Wills and Trusts Attorney in Jonesville, Florida
Most people put off writing a will for the same reason. It forces you to think about a day you would rather not think about. But the families who feel the most relief after an estate plan is finished are almost always the ones who expected the process to be difficult.
If You Have Children at Home, Start Here
Two provisions matter more than anything else in a young family's will, and both get skipped in do-it-yourself documents.
The first is naming a guardian. If both parents die or become incapacitated, the court decides who raises your children. Naming your choice in a will gives the judge your answer and heads off a fight among relatives who may not agree.
The second is planning for what your children inherit. Florida requires a court-supervised guardianship any time a minor receives more than $15,000, and that guardianship runs until the child turns 18. At 18, they get everything at once, with no strings.
A trust written into your will solves both problems. You set the age, you set the terms, and you skip the guardianship. It is one of the least expensive things we do and one of the most consequential.
We are a short drive east of Jonesville on the same road you probably take into town. That proximity matters more than it should, because estate planning tends to stall on logistics. People mean to get it done and then never find the afternoon.
Merhar Law prepares wills, trusts, and related documents for Jonesville families. Most plans take two meetings, and the second one is mostly signing.
Wills and Trust Services in Jonesville
Last Will and Testament, including guardian nominations for minor children
Revocable living trusts to keep property out of probate
Testamentary trusts for beneficiaries who should not receive money outright
Irrevocable trusts for asset protection and benefits planning
Trust funding, which means actually retitling property into the trust
Reviews and updates to existing wills and trusts
Naming personal representatives, trustees, and successors to both
Learn more about our legal services for Jonesville, Florida residents by visiting our Attorney in Jonesville, FL page.
Choosing Between a Will and a Trust
Neither one is automatically better. The right answer depends on what you own and what you want to avoid.
A will is often sufficient when your estate is straightforward, and your beneficiaries are adults who get along. Your estate goes through probate, a public process that takes time but isn't unmanageable.
A revocable trust makes more sense when you want to avoid probate, own property in more than one state, have children from a previous marriage, or keep your family's finances off the public record.
One caution worth repeating: A trust only works if it is funded. We have reviewed trusts that were drafted years earlier and never had a single asset moved into them, which means they did nothing at all. Read more on our Trusts and Last Will and Testament pages.
Why Jonesville Clients Choose Us
Clients throughout Jonesville trust Merhar Law because we offer:
Flat fees for all estate planning work, quoted before we begin
A real member of our staff answers the phone, not an answering service
Legal options explained in everyday language, without the jargon
Documents built around your family rather than pulled off a shelf
Coordination with your financial advisor, insurance agent, or CPA when it helps
Home and hospital visits available when travel is difficult
Jonesville Falls Under the Alachua County Court
The Alachua County Clerk of the Court in Gainesville administers estates for Jonesville residents.
If keeping your estate out of that process is the goal, our page on avoiding Florida probate walks through the tools available, including lady bird deeds for real estate.
Schedule a Consultation
A first conversation costs nothing and usually takes less than an hour. Tell us what you own and who you want to take care of, and we will tell you what documents you actually need.