Estate Planning

Estate Planning Attorney Matthew Shapiro believes that every estate plan should be tailored to serve the purposes of each unique client. The estate planning consultation is detailed, thorough, and designed to explore your options including how to avoid Probate and when it would be appropriate to use Revocable Trusts, Irrevocable Trusts, Co-ownership of assets or Life Estate Deeds. Matthew works with each client to determine their individual needs and goals. Estate planning is designed to make your wishes be known and to avoid future problems that can be very costly. He provides legal counsel to single persons, married couples, co-habitating couples, large and small families, and single parents to design the best estate plan. Matthew’s goal is to empower you with the legal knowledge you need so that you can choose the best path forward at a reasonable price.

Last Will and Testament

• Allows you to select a Personal Representative or executor who will be in charge of your Estate upon death.
• Provides for the orderly distribution of your assets and payment of creditors.
• Lets you make provisions for your loved ones.
• A Trust can be set up to provide for minors or pets.
• A Will does not avoid Probate.

Revocable Trust

• Acceptable method for distributing a person’s property to beneficiaries without going through Probate as long as all assets are placed into the Trust.
• The Trust agreement names a trustee who will administer the Trust.
• Our law firm can provide referrals for services for administration and management of Trusts.

Durable Financial Power of Attorney

• Allows you to decide who is going to make your financial decisions when you are no longer able to.
• Is effective immediately.
• Can avoid having to set up a Guardianship.
• It expires upon death unless previously revoked in writing.

Durable Health Care Power of Attorney

• Allows you to decide who is going to make your health care decisions when you are no longer able to.
• Is effective immediately.
• Should have HIPAA (privacy) language.
• Can avoid having to set up a Guardianship.
• It is different from a Health Care Surrogate or Health Care Proxy.
• It expires upon death unless previously revoked in writing.

Living Will

• Utilized if you are terminally ill, in an end-stage condition, or in a persistent vegetative state, and there is no reasonable medical probability of recovery.
• It should discuss food and water.
• It does not take effect in an emergency.
• Your attending physicians(s) must make the decision that you meet the criteria for implementing the Living Will.
• This is not the same as a do not resuscitate order (DNR), which is a physician’s order.

Matthew Shapiro serves the entire Central and North Florida areas including Bunnell, Crescent City, Daytona Beach, Daytona Beach Shores, DeLand, Deltona, Edgewater, Flagler Beach, New Smyrna Beach, Palm Coast, Port Orange, Orange City, Ormond Beach, Pierson, Ponce Inlet, Seville, South Daytona and St. Augustine. (386) 672-2550 or email us.