As we enter the season of gratitude, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the legacy we want to leave behind. Estate planning offers a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact by aligning your legacy with your values, supporting causes you care about, and expressing appreciation for the people and communities that matter to you.

Philanthropic giving through your estate plan can ensure that your support continues beyond your lifetime. By including a charity, scholarship fund, or other cause, you can create a legacy that embodies your values and benefits future generations. There are many ways to structure charitable gifts, from direct donations to setting up trusts that provide ongoing support. A carefully crafted estate plan can maximize the benefits of your gift while offering tax advantages for your heirs.

As you consider your estate plan this November, think about how your legacy can embody gratitude and make a lasting difference. If you’d like to explore how your plan can reflect these values, our team is here to guide you every step of the way.

Upcoming Workshops

Funding Revocable Trust Workshop

This workshop is for current clients of Pittman Law Office that have Revocable Trusts.

Date & Time: Tuesday, December 17, 2024 at 3:30 pm

Date & Time: Friday, January 10, 2025 at 11:00 am

Date & Time; Friday, February 7, 2025 at 11:00 am

Location: Pittman Law Office

RSVP to 352-399-6944 – Seating is limited to 10 people

Basic Estate Planning Workshop

This workshop is for potential clients of Pittman Law Office that want to learn more about Estate Planning and our firm.

Date & Time: Friday, November 8, 2024 at 10:00 am

Date & Time: Friday, December 6, 2024 at 10:00 am

Location: Pittman Law Office

RSVP: 352-399-6944 – Seating is limited to 10 people

Meet & Greet

This is time set aside for current clients to bring in their family members that are visiting for the Holidays to introduce them to us. No need to rsvp.

Date & Time: Thursday, December 19, 2024 at 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Probate Corner…

Accessing a safe deposit box after someone dies can be challenging, especially in Florida. If the box is jointly leased, the joint lessee can access it immediately, without needing a court order. However, this doesn’t mean they own the items inside—the estate is still entitled to those.

If there’s no joint lessee, things get a bit more complicated. Florida law allows certain people—like a spouse, adult child, or the Personal Representative named in the Last Will and Testament—to open the box and look for specific documents, such as a Last Will and Testament, burial information, or an insurance policy, under the supervision of a bank officer. However, they can only remove those specific items at that time.

If other belongings like jewelry or family heirlooms are in the box, the bank will require a court order for the Probate Court to allow the Personal Representative to have access to the contents in the box. Although Florida law provides some allowances only for specific items, many banks prefer to wait for a court order before allowing ANY access to the box.

If you keep your Last Will and Testament, money, jewelry or family heirlooms in the safe deposit box, this can create headaches for your family members as they try to navigate bank rules and Florida law to access the safe deposit box. Please keep this in mind as you consider whether a safe deposit box is necessary. Make sure your loved ones understand the contents of your safe deposit box and who has access.

My Neighbor Said… My neighbor said that I need to go to Court to get my deceased spouses name off the deed to my home. Check out Attorney Amy Pittman’s video clarifying this topic.

Happy Halloween from The Pittman Law Office Kiddos Attorney Amy Pittman and her family celebrated with a couple of her nieces and nephews. Elle went as a Hula Girl and Reed as a FBI Agent.

Attorney Audra Platt’s boys went as a Bat and a Cheetah. Waylon’s Cheetah costume is 36 years old, it was one of his dad’s costume when he was a little boy.

Attorney Sydney Simmons or should we say Princess Anna and her family had a great time for Barrett’s first Halloween. Elle was Princess Elsa and Barrett was Olaf.

WE APPRECIATE YOUR REFERRALS

Thank you for your support and confidence in our firm! One of the best compliments we receive is the referral of your friends and family. If you had an awesome experience at PLO, please pass the word on and if you would like to give us a testimonial to use for our website, please contact Amy, amy@thepittmanlawoffice.com.

Also remember to like us on Facebook, leave a review on Google and view our website, www.thepittmanlawoffice.com. We also post educational videos on our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmoZwwOaxeSB6C47DlebyWg