Services

Margate Trust & Real Estate Law Services

Donald Buikus has been in practice for over 25 years in Florida. He has helped thousands of people successfully navigate their legal obligations.

Florida Probate Administration

When someone dies owning property in Florida, Florida laws govern the transfer of ownership of that property. The legal process is called probate and it is controls the process of distributing assets that did not have a listed beneficiary and that were owned solely by the decedent. Probate generally involves: submitting the Will; having a Personal Representative appointed; collecting and organizing the decedent’s individually named property, preparing a list of the assets of the estate, paying creditors, transferring ownership of the estate’s property to the beneficiaries/heirs and closing the estate. .

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Probate Law

Last Will and Testament

Last Will and Testament

A will is essential at every stage of your life, providing you with the opportunity to distribute your property, establish care for your children and otherwise express your wishes for what will happen upon your death. .

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Real Estate Closing

The real estate market can be hard to navigate both as a buyer and seller. It is one of the largest transactions you will most likely have in your life time and should be handled with care. One wrong move could be devastating. Having a highly experienced legal professional on your side can save you a lot of time and money.

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Real Estate Closing

Estate Planning

Estate Planning

Often times when someone sees the term ‘estate planning’ they believe they must own a large house and a lot of personal belongings. An estate is actually comprised of everything you own regardless of the worth and size of the estate. Planning for your estate goes beyond what is included in your last will and testament. In this you also want to include a power of attorney, a living will (advance directive), and making sure all of your finances are in order.

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Living Will

A Living Will allows your family, physician, and health care providers to make decisions on your continued medical treatment and is only effective when you are mentally and physically incapacitated. It requires that your doctor and another doctor determine to a reasonable degree of medical probability that additional medical treatment will only prolong the process of dying. There are three circumstances when this decision can be made and you get to choose under which of them to discontinue medical treatment. The first is when you are in a persistent vegetative state, the second is when you have a terminal condition and the third is when you have an end stage condition.

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Living Will

Power of Attorney

Power of Attorney

Powers of Attorney come in many forms in the state of Florida. A "power of attorney" is a legal document by which you (the "principal") give certain powers to someone else. This person becomes your "attorney-in-fact" (the "agent"); authorized to act for you, in your place. How much power is determined by the principal. It also dictates the extent the attorney-in-fact can act on behald of the principal depending on the type of Power of Attorney involved. Every Power of Attorney is powerful, and having legal counsel in the execution as a principal is wise.

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Lady Bird/Enhanced Life Estate Deeds

A Lady Bird Deed, also known as an Enhanced Life Estate Deed, is a deed that, like a traditional life estate deed, allows property to pass automatically to one or more designated recipients at death, without the need for probate. Lady Bird deeds are used to avoid probate. Learn more about how it works by clicking Read More.

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Lady Bird/Enhanced Life Estate Deeds

Quitclaim and Warranty Deeds

Quitclaim and Warranty Deeds

It is not uncommon to want to add someone to the title of your property or even transfer it to someone else entirely. This kind of work can be very complicated so it is highly recommended to consult with a real estate attorney that is local to assist you with the transfer process. Learn about QuitClaim, Warranty Deeds, Non-Warranty Deeds, and Deed Reversal.

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