Estate Planning

Plan ahead with clear, Florida-based guidance.

Estate planning is about more than preparing documents. It gives your family direction, names trusted decision-makers, and helps protect your wishes if you become incapacitated or after you pass away.



Sharpe Planning helps Fort Lauderdale and South Florida families create coordinated estate plans that may include wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and advance directives. Each document serves a different purpose, and the right plan makes sure they work together.

Wills

A will is one of the most important parts of an estate plan. It allows you to state who should receive your property, who should handle your estate, and who should care for minor children if something happens to you.

Without a legally sound will, Florida law may determine how certain assets pass, which can create confusion or outcomes that do not reflect your wishes. A will can also help reduce conflict by giving your family written instructions during an already difficult time.

A will can help you:

• Name beneficiaries and backup beneficiaries
• Choose a personal representative, often called an executor
• Appoint guardians for minor children
• Make specific gifts of property or personal belongings
• Coordinate your wishes with trusts and beneficiary designations

A will does not automatically avoid probate, so it should be created as part of a broader plan. Sharpe Planning helps clients prepare Florida-specific wills that reflect their family, assets, and long-term goals.

Trusts

A trust can provide more structure and flexibility than a will alone. Depending on your goals, a trust may help avoid or reduce probate, manage assets for beneficiaries, protect privacy, plan for incapacity, and/or control how and when assets are distributed.

For many families, a revocable living trust is a useful estate planning tool because it allows you to maintain control during your lifetime while creating a smoother process for managing or distributing assets later. Other trust structures may be appropriate for tax planning, asset protection, charitable giving, special needs planning, or more complex family circumstances.



Trust planning must be handled carefully. A trust that is not properly funded or coordinated with asset titles and beneficiary designations may not accomplish what you intended.

Sharpe Planning helps with:

• Choosing the right trust structure 
• Drafting and reviewing trust documents 
• Coordinating trusts with wills and other estate planning documents 
• Reviewing asset ownership and beneficiary designations 
• Updating trusts after major life or financial changes
• Ensuring that assets are properly titled after the trust is executed

The goal is to create a trust that works in real life, not just on paper.

Durable Power of Attorney

A durable power of attorney allows you to name someone you trust to handle financial and legal matters. This can be especially important if you become ill, injured, unavailable, or unable to manage your own affairs.



The person you appoint may be able to help with banking, bills, real estate, business matters, tax issues, insurance, and other financial responsibilities, depending on the authority granted in the document. 

A strong power of attorney should clearly define the authority being granted, name the right agent, include backup decision-makers, and be reviewed as your circumstances change.  The power of attorney gives your named agent significant powers and you should clearly understand the document before you sign.

Sharpe Planning helps clients prepare durable powers of attorney that are clear, practical, and coordinated with the rest of the estate plan.

Advance Directives

Advance directives help make your health care wishes known if you cannot communicate them yourself. These documents can also name the person you trust to make medical decisions on your behalf and to speak with your doctors. 

In Florida, advance directives may include a living will, health care surrogate designation, and other health care-related planning documents. Florida law addresses health care advance directives separately from powers of attorney.

Advance directives can help you:

• Name a trusted health care decision-maker
• Document your preferences for medical treatment 
• Give loved ones clearer guidance during a medical crisis 
• Reduce conflict among family members 
• Help doctors and care providers understand your wishes

These documents are useful for adults of all ages, including parents, retirees, people with medical concerns, and college-age students who are legally adults.



Sharpe Planning helps clients create advance directives that reflect their values, comply with Florida requirements, and give loved ones direction when decisions are difficult.