St. Petersburg Estate Planning Attorney

For more than 60 years, our attorneys have provided St. Petersburg and the entire Tampa Bay area of Florida with practical legal advice and skilled representation. Our St. Petersburg estate planning attorneys handle a variety of practice areas, including estate planning, probate, estate and trust administration, real estate law, business law and litigation.

Personalized Estate Planning Services

It is never too early to begin preparing for the next phase of your life and the passing of your assets on to the next generation. Whether you need to create a will, are interested in putting property into a trust or want to make sure your assets are protected from excessive taxation, we are here to help you meet your goals.

Since 1962, the attorneys of Fisher & Wilsey, P.A., have been providing comprehensive estate planning services to individuals and families in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area of Florida.

Call 727-898-1181 to schedule an initial consultation.

We can help you protect your assets, ensure that your wishes are honored and help you meet your estate plan’s needs.

Working to Protect Your Family and Your Property

If you do not have a proper estate plan in place, you could be placing your property and your loved ones at risk by leaving important decisions up to the government. Without a will or proper estate planning, state statutes dictate how your assets, investments, home and other property will be distributed. This is known as “intestate succession.” One who passes without a will or proper estate plan is said to have died intestate. The process is not only more expensive than having proper estate planning in place but can also take longer to complete and may not result in your assets passing as you wish. If you are a Florida resident, you must create an estate plan or have estate planning in place that is valid under Florida law to avoid the pit falls of intestate succession.

But a proper estate plan is necessary not only to take care of your assets, but also to make sure you know who will making financial and health care decisions for you if you became incapacitated. Our estate planning attorneys can prepare the necessary documents and estate plan, so you have control. In addition to a will, all estate plans in Florida should also include the following documents: Durable Power of Attorney, Designation of Healthcare Surrogate, Preneed Guardian, Letter of Instruction, and sometimes a Trust.

The Durable Power of Attorney (DPOA) is an estate planning document that appoints someone you trust to handle your finances on your behalf if you incapacitated or otherwise unable to make financial decision on your own. Our St. Pete estate planning attorneys can help you create a Durable Power of Attorney so that you remain in control even if you are unable to make decisions yourself.

The Designation of Healthcare Surrogate is an estate planning document that appoints someone you trust to make healthcare decision on your behalf in the event you become unable to make such decisions on your own. Our Tampa Bay estate planning attorneys can draft the necessary documents for you to designate your trusted healthcare surrogate.

Like dying intestate, without an estate planning document called the Preneed Guardian, the decision of who would be your guardian if you became incapacitated would be up to the government. In this case a judge. By scheduling a meeting with our estate planning attorneys, you can have peace of mind that you have chosen who would be your guardian by signing a Preneed Guarding document.

The Letter of Instruction is a document that sets out your final wishes as to your funeral arrangements. Although not legally binding, the Letter of Instruction can help give direction to your Personal Representative or Executor when preparing your arrangements.

Finally, in addition to the various estate planning documents mentioned above, many individuals and families find themselves in need of a Trust. A Trust is a document, created by the Settlor (creator of the Trust), that designates a Trustee and Beneficiaries. To be valid, a trust must be funded with property which can consist of money, investments, real property, or personal property. Once funded, the Trustee has a fiduciary duty to administer the trust in accordance with the Settlor’s wishes. Like a Will, a Trust can be used to effectively distributes one’s assets after death. But, to do so, one must meet certain formalities required under Florida law. To make sure you create a valid Trust, trust one of our estate planning attorneys to guide you through the process and to draft the documents for you.

Call Fisher and Wilsey, P.A. today if you are interested in setting up an estate plan drafted by experienced estate planning attorneys in the Tampa Bay area. Our St. Petersburg estate planning attorneys have been creating estate plans for people in St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Tampa and surrounding areas for more than 60 years.

Comprehensive Estate Planning

Estate planning is a multi-step process for anticipating and mitigating life’s challenges, including disability and death. When handled by a professional, an estate plan is well worth whatever you paid an attorney to create. When developing a plan for what will happen after you are gone, we believe that the most important thing is that you are the one who is making all of the crucial decisions. We will work closely with you to create an all-inclusive estate plan, using legal tools such as:

Lifetime gift giving. A key part of an estate plan is deciding who will inherit your assets. But you are free to give gifts while living, which might be the smarter choice.
Distribution of estate at death. Our clients often use a will and/or trust to determine who will inherit their estate assets when they pass away.
Health care directives. Determine ahead of time what care you want when you can no longer make choices for yourself. Our clients can also name a surrogate to speak on their behalf.
Medicaid and health care planning. Health care is perhaps the largest expense for seniors, and one we can’t control. Coming down with an illness or dementia can devastate a family’s finances, especially where skilled nursing care is needed. Thorough planning might qualify our clients for government benefits.
Power of attorney. An agent can handle your finances when doing so is difficult. Instead of having family members fight amongst themselves, you can name someone in a durable power of attorney.
Tax planning. Reducing taxes is a sensible way for maximizing the value of your estate, protecting the legacy you have created for your loved ones.

Business succession planning. If you own a business, then an important consideration is what will happen when you retire or die. We can help you identify the next generation of leaders and create the proper legal documents.

Why Fisher & Wilsey?

While other firms practice estate planning part-time, we have dedicated more than 50 years to helping families and businesses prepare for life’s contingencies. Our firm distinguishes itself with client-focused strategies tailored to each person’s unique needs.

Whether you want to put in place a basic estate plan or need high-powered tax planning, we can help. And we are the right firm to revise any plan which might have become outdated due to changing life circumstances, including divorce or remarriage.

Reach Out to Our St. Petersburg Estate Planning Team

One misconception is that a signed will is all you need to have an estate plan. Although a will is a strong foundation, other components are needed to ensure you can provide for loved ones and minimize emergencies. Contact Fisher & Wilsey, P.A. if you have questions about an estate plan or are interested in revising one you created years ago. A St. Petersburg estate planning lawyer with our firm will discuss your goals and use our legal skills to craft an individualized solution to your needs.

Estate Planning and Probate Matters

Your rights and interests are too important to place in the hands of a novice attorney or a startup law firm.

Probate Litigation – Resolving Complex Probate Matters in Court

Inheritance Disputes – Protecting Your Rights in the Probate Process

Probate Resources