Florida has taken a major stand against abuse and fraud perpetrated on senior and disabled citizens. A week ago, the Protection of Elderly Persons and Disabled Adults Bill was passed; it is headed to the governor for signature. The new law’s effective date would be July 1, 2021. The bill has a myriad of protections for seniors and disabled individuals. Key provisions include:

From sweeping new tax proposals to an extension of the Paycheck Protection Program, we have recently seen significant developments in estate planning and business law. To ensure that you stay abreast of these legal changes, we have highlighted some noteworthy developments and analyzed how they may impact your estate planning and business law practice.

Language can be tricky, imprecise, and confusing. When drafting legal documents, it is important to convey a certain meaning without needing external input on deciphering that meaning. After all, these documents may need to be interpreted after the person expressing their wishes has died or is incapacitated. Having a legal document with a term that can be ambiguous can lead to family discord, a lack of the Grantor’s intent being carried out, and even litigation.

In a case out of Texas, the meaning of the word spouse was litigated. Here, the Grantor left a share to her son’s spouse. To whom did spouse refer? Did it refer to the son’s spouse at the time the trust was established and executed, or did spouse refer to his wife at the time the trust was administered after the Grantor’s death?