Why You Need A Florida Estate Planning Attorney

Over the years, many families have learned the hard way why a Florida estate planning attorney is so important. One of the hardest things for any person to do is to confront his or her mortality. No one wants to think about the day he dies, the day he leaves behind friends, family and everything he's worked so hard to build on this earth. Of course, it's tough moments like these that can make even small things seem much bigger than they are in reality. 

A death in the family is almost always a jolt to the family, a terrible but unpreventable fact of life that puts a lot of extra responsibility and burden into the hands of friends and family who are struggling as it is to come to grips with such a difficult loss. 

Imagine the phone rings in the middle of the night. You rub your eyes, clearing away the sleep, you glance at the clock on the nightstand: 4:08 a.m. 

A somber voice on the other end relays a cold message: Your mother has passed away. It was a stroke I'm sorry. There's nothing more we can do. As a cold, numb feeling slowly spreads through your body, you pass from denial to acceptance. You realize that this is not a dream - it's your worst nightmare. 

As family and friends prepare for the ceremonies and scramble to handle all of the unexpected, suddenly urgent matters that have come up from an untimely, unexpected death, something disgusting, almost unbelievable happens: Loved ones who should be on one another's sides - the very ones who you hope would rise up in support of one another - are fragmented, fighting over who gets what from your estate or the estate of a loved one. 

During times like these, even good people can behave in ways we wouldn't have expected otherwise. Combine the shock, stress and overwhelming grief they feel and it's understandable that those who love a person most are the same ones who will want to cling to something material, something that represents the loss they feel, something that feels the void left with the loss of a loved one. 

If you haven't already consulted a Florida estate planning attorney, feuding family members may be forced to hire lawyers of their own to represent them after your death. This not only adds to the distress of the event, but it can create family rifts that may never heal, not to mention the high cost of a nasty legal battle over an estate.

Empower yourself. You cannot change the inevitable, but you can plan for it. It is your responsibility to address family members who may feel entitled to the estate after your death. Make your intentions clear. Moreover, seek the council of a Florida estate planning well before your death.

Of course it's difficult, but not as difficult as knowing that your family may miss a chance to come together if they are too busy sorting out something that can be done easily during a consultation with an attorney like Clare Keijer in her Deland law office. 

An estate planning attorney in Florida helps families plan for the unthinkable. A lawyer in Deland such as Clare Keijer can assist with planning, living wills, wills, last wishes and other areas of planning that are just too important to put off. 

In this case, family members will already be aware of their rights and can ban together in support of one another. They can seek the comfort of one another. As a team, they can administer your last wishes and see to it that you are properly cared for after a loss. 

There's no way to eliminate the pain that accompanies the loss of a loved one. There is a way, however, to ensure that family is standing united, rather than falling divided: Consult a Florida estate planning attorney right away.