Deerfield Beach Estate Planning Lawyers

Salt air, condo boards, and a few generations under one roof: Deerfield Beach has its own way of living, and its own planning needs. Thinking about what you will leave behind isn't easy. A clear plan spares the people you love from guessing. 

Based just north in Boca Raton, LEEP LAW GROUP works side by side with Deerfield Beach families to protect what matters most through thoughtful, personalized estate planning.

Start the conversation at (561) 760-9685 or request a free online consultation.

Questions Your Estate Plan Should Answer

A good plan is really a set of answers, written down before anyone has to ask.

If You Were in the Hospital Tomorrow

Who would pay your bills? Who could talk to your doctors? Without a power of attorney and a health care surrogate, your family may have to go to court just to get started.

If a Family Member Passed Away

Who inherits the condo or the house? Who is in charge of settling things? A will and a trust give direct answers, and they cut down on the arguments that grow out of uncertainty.

If Your Children Are Still Young

Who would raise them? Who would manage money left for them? A guardian designation in your will takes care of the first question, and a trust can help with the second.

Documents That Speak for You While You're Alive

These take effect when you're still here but can't act for yourself.

A durable power of attorney lets someone you choose manage money and property. Florida requires two witnesses and a notary. A health care surrogate designation names who talks with your doctors, and a living will records your wishes about end-of-life treatment. A HIPAA release lets your providers share records with the people you name.

Without these, your family may need a court-ordered guardianship. It is public, it takes time, and it costs money.

Documents That Take Effect After You're Gone

• A will names your heirs and the person who carries out your wishes, called the personal representative. Two witnesses must watch you sign it under Florida law. A will goes through probate, which is the court process that carries it out.
• A revocable living trust can hold your property now and pass it on later. Property that is properly retitled to the trust can often skip probate. You can change the trust whenever you wish while you're living.
• Beneficiary designations on retirement accounts and life insurance work on their own. They override your will, so we check that they match the rest of your plan.

Keeping Property Out of a Broward County Probate Case

Probate for Deerfield Beach residents runs through the Broward County courts in downtown Fort Lauderdale. It is public, and it can take months.

Families commonly reduce what has to go through it with a funded trust, up-to-date beneficiary forms, and payable-on-death bank accounts. Joint ownership is another route, but it carries risks. A co-owner's debts or divorce can reach the asset.

We compare the options with you and pick what suits your family, not what suits a template.

Special Situations We Plan Around

Blended Families

Second marriages and stepchildren make assumptions risky. A plan can spell out who receives what, so a surviving spouse and your children from an earlier marriage know where they stand.

Business and Rental Property Owners

A small business or a rental unit needs instructions for what happens next. Who runs it? Who sells it? We help you answer before the question lands on your family.

Families With Assets Overseas

More than a third of Deerfield Beach residents were born outside the United States, and many keep ties abroad. We plan for what you own in Florida. If foreign property is involved, we'll tell you when a local attorney there should join in.

How We Work With You and Your Family

We start with a conversation. Bring your questions, your list of accounts, and anyone you'd like in the room. Relatives can join by video.

Next, we look at your finances and family. Then we recommend a plan, explain each document, and draft it. You review it, and we revise until it fits.

Signing happens under supervision, as Florida law requires. After that, we're available when life changes, and the plan needs a refresh.

Why Families Choose LEEP LAW GROUP

Estate planning is not a side service here. It sits at the center of our practice, along with elder law, Medicaid planning, and probate.

Christine Schafer came to this work after losing her father. His children were unintentionally left out of his estate, and she decided to help other families avoid that outcome. She graduated from Nova Southeastern University's law school in 2013 and was a Super Lawyers Rising Star from 2018 through 2024.

Tara Wood focuses on elder rights. She is a member of the Elder Law Section of the Florida Bar and speaks at community clinics about protecting older adults.

Because we also handle probate, we see what happens when a plan has gaps. We draft with that experience in mind.

Estate Planning Questions We Hear

Is a handwritten will valid in Florida?

Generally, no. Florida requires a will to be signed in front of two witnesses. A handwritten note without those formalities may not hold up in court.

Can my adult children sign for me without a power of attorney?

Usually not for financial matters. Banks and other institutions typically want a valid power of attorney. For medical decisions, Florida has a default list of people who may act, but naming your own surrogate is far more reliable.

Does a trust cost more than a will?

A trust usually takes more work upfront, since assets must be retitled. It can also reduce the cost and delay of probate later. We walk through the trade-offs for your situation.

Do I need to redo my plan if I move?

A move within Florida usually doesn't require changes. A move to or from another state does call for a review, because rules for witnesses, powers of attorney, and property can differ.

How should I store my documents during hurricane season?

Keep the originals somewhere dry and secure, and store digital copies in a place your agent can reach. Make sure the people named in your documents know where to find them.

Does Florida have an estate tax?

Not at the state level. Florida has no estate or inheritance tax. Federal estate tax applies only to very large estates, and most families fall well below that line.

Ready to Put Your Plan in Writing? Contact LEEP LAW GROUP.

You don't have to arrive with every answer. A first conversation is enough to get moving. Call (561) 760-9685 or fill out our online form to schedule a free consultation. Meet us in Boca Raton or on a video call, whichever is easier.