Articles from Yergey & Yergey, P.A.
Practical guidance on Florida probate, estate planning, guardianship, and trust law — written by attorneys who practice it every day in Orange County and the surrounding circuits.
Trust Administration
Florida Trust Administration Explained: What Trustees and Beneficiaries Need to Know Under Chapter 736
If you've recently been named a trustee — or if you're a beneficiary of a trust here in Florida — you may be wondering exactly what the law requires and what your rights actually are. Florida's Trust Code, found in Chapter 736 of the Florida Statutes, lays out a detailed roadmap for how trusts…
Estate Planning
Power of Attorney 101: The Simple Document That Saves Your Family Headaches
A power of attorney is, in essence, permission for someone you trust to step into your shoes and handle your affairs when you cannot—or prefer not to—do it yourself. In Florida, it is also one of the few documents that will either quietly save your family or spectacularly fail them if it is done…
Estate Planning
Business Succession Estate Planning for Central Florida Owners
If you own a business in Central Florida, your estate plan and your business plan need to talk to each other. Here is how owners coordinate succession to avoid a forced sale.
Probate
Where to File Probate in Orange County: An Orlando Family's Practical Guide
If a loved one lived in Orlando, probate is filed with the Orange County Clerk of the Circuit Court, Probate Division. Here is where it goes, what gets filed, and why it matters.
Probate
What Is Probate Litigation, Really?
What Is Probate Litigation, Really? Probate in Florida is supposed to be an orderly process: identify the decedent’s assets, pay valid debts, and distribute what is left under the will or, if there is no will, under the Florida Probate Code. When everyone agrees, it is largely administrative…
Estate Planning
Six Legal Documents You Shouldn’t Leave the House Without
These six (6) of these documents are very important
Estate Planning
Why Every Florida Adult Needs a Will — And What Happens If You Die Without One
Most people assume that if something happened to them, their family would "figure it out." Florida's probate law has a very different plan — and it rarely matches what you had in mind.
Probate
The Restaurant That Disappeared: A Florida Probate Horror Story for Business Owners
This is a fictionalized scenario — but it mirrors situations that play out in Central Florida every year. When a business owner dies without a plan, the business often dies with them.
Estate Planning
Why a Florida Will Alone Is Rarely Enough: The Five Documents Most Orlando Families Actually Need
Many Orlando families assume that signing a will is enough. In most cases it is not, and the cost of missing the other documents shows up at the worst possible time.
Estate Planning
The Beneficiary Designation Problem That Sends Money to the Wrong Person — And How to Fix It
Most people spend months thinking about their will and never look at the beneficiary designation forms on their retirement accounts and life insurance. Those forms control far more money — and they override everything else.