The ward in this guardianship case was found to be completely incapacitated, and the trial court imposed a plenary guardianship on him. However, the Fourth District Court of Appeal reversed, finding that the three-person examining committee made their determinations for purposes of their required reports, reporting that a plenary guardianship should be imposed, and without conducting comprehensive examinations of the prospective ward. What does this mean? As a matter of public policy, individual rights and freedoms should not be restricted unless necessary for the safety and protection of your loved one….

A probate court has the authority to appoint someone to serve as personal representative other than the statutorily entitled person to serve, if, on evaluating a person’s fitness to serve, it makes appropriate findings.

In this recent Third District Court of Appeal opinion, the trial court’s decision was reversed because it failed to make such requisite findings. Here, the decedent and his wife were married for just four days before the Decedent died. The Decedent’s father filed a petition for Administration, seeking appointment as the estate’s Personal Representative….

As the new year begins, and rather than wait for a life event to happen when you wish you had looked at your estate plan, now is a great time to review your current financial and estate plans. Even your plan that is just a few years old may be outdated, and so it may be time for an update.

For example, you may start planning for any gifts you wish to make in 2019. An individual now can give up to $15,000 to each recipient, without any limit on number of gifts;…