Want a comprehensive estate plan without leaving home? Don’t have time to go to an attorney’s office for an in-person meeting? That’s okay — The Wheeler Firm, serving Okaloosa and Walton County, can help you create an estate plan without ever leaving your home or office! In 2020, electronic wills became legal in Florida. To take advantage of this convenient option, you’ll only need access to basic technology for video conferencing, such as an iPhone or webcam. From there, we can guide you through the traditional steps of creating an estate plan.
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Schedule an Initial Consultation
The first step in any estate plan is to meet with an experienced Florida estate planning attorney. At this meeting — which can be done by phone, video conference, or in person — you will have the opportunity to discuss your estate and ask questions about your unique options for an estate plan.
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Identify your Estate Planning Goals.
The process begins with a virtual consultation to define what matters most to you. Whether your priority is protecting minor children, minimizing estate taxes, or ensuring your medical wishes are honored through a living will, this stage sets the foundation for your entire plan.
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Discuss Solutions to Meet your Goals
Once your goals are clear, your Florida estate planning lawyer will discuss the differences between a last will and testament and a revocable trust, and determine which tools best suit your family’s unique financial and personal dynamics.
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Gather Needed Information for the Estate Plan
In this phase, you’ll use a secure digital portal to upload necessary information, such as asset lists, beneficiary details, and the names of your chosen executors or guardians. Gathering these details digitally ensures that your attorney has a comprehensive and accurate "map" of your estate before drafting begins.
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Create a Draft of your Estate Plan
Using the information provided, your legal representative from The Wheeler Firm will draft your custom documents. This isn't a one-size-fits-all template; it is a legally binding framework designed to address the specific goals and solutions identified in the previous steps.
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Review and Edit your Estate Plan to Reflect your Wishes
You will receive digital drafts to review at your own pace. During a follow-up virtual meeting, we will walk through the language together to ensure every clause accurately reflects your wishes, making any necessary edits to perfect the documents.
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Digitally Sign your Estate Planning Documents
The final step utilizes secure e-signature technology or a remote online notary (RON) session. You’ll sign your documents digitally, creating a legally enforceable estate plan that is immediately stored and accessible in your digital vault.
Aside from being convenient, this process is private and confidential. The Wheeler Firm understands that your plan may involve deeply personal decisions, and we will ensure your privacy at every stage, whether you choose to proceed virtually or through an in-person planning meeting.
What is estate planning?
Estate planning is the process of determining how an individual’s assets will be preserved and managed during their life, and distributed after their death. People have different circumstances, different families, and different goals for their estate plan. As a result, every estate plan is different. We customize your plan to accommodate your particular goals. This may include a last will and testament, setting up trusts, and/or creating capacity planning documents such as a Durable Power of Attorney or Living Will. The mere thought of planning for incapacity or death can be unpleasant, but we at The Wheeler Firm take the stress and anxiety out of estate planning by guiding you through every step of the process.
What Estate Planning Entails
Estate planning is the all-encompassing term for what happens to your assets after you pass away. This also includes dictating what happens to those whom you are responsible for, such as minor children or adult children or seniors whom you are the primary caregiver for. Usually, estate plans are set in place with the help of a qualified estate planning attorney in Florida since there are many legalities that must be addressed and met.
What is Included in a Solid Estate Plan
Last Will and Testament
Durable Power of Attorney
Guardianship Designations
Healthcare Power of Attorney
Beneficiary Designations
Insurance Considerations and Long-Term Care
WHY CHOOSE US?
Led by experienced family law attorney, Andrew D. Wheeler, The Wheeler Firm is committed to the protection and security of every client. We work to ease the stress of family law litigation, protect our client’s interests, and focus on proven results. With more than 15 years of experience litigating every form of family law case, and representing thousands of individuals and their families, we promise exceptional representation and advocacy. Call us at (850) 613-6923 for a consultation.
