June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. At Zamora, Hillman & Villavicencio, we think this is a perfect time for us all to support and learn more about our loved ones fighting Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. More than 55 million people have a form of dementia across the world, with 10 million new cases reported every year. When we write off our loved ones with dementia, we’re writing off tens of Read More

Probate court puts unnecessary stress on your estate, your family, and other loved ones. It’s an issue we talked about recently, and the most common advice estate planning attorneys will tell you is to opt for a trust instead of just establishing a will for your estate. It’s important, however, to understand trusts can still be subject to probate in certain circumstances. The deadline to remedy all issues and avoid Read More

Probate can be a stressful time for families. When someone passes away, their estate passes into probate. This normally involves going to a probate court in the state where they lived, in which their remaining property and assets will be divided among their living loved ones. If they left behind an Estate Plan, the judge will typically follow the instructions they made in that. Either way, it can be tough for Read More

If you have an elder loved one in your life, it is important to listen to what they have to say and stay aware of their condition and attitude. Elder exploitation and abuse is one of the most overlooked forms of abuse worldwide. It is common that an elder experiencing abuse may not want to admit their circumstance to a loved one, either. You have to stay alert. Here are the 7 different types of elder exploitation and Read More

The end of the year is a period of rest and reflection. Most people take some time to evaluate how they felt about the last twelve months and what they hope to accomplish in the next year. As you examine your relationships, career, and financial situation, it’s a great time to review something that is determined by all three of those factors: your Estate Plan. An Estate Plan is a legally-binding plan made with an Read More

The foundation of any good Estate Plan is a strong Will. Estate Planning is the process of working with an attorney to create a legally-binding plan for what will happen to your belongings and property (known as your estate) and your remaining money (known as your assets) after you pass away. While Estate Planning can take many forms, a Will allows you to dictate your estate and asset wishes in a streamlined Read More

Elder exploitation happens all too often. If you have an aging loved one, especially if they are being taken care of by someone else or living in a facility, it is important to keep an eye out for the warning signs of elder exploitation. Your loved one may be too embarrassed or unable to share and ask for the help they need. Elder exploitation can come in many forms, including physical abuse, emotional abuse, Read More

Some things in life just seem like they should happen automatically. When you’re done watching an episode on Netflix, you expect the next one to play automatically. That makes sense. Similarly, when you get a divorce, you would think that the Estate Plan you made during your marriage becomes invalid. It makes sense that you probably wouldn’t want to leave everything you own to someone who you just divorced. Here's Read More

Florida law gives legal and competent adults the right to make decisions regarding their own healthcare. You can choose which treatments you want and even refuse medical care completely if you wish. However, when you are unable to make these decisions due to incapacity, an advanced directive called a Living Will can ensure that your future healthcare wishes are followed. What is a Living Will? Unlike regular Wills, Read More

For many people, estate planning can seem overwhelming. There are so many different types of legal documents and tools available that it can be difficult to know which ones are best in which situations. While legal trusts are among the most commonly used options, there are actually many different types of this document. You can set up either a revocable or an irrevocable trust depending on your needs. Understanding Read More