Estate planning in Venice, Florida, built around your family and your home.
Wills, revocable trusts, powers of attorney, health care directives, and Lady Bird deeds, prepared under Florida law and signed with the formalities Florida requires. Each plan is drafted at the Spanski Law office on West Venice Avenue and reviewed with you page by page at the signing meeting.
- Flat fee
- Quoted in writing after your consultation
- Typical timeline
- One or two meetings over three to six weeks
- First step
- A 15-minute call or in-person consultation
What makes Florida law different.
Florida has several rules that differ from those in other states. These are the ones that most often affect families in Venice, throughout Sarasota County, and in communities across Florida.
No Florida estate or inheritance tax
Florida has no state estate tax and no inheritance tax, and the federal estate tax exemption is high. For most families, estate planning focuses on control, privacy, and avoiding probate rather than on taxes.
Homestead protection
Florida's constitution protects a primary residence from most creditors, but it also limits how the home can be left to others when there is a surviving spouse or a minor child. For many families, planning for the home shapes the rest of the plan.
Signing requirements for a will
A Florida will must be signed in the presence of two witnesses, who also sign in each other's presence. A notarized self-proving affidavit allows the court to accept the will without locating the witnesses later. A mistake in signing can invalidate the entire document.
Personal representative requirements
The person you name to settle your estate must be a Florida resident or a qualifying relative, such as a spouse, child, parent, or sibling. A friend who lives in another state generally cannot serve, so this is confirmed when your will is drafted.
Lady Bird deeds
Florida recognizes the enhanced life estate deed, commonly called a Lady Bird deed. It allows you to keep full control of your home during your lifetime and pass it to your chosen beneficiaries at death without probate. Only a few states offer this option.
Spousal elective share
A surviving spouse in Florida is generally entitled to about 30 percent of the elective estate, regardless of what the will says. In blended families this rule affects what a plan can accomplish, so it is addressed directly in the plan's design.
Summary and formal administration
Florida has two main probate procedures. A well-prepared plan can allow your family to use the simpler summary administration, or to avoid probate altogether.
The documents, explained.
What each document does, and why it matters when your family needs to rely on it.
Last Will and Testament
What it doesStates who inherits your property, names your personal representative, and nominates a guardian for minor children.
Why it mattersWithout a will, Florida's intestacy laws decide who inherits, which often surprises blended families.
Revocable Living Trust
What it doesHolds your assets during your lifetime, with you in control, and distributes them at your death without probate.
Why it mattersProvides privacy, allows your family to act promptly, and continues to work if you become unable to manage your affairs.
Durable Power of Attorney
What it doesNames someone to handle your financial affairs if you cannot, including specific powers that Florida law requires you to initial separately.
Why it mattersWithout one, your family may need to go to court for a guardianship to pay bills or manage your home.
Health Care Surrogate Designation
What it doesNames the person who will make medical decisions if you are unable to make or communicate them.
Why it mattersGives the person you trust the authority to speak for you with your doctors.
Living Will
What it doesStates your wishes about end-of-life care and life-prolonging procedures.
Why it mattersSpares your family from having to guess your wishes during a difficult time.
HIPAA Authorization
What it doesAllows the people you name to receive your medical information from doctors and hospitals.
Why it mattersWithout it, family members and agents are often unable to get the information they need to help you.
Lady Bird Deed
What it doesPasses your home to your chosen beneficiaries at your death while you keep full control and your homestead protections during your lifetime.
Why it mattersCan keep your home out of probate without giving up any rights while you are living.
Beneficiary Designation Review
What it doesA review of retirement accounts, life insurance, and payable-on-death or transfer-on-death accounts to confirm they match your plan.
Why it mattersThese accounts pass by beneficiary designation, not by your will, so an outdated designation can override your plan.
Trust Funding
What it doesRetitling accounts and property into your trust so the plan works as intended.
Why it mattersA trust controls only the assets titled in its name. Guidance on funding is part of the work.
Who this service is designed for.
Families ready to complete their plan
Perhaps estate planning has been on your list for years, and a move to Florida, a new grandchild, or a friend's illness has made it a priority. Most plans are completed in one or two meetings.
Blended families
Providing for a surviving spouse while preserving an inheritance for children from a prior relationship requires careful planning under Florida's elective share rules.
