Building wealth in Miami takes decades of disciplined work, whether your assets sit in a closely held company, a portfolio of Brickell condominiums, or a diversified investment account. Protecting that wealth for the next generation takes a Florida estate plan designed for complexity, not a fill-in-the-blank template. Our practice focuses on business owners and high-net-worth individuals who need precise, statute-driven planning under the Florida Probate Code (Chapters 731-735) and the Florida Trust Code (Chapter 736).
Why Miami Entrepreneurs Need More Than a Basic Will
A signed will is the floor, not the ceiling. If you own an interest in an LLC, a professional practice, commercial real estate, or marketable securities, a plain will sends nearly everything through probate and exposes your operating company to court delays. Affluent Florida families typically layer a revocable living trust over the will, coordinate beneficiary designations, and add business-succession provisions so a buy-sell agreement or operating agreement controls what happens to your ownership interest the day you step away.
Florida’s Unique Advantages for the Affluent
Florida imposes no state estate tax and no state income tax, which is precisely why so many high earners establish domicile here. Florida’s constitutional homestead protection can shield your primary Miami residence from most creditors, and its tenancy-by-the-entireties rules give married couples a powerful asset-protection tool. We build plans that preserve these advantages while you remain alert to the federal estate tax, which still applies to larger estates and demands proactive gifting, trust, and entity strategies.
Our Core Services
We prepare Florida wills executed under §732.502, revocable living trusts under Chapter 736, durable powers of attorney under Chapter 709, and the health care advance directives every adult should have in place. For real estate, we use enhanced life estate (Lady Bird) deeds to pass property outside probate while preserving homestead and Medicaid eligibility. When a loved one passes, we guide personal representatives through formal and summary administration in the Miami-Dade probate courts.
Coordinated Planning for Complex Estates
High-net-worth planning rarely involves a single document. We coordinate your CPA, financial advisor, and insurance professional so your trust funding, entity structure, and beneficiary designations all point in the same direction. For families with out-of-state vacation homes or international holdings, common in Miami, we address ancillary probate exposure before it becomes your heirs’ problem.
Schedule a Confidential Consultation
This page is general information, not legal advice for your situation. Florida law is fact-specific, and the right structure depends on your assets, family, and goals. Consult a licensed Florida estate planning attorney to design a plan tailored to you. Contact our Miami office to begin a confidential review of your estate and business holdings.