healthcare decisions on your behalf. Daniel will help you put these important documents in place so that your affairs are handled the way you would want, even if you can’t speak for yourself.

An estate plan isn’t just for the wealthy—it’s for anyone who wants to make things easier for their family and ensure their wishes are respected. Daniel can help you put the right documents in place and update them as your life changes.

Plantation, Boca Raton & Aventura Probate Services

The loss of a loved one can be emotionally overwhelming, and dealing with the probate process can add to the stress. Probate in Florida can be complex, but Daniel T. Fleischer, Attorney at Law, is here to guide you through every step. Whether you’re managing an estate, protecting your rights as a beneficiary, collecting a debt, or facing a dispute, contact our skilled Plantation, Boca Raton & Aventura probate lawyer today.

Probate for the Personal Representative

If you’ve been named as a personal representative (executor), you have a legal responsibility to manage and settle the estate properly. This includes gathering assets, paying debts, filing necessary paperwork, and distributing property to heirs. It can be a time-consuming and complicated process, especially if you’re grieving or unfamiliar with the system. Daniel T. Fleischer works closely with personal representatives, offering step-by-step guidance to ensure everything is handled correctly and efficiently. His support can help you avoid costly mistakes and legal liability.

Probate for Beneficiaries

As a beneficiary, you have rights under Florida probate law. You’re entitled to receive your inheritance and to be kept informed about the administration of the estate. Sometimes, however, beneficiaries are left in the dark or face unnecessary delays. Our firm can help you understand your rights, ensure you receive the inheritance you’re entitled to, and step in if you believe the estate is being mismanaged or your interests are not being protected.

Probate for Creditors

Creditors may also have a role in probate and can benefit from legal representation in the process. If you’re owed money by someone who has passed away, Florida law provides specific procedures for filing claims against the estate. We help creditors understand the probate timeline, file valid claims, and protect their right to be paid from estate assets.

Probate Litigation

Unfortunately, disputes sometimes arise during probate. These can involve contested wills, disagreements among beneficiaries, challenges to the appointment of a personal representative, or concerns about how the estate is being handled. Probate litigation can be complex and emotionally charged. Florida probate lawyer Daniel T. Fleischer has the experience to represent clients in these difficult cases, whether that means negotiating a resolution or going to court to fight for your interests.

Florida Estate Planning & Probate FAQs

Planning for the future or managing the affairs of a loved one who has passed can be confusing, stressful, and even overwhelming. At Daniel T. Fleischer, Attorney at Law, we want to make these processes as productive and painless as possible. To help you along, here are answers to some of the most common questions people have about estate planning and probate in Florida. If you have other questions about estate planning in Plantation, Aventura or Boca Raton, or if you need assistance with probate in Broward, Palm Beach, or Miami-Dade County, contact Daniel T. Fleischer for personalized assistance from an experienced and dedicated Broward & Palm Beach County estate planning and probate lawyer.

What Is Estate Planning and Why Is It Important?

Estate planning involves creating legal documents and strategies to protect your assets, provide for your loved ones, and express your wishes for the future. A good estate plan ensures your property is distributed according to your preferences, helps avoid family disputes, and can minimize court involvement and taxes. Estate planning isn’t just for the wealthy; anyone who owns property, has a family or wants to control what happens to their assets should have an estate plan.

What Documents Are Part of an Estate Plan?

A complete estate plan typically includes:

• Last Will and Testament: Specifies how your assets should be distributed and names guardians for minor children.
• Revocable Living Trust: Helps assets pass outside of probate and can provide long-term management of property.
• Durable Power of Attorney: Appoints someone to manage your financial affairs if you become incapacitated.
• Advance Health Care Directives: Include a health care surrogate designation and living will to outline your medical preferences if you can’t speak for yourself.

These documents work together to protect you, your family, and your assets.

What Is Probate in Florida?

Probate is the legal process of settling a deceased person’s estate. It involves authenticating the will (if there is one), identifying and valuing assets, paying valid debts and taxes, and distributing remaining assets to beneficiaries. Florida’s probate process is supervised by the court and can take several months to over a year, depending on the complexity of the estate. Having a clear estate plan can help streamline probate or, in some cases, avoid it entirely.

How Long Does Probate Usually Take?

The length of the probate process in Florida can vary. A simple estate might be resolved in six to nine months, while more complex estates, such as those involving significant assets, disputes, or creditors, may take a year or longer. Florida offers a simplified process called for smaller estates, which can be completed more quickly.

Can Probate Be Avoided?

There are many ways to structure your estate to avoid or at least minimize probate. Common strategies include creating a revocable living trust to hold your assets, using beneficiary designations for assets like life insurance, retirement accounts, and bank accounts, and holding property jointly with rights of survivorship. In Florida particularly, Lady Bird Deeds are another powerful tool for avoiding probate.

What Is a Lady Bird Deed and How Does It Work?

A Lady Bird Deed, also known as an enhanced life estate deed, is a special type of deed used in Florida to transfer real estate outside of probate. With a Lady Bird Deed, you retain full control and ownership of your property during your lifetime, during which you can sell, mortgage, or otherwise deal with the property without the consent of the future beneficiary. Upon your death, the property automatically transfers to the named beneficiary without going through probate. A Lady Bird Deed can be a valuable estate planning tool because it is flexible, relatively simple to create, and effective at avoiding court involvement for that particular asset.

What Are the Requirements for a Valid Will in Florida?