Homeowners who want to avoid probate
When the home is the main asset, a properly prepared Lady Bird deed, together with a will, is often the right foundation.
Four steps, each explained before it begins.
A 15-minute call or in-person consultation
Season or her staff learn about your situation and confirm whether Spanski Law is the right fit.
A recommended plan and a written fee
Season recommends a plan suited to your family and Florida law, and Spanski Law quotes a flat fee in writing before any work begins.
Drafting and signing
Your documents are drafted, reviewed with you page by page at the signing meeting, and signed at the office with the required witnesses and a notary.
Funding and coordination
Deeds, beneficiary designations, and account titles are coordinated with your plan, so each one works with the rest of your plan.
Flat fees are quoted in writing before any work begins.
After your consultation, Spanski Law provides a written flat-fee proposal for the work discussed, so you know the full cost before anything is drafted.
- Quoted in writing after the consultation, before any work begins.
- One flat fee for the agreed scope, with no hourly billing.
- Any change in scope is quoted the same way, in writing and in advance.
- Every document is reviewed page by page at the signing meeting, before you sign.
Begin with a complimentary 15-minute call or in-person consultation.
Season works with a paralegal who has been with her for more than ten years, and she stays closely involved in every case. Whoever you speak with first will listen, explain the options that apply to your situation, and, if Spanski Law is not the right fit, suggest where to turn.
- ✓ You will speak with an attorney or paralegal, not an intake screener.
- ✓ Flat fees, quoted in writing before any work begins.
- ✓ Guidance grounded in Florida homestead law and Florida probate practice.
Request a consultation
Season or her staff will respond to arrange a time.
- What you need
- A few questions
- How to reach you
Do I need a trust, or is a will enough?
It depends on your assets, your family, and whether you want to avoid probate for everything or only for your home. For many Florida families, a will paired with a Lady Bird deed on the homestead is sufficient. A revocable living trust is often the better choice for blended families, owners of property in more than one state, and anyone who values privacy.
How long does it take to complete an estate plan?
Most plans are completed in one or two meetings over three to six weeks. Time is set aside between meetings so you can read each document carefully and ask questions before signing.
What should I bring to my first meeting?
Any existing wills, trusts, or powers of attorney; a copy of the deed to your home; a general list of your accounts, investments, and life insurance with approximate values; and the names of the people you are considering for key roles. If you do not have everything, Spanski Law will help you identify what is needed.
What documents are included in a typical plan?
Most plans include a will (and, where appropriate, a revocable trust), a durable power of attorney, a health care surrogate designation, a living will, a HIPAA authorization, and often a Lady Bird deed on the home. The documents in your plan depend on your family and your assets.
Will the deed to my home need to be updated?
Often, yes. Whether your home avoids probate and keeps its homestead protections depends on how the deed is written and whether it matches the rest of your plan. Preparing and recording any new deed is part of the work.
What about my retirement accounts and life insurance?
These pass by beneficiary designation rather than by your will. Each designation is reviewed as part of your plan and coordinated with your other documents so they work together.
Does the plan address online accounts and digital assets?
Yes. Your durable power of attorney can authorize your agent to manage digital assets, and Season will discuss a practical way to keep account information where your family can find it.
How much does an estate plan cost?
Spanski Law charges flat fees for estate planning. The fee is quoted in writing after your complimentary 15-minute call or in-person consultation with Season, so you know the full cost before any work begins.
Can I change my plan later?
Yes. A review is recommended every three to five years and after any major life event, such as a marriage, a divorce, a birth, a death in the family, a move, or a significant change in assets.
Planning checklist
The Florida Estate Planning Checklist
A one-page checklist of Florida-specific items to review in an estate plan: homestead, trust funding, the power of attorney authorities you must initial, and beneficiary designations.
- Florida homestead protection
- Florida will-signing formalities
- Lady Bird deed vs. traditional deed
- Durable power of attorney: the powers you must initial
- Health care surrogate & living will basics
- HIPAA authorization for adult children
- Personal representative residency rules
- Beneficiary designation review
- Digital assets planning starter list
- Blended-family elective share considerations
- Storage, and where your family will find it
- When to review the plan (life-event triggers)