A Palm Beach County Estate Planning Law Firm
When you have spent your life working hard to grow your estate or business, you want to ensure that the fruits of your labor are protected for generations to come. Our law firm should be your trusted partner estate and tax planning, probate and trust litigation, and administration in this effort; providing practical, customized legal advice to fit your professional and personal needs and goals, both now and into the future. In addition, after loved ones have passed a Palm Beach County estate attorney is here to help you administer their estates and trusts, and handle any and all disputes that arise from their passing.
We are as committed to protecting your assets as you have been about growing them. Our Florida estate and tax planning, probate and trust litigation, and administration law practice spans the full range of estate planning and wealth protection matters, allowing us to offer comprehensive, seamless and fully-integrated counsel on any inheritance-related issue. In addition, each estate attorney is well-established and highly-regarded. Our team includes Board-certified specialists in tax and estate planning, as well as authors of Florida’s probate and trust statutes. Our law firm has the knowledge and experience you need to ensure that you have anticipated every contingency and are protected if disputes arise. Your can meet with our estate attorneys at our Palm Beach Gardens, Boca Raton, and Stuart Offices.
Over 100 Awards & Recognitions
What our lawyers can do for you
Asset protection planning
Consistent with our clients’ overall estate and business planning goals, we provide strategic advice to appropriately shield or exempt assets from creditors and other claimants.
Read MoreBusiness entities and transactions
Starting with the selection of the appropriate entity, we work with clients to create integrated business plans that will provide an efficient legal framework for operating a business, owning an investment, and providing for that business’ succession.
Read MoreCharitable planning
We advise on the selection and structuring of charitable giving vehicles that allow our clients to support issues close to their heart while obtaining maximum tax benefits.
Read MoreTrust and estate administration
We advise and assist clients with the estate and trust administration process following the death of a family member or loved one, including the distribution of assets through probate or as directed in the decedent’s will or trust.
Read MoreEstate, trust, probate and guardianship litigation
Your Palm Beach County estate attorney can provide representation to clients in complex trust, estate and guardianship disputes. This includes will contests, trust contests, contested guardianships, objections to accountings, and elective share proceedings regarding the rights of surviving spouses. We serve as certified mediators in estate, trust and probate litigation and advocate zealously for our clients’ interests while helping them and their family members reach a mutually acceptable solution that respects their loved one’s final wishes.
Read MoreExecutive compensation
We advise business owners and executives on various executive compensation issues including bonuses, incentive plans and deferred compensation, as well as focus on the tax consequences of structuring these arrangements.
Read MoreLegal services for healthcare professionals
We offer health care professionals insight into how to properly create a medical practice or venture, including formation and structuring, licensing, employment agreements, taxation and risk management.
Read MoreTax and estate planning
With a number of Board Certified tax lawyers, our firm is a recognized leader in Florida tax and estate planning. We regularly advise clients on the tax implications of their estate plans, and we work with them to develop and implement effective strategies to minimize their own tax liability and the future tax liability of their heirs and descendants. We are particularly known for our depth of experience advising clients with large estates.
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The Benefits Of Choosing a Lawyer from Comiter Singer, As Your Palm Beach County Estate Attorney
We Invest In Relationships
At our firm, we believe that good estate and business planning is a multi-generational effort. By forming and maintaining strong, long-held relationships with our clients, we can continually protect their interests over time as their families and businesses change. We earn our clients’ loyalty by giving candid, honest advice and by treating our clients’ concerns like they are our own.
We Provide Comprehensive Estate and Business Planning Counsel
Given our range of practice areas, our firm can offer legal guidance on nearly any estate or inheritance-related matter. We can leverage a deep bench of experienced attorneys in order to give you the best advice in each situation. Further, we approach estate, business and tax planning comprehensively. Our estate attorneys routinely design and implement strategies to harmonize business, tax, and wealth transfer planning consistent with our clients’ “big picture” goals.
We Offer Innovative, Customized Solutions
Whether you are restructuring a multi-faceted business transaction or litigating a complex inheritance dispute, our goal is to develop the optimal solution for your unique needs. Although estate planning can be complex and sometimes contentious, we like to say that there are no difficult cases. We pride ourselves on devising innovative and creative “outside the box” strategies that provide outstanding results for our clients. We devote the same care and attention to each client, regardless of the size of their estate or the complexity of the issues involved.
We Are Highly-Skilled Professionals
Comiter, Singer, Baseman & Braun LLP is uniquely positioned in the Palm Beach County market to provide sophisticated estate and tax planning as well as aggressive advocacy when disputes and litigation occur. Our Palm Beach County estate law firm has exceptional credentials, including numerous CPAs and Board Certified tax lawyers, and our attorneys have been recognized as leaders in Florida tax and estate planning by legal industry publications. In addition, our partners have authored treatises on asset protection, medical practice administration, tax, and other estate-related topics, which are regularly used as reference materials for estate and tax practitioners throughout Florida.
Get Real Answers from a Palm Beach County Estate Attorney
Is an Estate Plan Better Than a Will?
Most people find that yes, an estate plan is generally thought of as the best option for people who have even the most modest of assets to distribute. In fact, experienced estate planners often use both, each for different purposes like avoiding probate, family conflict, or addressing a guardianship concern. If you are under what you need, our Palm Beach County estate planning law firm can help.
Do I Need a Will or Trust in Florida?
No, you do not need a will or a trust in Florida, but without some combination of estate planning documents, your assets will be distributed through Florida’s law governing intestate succession. An experienced Florida and Palm Beach County estate attorney at Comiter, Singer, Baseman & Braun can help you develop a series of related and efficient estate planning documents that will dictate how your assets will be distributed after you pass away and may also help you reduce or avoid taxes.
Is a Handwritten Will Legal in Florida?
Handwritten wills, known as holographic wills, are wills purportedly written by you. In other words, a holographic will is a will written in your own handwriting. Florida does not recognize holographic wills under any circumstance, even if validly executed in another state or country, and similarly does not recognize holographic edits to a valid will.
What is the Florida Estate Tax?
Estate taxes are taxes imposed by the government on the estate of a recently deceased person. You may have heard the term “death tax,” but estate tax is the legal term. This tax is different from the inheritance tax, which is imposed on money after it has been passed on to the deceased’s heirs. Florida has abolished the estate tax and the inheritance tax at the state level. However, a Florida decedent is still of course subject to the Federal estate tax.
How Much Does Estate Planning Cost?
The cost of estate planning depends on a larger-than-usual set of choices and options, and therefore impossible to calculate in broad strokes. At Comiter, Singer, Baseman & Braun we are transparent with our pricing when you call to speak to us about our Florida estate planning services.
What Other Documents Should be Kept with a Will?
The following important estate planning documents may need to be including with your will:
- Revocable living trust
- Beneficiary designations
- Digital asset trust
- Durable power of attorney
- Health care power of attorney and living will
- Letter of intent
You should also leave your critical documents with your attorney, but a list of what items should exist should be left with a trusted family member or friend.
Do I Need to Use a Will Attorney Near Me?
Although it is not required to use an attorney in your town, it is a good idea so that you will not hesitate to visit your attorney with questions or issues. A local attorney will also have specialized knowledge about your county or state that may apply to your estate planning needs.
