Long-Term Care Planning Is Still Culturally Significant

Advancements in medicine have made it possible for us to appreciate our family members longer than ever, but not every family has a plan for long-term care. For many families, planning to spend the later years of their lives in assisted living or elder care facilities is the norm. Not only have they built an estate plan that creates the appropriate infrastructure, but it’s also considered socially acceptable and Read More

Considerations for Power of Attorney

Developing a comprehensive estate plan requires many different elements that work together to benefit you and your family. One of the most important documents within your estate plan is the power of attorney. There are several types and each comes with its own set of responsibilities. When you make your own estate plan, incorporating your family members and people you trust is an essential part of making sure your Read More

Estate Planning Is For Everyone

For some people, generational wealth and managing the assets and responsibilities that come with that, are a normal part of life. Individuals that grow up this way may already have a firm grasp of the importance of estate planning and how important it is for them and their families. If you are unfamiliar with estate management or the culture around it, there are a lot of myths about estate planning that cause many Read More

Capacity and Decision-Making

Most people know someone who, in spite of everyone’s best efforts, continues to make bad choices. The kind of person who just lost their job, but still purchased an expensive car using a high-interest credit card. Or someone who has diabetes, and won’t stop eating sweets. There are many situations where most people would consider the “right” choice is just plain common-sense. The reality is that the majority of Read More

Parents: Traveling for the Holidays? Don’t Forget This

The most wonderful time of the year is also the most stressful time for many people. Parents and those who are traveling out of state or country might be especially on edge.  Still, making preparations ahead of time can do wonders to tamp down the holiday stress. If you are a parent who will be hundreds of miles away (or farther) from your children for an extended period of time, the issue of decision-making for your Read More

Understanding the Important Role of Voluntary Guardianship

Many people know about guardianships and the important role they can play in making sure our loved ones are taken care of during times of need. These serve to ensure important assets and needs are accounted for while someone is incapacitated or otherwise unable to take care of themselves. What many people don’t know, however, is that Florida has another option that doesn’t require incapacitation to initiate: Read More

Tips for Navigating an Internet Full of Scams

Technology is wonderful. We are able to do so many tasks with a few clicks from just about anywhere in the world. These advancements have assisted the world of finance, healthcare, education, and more… but modern technology is not without its pitfalls. At any given moment, you might see four or five advertisements on a single webpage. There are people and companies trying to get into your pocketbook at every corner Read More

Think Twice Before Crafting a DIY Estate Plan

There’s little satisfaction in the world like the feeling you get after completing the perfect project on your own. “Do it yourself” (DIY) projects satisfy that itch to get things done – but should you DIY your estate plan? There’s plenty of information on the internet surrounding estate planning (including right here on our blog), but there are simply too many pitfalls to trying to craft a plan without an attorney. Read More

Understanding Which Assets Automatically Skip Probate

When an estate is exposed to probate, the entire situation can get messy. Families often end up fighting, and the private nature of your hard work can be completely stripped away. The courts will sift through the fine details of an estate plan to ensure everything is in order and executed legally. We’ve previously discussed how trusts generally avoid probate but can still sometimes be exposed. Some individual assets, Read More

People With Forms of Dementia Are Still Capable

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