Notables

…Everyone is subject to life’s hardships, but having a solid plan in place to manage those hardships can make things a lot simpler — for the regular Joe and the famed alike. Still, a plan can lead to questions. Britney Spears’ father has had conservatorship of her personal and professional life for approximately four-and-half years.

…The elderly are particularly vulnerable to being exploited by their caretakers. This is why the Palm Beach County Clerk and Comptroller started the county’s guardianship fraud hotline last October. The hotline has since received 57 calls, which have led to 13 investigations into possible fraudulent activity. The police have taken control of 12 of these cases.

For those whose occupation requires them to travel, obtaining guardianship of an elderly parent may become a difficult legal battle. Many times the local court, including those in Florida, will deny a guardianship request if the person requesting it is constantly traveling or out of town due to work or other reasons.

…It is becoming increasingly more common for children to grow up in the care of relatives other than their parents. This is especially true for states such as Florida, where this type of guardianship accounts for 40 percent of the children in foster care. Some critics argue that the state should increase assistance to children in these situations because the financial and emotional challenges faced by these children are significantly worse than other children.

…Florida residents who have engaged in the estate planning process may be aware that it is more complex than merely deciding who gets the family condo or grandmother’s prized china. In fact, there may be more variables to the process than most people realize when they get started, such as estate tax planning, which is a serious aspect of estate planning that should be carefully considered to ensure that no errors are made and tax liabilities are considered correctly.

For years Palm Beach County citizens who have gone through the judicial system have been thoroughly confused due to the large array of legalese bandied about during probate court proceedings. This language, whose origin dates back generations, has long been utilized to clarify certain aspects of court proceedings by trained legal professionals.

…If you already have a will in place, you’re ahead of the curve. In fact, most people in the U.S. find themselves ill-prepared when it comes to end-of-life planning – residents of Palm Beach County are no exception. Unfortunately, having a will is only a fraction of the documentation necessary to be fully prepared for the inevitable, no matter how far into the future it may come.

…Death does not operate on a schedule. It doesn’t matter what plans we have set forth for a particular day, week or month – death usually does not make an appointment. The same is true for people in Palm Beach and all over the United States, all over the world for that matter.

…When we die, we not only leave our loved ones behind, we also typically leave behind a number of assets. These may range from bank and investment accounts to family heirlooms, and many people in Florida and elsewhere often assume that their loved ones will divide these assets in a fair and reasonable manner prior to their death.

…When a person is no longer able to appropriately manage their own finances or make major life decisions on their own behalf a Florida court may determine that a guardianship or conservatorship is in order. This allows an agency or person to act as their guardian and act on behalf the incapacitated to ensure that their interests and well-being are protected.