Florida Legal Resources
Sound estate planning draws on many disciplines and requires access to a variety of sources. At Comiter Singer, we work side-by-side with our clients to help develop comprehensive estate plans that meet their every need. Our clients are the focus of what we do, and we strive to build long-term relationships so that we can serve your needs for years to come. As a result, we work to make sure our clients are well informed and up to date on any developments in the estate planning industry.
If you create a will or trust in Florida or plan on spending your final years here, your estate plan may need to comply with Florida state law requirements. The resources below include links to pertinent Florida state statutes and rules of procedures, court records, and court websites that many of our clients find helpful:
Florida Rules
- Florida Probate Rules
- Florida Rules of Civil Procedure
- Florida Rules of Judicial Administration
- Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure
Florida Statutes
- Chapter 64, Florida Statutes, Partition of Real Property
- Chapter 65, Florida Statutes, Quieting Title
- Chapter 90, Florida Statutes, Florida Evidence Code
- Chapter 415, Florida Statutes, Adult Protective Services
- Chapter 709, Florida Statutes, Powers of Attorney and Similar Instruments
- Chapter 731, Florida Statutes, Probate Code: General Provisions
- Chapter 732, Florida Statutes, Probate Code: Intestate Succession and Wills
- Chapter 733, Florida Statutes, Probate Code: Administration of Estates
- Chapter 734, Florida Statutes, Probate Code: Foreign Personal Representatives; Ancillary Administration
- Chapter 735, Florida Statutes, Probate Code: Small Estates
- Chapter 736, Florida Statutes, Florida Trust Code
- Chapter 738, Florida Statutes, Principal and Income
- Chapter 744, Florida Statutes, Guardianship
- Chapter 765, Florida Statutes, Health Care Advance Directives
Florida Appellate Courts
- Florida Supreme Court
- First District Court of Appeal
- Second District Court of Appeal
- Third District Court of Appeal
- Fourth District Court of Appeal
- Fifth District Court of Appeal
Select Florida County Records
- Palm Beach County Court Records
- Broward County Court Records
- Martin County Court Records
- Miami-Dade County Court Records
Select Florida County Official Records
- Palm Beach County Official Records
- Broward County Official Records
- Martin County Official Records
- Miami-Dade County Official Records
Other Florida Legal Resources
- Division of Corporations: Florida Dept. of State
- Clerk of Courts: 11th Judicial Circuit Court (Search recorded deeds)
- U.S. District Court: Southern District of Florida
- Tax Law Library (State of Florida Dept. of Revenue)
- Florida Law Weekly
- Florida Government Locator
- Florida Department of Revenue
- Florida Communities Network
- The Florida Bar
- Property Appraiser Offices: Broward | Miami-Dade | Palm Beach | Martin
Estate Planning Resources
A good estate plan is comprehensive and should address all of your personal and professional goals for wealth management. The intent is to protect your assets, maximize their value, and minimize your tax liability in order to preserve your wealth for generations to come. Careful estate planning draws upon multiple resources that can help you design a personalized, fully-realized estate plan that incorporates the most innovative tools available. The resources below help our clients understand the full breadth of the options that are available to them:
- WealthTec
- Trusts and Estates Magazine
- Legal Information Institute (LII of Cornell) (Estate & gift tax overview)
- Estate Valuations & Pricing Systems, Inc.
- ACTEC (American College of Trust & Estate Council) (Public Area link)
- ABA RPPT (American Bar Association – Real Property Probate & Trust)
Accounting Resources
Excellent estate planning relies heavily on accounting expertise. You need to understand the implications of current tax laws, choose a trustworthy accountant, and perhaps pick the best 529 plan for your children’s education. To help our clients better navigate the tax and accounting dynamics involved in estate planning, we have compiled the following resources for your benefit:
- World Wide Web Tax IRS forms, instructions, tax tables, rate schedules, etc.
- RIA Tax News
- IRS Withholding Calculator
- 529 Plans: State-by-State Comparisons (401kid.com)
- 529 Plans: Overview Florida 529 Plans (Florida529Plans.com)
- AICPA (American Institute of CPAs)
- AFR(Applicable Federal Rates) Current & Historical Rates
- CPA Directory
- FICPA: (Florida Institute of CPAs)
- IRS Charities & Non-Profit Tax Information
General Legal Resources
The law serves as the foundation for your estate plan, and an experienced and knowledgeable Florida and Palm Beach County estate planning attorney is an indispensable member of your team. The resources below include lawyer directories and various general legal resources to give you an overview of the resources that are available.
- General Services Administration
- Web Journal of Current Legal Issues
- U.S. House of Representatives/Office of the Clerk
- Supreme Court Decisions (LII – Legal Information Institute – Cornell)
- National Center for State Courts
- Martindale-Hubbell Lawyer Search/Directory
- Lawyers.com (Martindale-Hubbell)
- Law Practice Management Magazine (ABA)
- LawInfo.com
- Law.com (Legal News & Information)
Governmental Resources
Estate planning often involves a complicated overlap of federal and state law. Your estate plan may require understanding the consumer price index and federal securities laws or may require that we access other governmental resources. Below are some links that you may find helpful:
- CPI Index (Consumer Price Index) for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U)
- CPI Index (Consumer Price Index)
- Congressional Record
- White House
- United States Postal Service
- United States Federal Courts
- United States Department of Justice
- United Nations International Computing Center (ICC)
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
- United States Senate
- U.S. House of Representatives
- U.S. Code (Cornell)
- U.S. Code (House of Representatives)
- Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Edgar
- National Security Agency (NSA)
Legal Education and Research
Finally, we’ve compiled a list of legal resources that are helpful in staying ahead of the curve on various legal issues, including estate planning and related topics.
- World Wide Web Virtual Library – Law
- West Publishing Group
- Versus Law (Case law from 50 states, Federal appellate courts & Supreme Court)
- University of Miami School of Law
- University of Miami
- NSU Shepard Broad Law Center
- Lexix Nexis
- Legal Information Institute (LII) (Cornell Law School)
- Lectric Law Library
- Emory Law Library
- Chicago Kent Law School
- Celesq (High-quality CLE programs)
- Brentmark Software Applicable Federal Rate (AFR) Table
Contact a Florida and Palm Beach County Estate Planning Attorney
Managing and protecting your wealth is no small task. Don’t risk what you’ve dedicated your life to building – the estate planning attorneys at Comiter Singer can help you protect your assets and your family’s future. To schedule an appointment with an experienced Florida and Palm Beach County estate planning attorney, contact us online or by calling 561-626-2101 or toll free at 800-226-1484.