Estate Planning & Trust Services – Protect Your Family, Assets & Legacy
Life changes quickly. Marriage, children, retirement, business transitions, or a move to Florida can all affect how your assets should be handled. At Smith Will & Trust, we help families and business owners with comprehensive Estate Planning & Trust Services that actually work in real life.
Our attorneys guide you through every step, including estate planning, trust planning, business law, real estate law, probate and trust administration, and trust litigation. We design, sign, fund, and maintain customized plans that keep your family out of court and your wishes clear and enforceable.
Smith Will & Trust proudly serves the Greater Tampa area, including Brandon, Riverview, and SouthShore, providing trusted estate planning, probate, and trust administration services delivered with integrity and care.
Why People Hire Us for Estate Planning & Trust Services
Our clients want more than paperwork; they want a plan that works in real life. At Smith Will & Trust, we take the mystery out of Florida estate planning and trust services by explaining your options in plain English, preparing documents that comply with Florida law, and ensuring your plan is properly executed and funded.
Our attorneys handle every part of the process, from estate planning and trust planning to probate and trust administration, business law coordination, real estate matters, and trust litigation.
When you hire us, you get:
Clarity: Straightforward advice and plain-language summaries of your options.
Execution: Witnessed and notarized documents that meet Florida’s strict legal requirements.
Funding Support: Updated deeds, titles, and beneficiary forms so the plan you sign is the plan that works.
Confidence: A reliable process and results your family can depend on.
Comprehensive Estate Planning & Trust Services
- ESTATE PLANNING: We prepare wills, revocable living trusts, powers of attorney, health care surrogates, living wills, and HIPAA releases tailored to your goals. Whether you want a simple will or a complete trust-based plan, we make sure Florida’s requirements are met and your family is protected, following Florida Bar estate planning standards for accuracy and compliance.
- Trust Planning: We provide comprehensive trust planning services, including the creation of revocable and irrevocable trusts for privacy, incapacity planning, and probate avoidance. We also prepare special needs trusts, charitable trusts, and business succession planning services to ensure your estate plan holds up when it matters most.
- Probate & Trust Administration: When someone passes away, we guide personal representatives and trustees through the Florida probate process or trust administration from start to finish—handling notices, creditor windows, accountings, and distributions on time.
- TRUST LITIGATION: When disputes arise, we step in to enforce fiduciary duties, demand accountings, and seek trustee removal or court intervention when needed. Our goal is to protect beneficiaries and keep the process on track.
- Business Law: We provide business succession planning services that coordinate operating agreements, buy-sell provisions, and corporate records with your estate plan—ensuring ownership transitions smoothly and your business never ends up in limbo.
- Real Estate: We prepare and record deeds that meet Florida’s witness requirements, homestead protections, and recording rules so property transfers are clean and legally enforceable.
Our Estate Planning & Trust Services Process – Step by Step
Listen & map:
We get to know your family, assets, goals, and any non-negotiables.
Design the plan:
We present clear options, pros/cons, and pricing, no surprises.
Draft & sign:
We prepare statute-compliant documents, arrange witnesses, and notarize everything correctly.
Fund the plan:
We help you retitle assets, update beneficiary designations, and record deeds so your plan works.
Maintain:
Life changes (marriage, birth, business sale, relocation) trigger optional reviews and free checklists.
Estate Planning That Fits Real Life
A great plan isn’t just about avoiding probate; it’s about making life easier for the people you leave behind.
- Avoid Probate: Use revocable trusts, beneficiary designations, and other strategies to keep matters private and moving quickly.
- Plan for Incapacity: Durable powers of attorney and health care directives make sure someone you trust can step in if you can’t manage your affairs.
- Coordinate with Business Interests: Prevent disruption by aligning your company agreements with your estate plan.
- Align Real Estate & Accounts: Make sure deeds, joint titling, and beneficiary forms are consistent so nothing falls through the cracks.
Bullet Briefs – Quick Scan for Busy Readers
- Who We Help: Parents, retirees, blended families, entrepreneurs, physicians, caregivers, and snowbirds with multi-state assets.
- Top Concerns: Taxes, nursing home spend-down, guardianship, family conflict, and fairness among heirs.
- Results We Aim For: Our estate planning services deliver fewer surprises, faster timelines, legally enforceable plans, and documents your family can carry out with confidence.
What to Bring to Your Consultation
Your first meeting doesn’t require perfection—just a starting point. Bring:
- A simple list of assets and accounts (approximate values are fine)
- Existing wills, trusts, or powers of attorney (if you have them)
- Names for guardians, personal representatives, and trustees
- Your top three goals (avoid probate, protect a beneficiary, charitable gifts, etc.)
This allows us to design a clear roadmap right away.
Areas We Serve
Proudly serving the Greater Tampa Bay area with trusted estate planning and probate guidance you can count on.
- Tampa
- SouthShore
- Riverview
- Brandon
- Ruskin
- City Center
- Apollo Beach
- Cefner
- Temple Terrace
FAQs
What’s the difference between a will and a trust?
A will governs assets that go through probate. A properly funded revocable trust avoids probate for most assets and adds disability management while you’re alive.
Do I still need a will if I have a trust?
Yes. A “pour-over” will catches assets not in your trust and names guardians for minor children.
How often should I update my plan?
Review after any major life event (marriage, divorce, new child, move, business sale) or every 3–5 years to stay current with Florida law.
What happens at the first meeting?
We clarify your goals, gather key facts, outline your options, and provide a written roadmap with timelines and next steps.
Ready to Talk?
Your legacy, your wishes, and your family’s future are too important to leave to chance.