Affluent families in Fort Lauderdale face estate planning challenges that go well beyond a simple will. Concentrated wealth, real estate holdings across Broward County, closely held business interests, and exposure to creditors and litigation all demand a plan built on Florida law and tuned for asset protection. Our practice focuses on helping high-net-worth individuals preserve, protect, and transfer wealth efficiently under the Florida Probate Code (Chapters 731-735) and the Florida Trust Code (Chapter 736).
Why Affluent Floridians Need a Tailored Plan
Florida is a favorable jurisdiction for wealth preservation. There is no state income tax and no state estate tax, and the state constitution offers some of the strongest homestead creditor protection in the country. But those advantages only work when your documents are drafted correctly. A generic form will or out-of-state trust can forfeit Florida’s homestead protection, trigger unintended probate, or leave a surviving spouse’s elective share under Florida Statutes section 732.2065 unaddressed.
Our Core Services
We build coordinated plans that integrate several instruments. A Florida will executed under section 732.502 directs the disposition of probate assets. Revocable and irrevocable trusts under Chapter 736 keep assets out of probate and add control. Durable powers of attorney under Chapter 709 protect you during incapacity. Lady Bird (enhanced life estate) deeds transfer homestead and other real property at death while avoiding probate and preserving the step-up in basis.
Asset Protection for High-Net-Worth Clients
Protecting wealth from future creditors, lawsuits, and divorce is central to our work. Florida law shields homestead property, tenancy-by-the-entirety assets held by married couples, qualified retirement accounts, and certain annuity and life insurance proceeds. Layered structures, including properly funded irrevocable trusts and business entities, can extend protection further. We design these strategies before a claim arises, because asset protection planning done after a liability exists can be set aside as a fraudulent transfer.
Avoiding and Streamlining Probate
Even well-funded estates can encounter probate. Florida offers two paths: summary administration, available when the estate’s non-exempt assets do not exceed $75,000 or the decedent died more than two years ago, and formal administration for larger or more complex estates. We help families minimize probate exposure during planning and guide personal representatives through administration when it is unavoidable.
Coordinated Tax and Legacy Strategy
For families approaching the federal estate and gift tax thresholds, we coordinate with accountants and wealth advisors on gifting, valuation, and trust strategies. We do not quote specific exemption figures here because they change; your attorney will apply the current law to your numbers.
Speak With a Fort Lauderdale Estate Planning Attorney
Every plan should reflect your assets, your family, and your goals. Contact our Fort Lauderdale office to discuss how Florida law can protect what you have built.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Estate planning and asset protection involve fact-specific decisions. Consult a licensed Florida attorney before acting on anything described here.
For more on our Florida practice, see our overview of estate planning in Palm Beach. Morgan Legal Group's affiliated New York office also handles Medicaid asset protection trusts.