For a will to be legally valid in Florida, it must meet specific requirements under state law:

• The testator (the person creating the will) must be at least 18 years old or an emancipated minor.
• The testator must be of sound mind at the time the will is signed.
• The will must be in writing.
• The will must be signed by the testator at the end of the document or signed by another person at the testator’s direction and in the testator’s presence.
• The signing must be witnessed by at least two people, who must sign the will in the presence of the testator and each other.

Handwritten wills, sometimes called holographic wills, are not valid in Florida unless they meet all of these requirements, including proper witnessing. Oral wills are not recognized under Florida law. To avoid mistakes that can render a will invalid, it’s a good idea to work with an estate planning attorney who can ensure the will is properly drafted and executed.

What Happens If Someone Dies Without a Will in Florida?

If a person dies without a valid will, Florida’s intestate succession laws determine who inherits the estate. Typically, assets go to the surviving spouse, children, or other family members based on a legal formula. If there are no living next of kin, the state of Florida will inherit the property.

Without a will, the deceased’s preferences don’t control how property is divided, and probate may become more complicated. This is why creating an estate plan is so important—it ensures your wishes are honored.

What Is Ancillary Administration?

Ancillary administration is a separate probate proceeding required when a person who lived in another state dies owning real estate or certain other assets located in Florida. For example, if someone from New York owned a vacation home in Plantation, Florida, their primary probate would occur in New York, but Florida law would still require ancillary administration to transfer or sell the Florida property. Ancillary probate follows Florida’s procedures but is often shorter and more limited than a full probate case. We regularly assist clients who need to open ancillary probate to handle Florida-based assets.

How Do I Create a Valid Trust in Florida?

Creating a valid trust in Florida involves more than just filling out a form. A trust must meet certain legal criteria:

• The trust creator (known as the settlor or grantor) must have the legal capacity to create the trust.
• The trust must have a clearly identified trustee (the person or institution managing the trust assets).
• The trust must name at least one beneficiary who will benefit from the trust.
• The trust must have property or assets transferred into it.
• The trust’s terms must be spelled out in a written trust agreement.

A well-drafted trust can offer flexibility, privacy, and significant probate avoidance benefits when done correctly. Revocable living trusts are the most common type used in estate planning because they allow the trust creator to maintain control of the assets during their lifetime and avoid probate at death. Working with a knowledgeable estate planning lawyer ensures that the trust is properly established, funded, and aligned with your goals. Many people mistakenly think they have a working trust but fail to transfer assets into it, which can defeat the trust’s purpose.

What Are the Responsibilities of a Personal Representative?

A personal representative (also known as an executor) is responsible for managing the deceased person’s estate. Their duties include:

• Collecting and safeguarding assets
• Notifying beneficiaries and creditors
• Paying valid debts, taxes, and expenses
• Distributing remaining assets according to the will or Florida law
• Closing the estate properly with the probate court

Personal representatives must act in the best interests of the estate and its beneficiaries and can be held legally responsible if they make mistakes. Working with a probate lawyer is highly recommended.

Do I Need a Lawyer for Estate Planning or Probate?

While Florida law does not require a lawyer to create a will or certain other documents, working with an experienced estate planning attorney ensures that your documents are valid, enforceable, and tailored to your unique situation. For probate, Florida generally requires personal representatives to have legal representation unless the estate is extremely small. Even when not legally required, having a lawyer is valuable because probate involves detailed rules, strict deadlines, and potential liability for mistakes.

At Daniel T. Fleischer, Attorney at Law, our Plantation, Aventura & Boca Raton estate planning & probate attorney make these processes easier to understand and guide you every step of the way.

How Can I Get Started?

Whether you’re planning for the future or managing the estate of a loved one, Daniel T. Fleischer, Attorney at Law is here to help. Call our offices in Plantation, Aventura or Boca Raton today to schedule a consultation. We offer clear, practical advice to help you protect your assets, care for your family, and move through the probate process with confidence.

When you call, you’ll reach a firm that is ready to listen, ready to help, and ready to make the process as smooth as possible.

Why Work With Daniel T. Fleischer?

Clients often choose Daniel not just because of his experience, but because of how he treats them. Daniel is approachable, genuinely caring, and takes the time to make sure his clients feel heard and supported. He understands that for many people, estate planning and probate can be deeply personal, sometimes emotional, and often confusing. That’s why he makes it a point to explain things clearly, in a way that’s easy to follow.

His background as a Certified Financial Planner™ gives him a unique ability to see the full picture—not just the legal issues, but how your estate plan fits into your broader financial life. He regularly works alongside financial advisors to create estate plans that are both legally sound and financially smart.

Daniel personally handles each case from start to finish. You won’t be shuffled off to an assistant or passed from person to person. When you call our office, it’s often Daniel who picks up the phone. That level of accessibility is rare, and it’s something his clients deeply appreciate.

Daniel’s practice is built on relationships. He’s not interested in rushing you through a process—he’s interested in making sure you understand your options, make good decisions, and feel confident about your plan.

Call Today for Help With Estate Planning and Probate in Plantation, Boca Raton & Aventura, Florida

The best time to put a plan in place is now—before life’s unexpected turns leave you or your family scrambling for answers. Whether you’re thinking about writing a will, creating a trust, or dealing with probate after a loved one’s passing, Plantation, Boca Raton & Aventura estate planning lawyer Daniel T. Flesicher is here to help.

Call Daniel T. Fleischer, Attorney at Law, today to schedule a friendly, informative consultation. Let’s have a conversation about your goals and how we can protect what matters most to you. When you call, you’ll speak to someone who’s ready to listen and eager to help. Let’s make sure your future—and your family’s—is in good hands.