Articles Posted in Trust Administration

What Happens if a Trustee Dies in Florida? By Phil Rarick, Miami Trust Attorney and Jasmine Benitez, Legal Assistant If you’re the beneficiary of a trust — or you’ve created one — and wonder what happens when a trustee passes away in Florida, you are not alone. This is a common concern, and thankfully, Florida…

What is a Florida Beneficiary’s Right to Trust Accounting? By Phil Rarick, Weston Trust Attorney, and Jasmine Benitez, Legal Assistant In Florida, qualified beneficiaries of a trust have a legal right to receive an accounting from the trustee. This accounting is a detailed report of the trust’s financial activities, including income, expenses, distributions, and the…

Can a Trustee Be Removed in Florida? By Phil Rarick, Weston Trust Attorney, and Jasmine Benitez, Legal Assistant The answer is yes – under certain circumstances, a trustee can be removed from their duties. A trustee has a high fiduciary responsibility to act in the best interest of the qualified beneficiaries, but if they fail to do…

What is a Family Trust? By Phil Rarick, Weston Trust Attorney – Every family needs instructions in the event of disability or death. A Family Trust, also known as a Living Trust, is your detailed, legally binding instructions to care for you and your family in the event of mental incapacity or death. A trust…

3 CREATIVE WAYS FAMILY LAW ATTORNEYS CAN USE TRUSTS By: Phillip B. Rarick, Miami Trust Attorney, and Maria C. Gonzalez, B.C.C., Family Law Attorney The following note is a brief review of three popular trusts that can help ensure compliance with future financial obligations set forth in a Pre-Nuptial Agreement or Marital Settlement Agreement. Hypothetical…

Keeping Peace in The Family: 5 Common Pitfalls By Attorney Phil Rarick, Weston Estate Planning Attorney As an estate planning attorney, I sometimes witness stressful family fights that break out upon the death of a father or mother or husband and wife. On some occasions, it’s outright family warfare! What is painful is that the…

2024 Property Tax Appeal Deadline: Read the Small Print! By: Phil Rarick, Miami Trust Attorney You will miss this deadline if you do not read carefully – and you may need a magnifying glass to find it. Around the last weeks of August, you should have received in the mail a “Notice of Proposed Property…

Florida Successor Trustee Checklist By Phillip B. Rarick, Miami Trust Attorney You are named the successor trustee and the trustmaker has just died. No doubt these are difficult times, but thankfully there are many resources to help. The following is a checklist of initial important tasks to help guide you after the funeral or memorial…

By Phillip B. Rarick, Esq., Miami Lakes and Weston Estate Planning Attorney Its a New Year and time to file your 2026 Annual Report if you own a Florida LLC (limited liability company), corporation, or partnership. The deadline is May 1, 2026. The state will charge you a $400 late fee if you miss this…

Curve Balls to Watch for In New Florida Trust Director Law By Phillip B. Rarick, Miami Trust Attorney, and Hannah S. Rarick, J.D. Candidate Effective as of last year July 1, 2021, Florida is now 1 of 15 states to enact the Uniform Directed Trust Act (FUDTA), F.S. §§736.1401 to .1416, that allows a third…