Practice Areas

D. Andrew Hunt, P.A.

AREAS OF PRACTICE

Services provided in the Central Florida area to cities including Lake Wales, Bartow, Sebring, Avon Park, Davenport and Winter Haven as well as surrounding areas

Estate Planning

Last Will and Testament
Living Will
Designation of Healthcare Surrogate
Durable Power of Attorney
Trusts, Charitable Remainder Trusts, Special Needs Trusts
Gift Planning and Charitable Gif planning
Establishment of limited liability companies, corporations and other business entities
Advising clients with respect to utilization of life insurances trusts, generation-skipping trusts, revocable and irrevocable trusts and children's trusts
Advice concerning estate and gift tax issues

For More Information see
Estate Planning below

Estate Administration & Probate

Representation of executors, administrators and personal representatives through the entire estate administration process, including:
- Collection of assets
- Determining liabilities
- Paying Creditors
- Filing estate taxes
- Asset distribution

For More Information see
Estate Administration/Probate below

Estate Planning

Our philosophy is that everyone needs an estate plan. Such a plan is critical regardless of the size of your Estate or your marital status. A carefully constructed, flexible estate plan is useful to avoid unnecessary delays and expenses. A Last Will and Testament, a Living Will, a Designation of Healthcare Surrogate, a Designation of Preneed Guardian, a Durable Power of Attorney and possibly a trust, are essential pieces of an Estate Plan. Upon your incapacity or death these documents will make clear who is to have custody of your minor children and how your assets will be administered or distributed. They also ensure that the person of your choosing will make critical decisions for you regarding your medical care in the event you are unable to make those decisions for yourself. We are honored when clients choose our firm to help them with this essential legal planning. Our first step in effective estate planning is listening to your needs and understanding what you want to accomplish through your estate. Once we know your goals, we strive to tailor your plan to suit your situation and your needs. This type of planning helps your family avoid battles over who gets what and how proceeds from your home, car and other family assets should be distributed.

Estate planning may include:

A Last Will and Testament
A Living Will
A Designation of Healthcare Surrogate
A Designation of Preneed Guardian
A Durable Power of Attorney
Trusts, Charitable Remainder Trusts, Special Needs Trusts, Life Insurance Trusts, Generation-Skipping trusts and trusts for minor children
Gift planning and charitable gift planning
Advice concerning estate and gift tax issues

Estate Administration / Probate

Estate administration / Probate essentially is the process of settling the decedent’s affairs, including but not limited to paying final bills and distributing assets.

At D. Andrew Hunt, P.A., we assist with the process of estate administration. With almost 30 years of experience in helping families with navigating complex estate laws, attorney Andy Hunt works to alleviate the time, expense and stress associated with the process. He advises executors, administrators and personal representatives through the entire estate administration process, including:

Collecting all assets (collecting and appraising real estate, personal property, life insurance policies, unpaid income and other assets)
Determining liabilities (notifying creditors, verifying validity of debts, contesting invalid debts)
Paying creditors (liquidating assets if necessary, paying remaining bills and valid liabilities)
Asset distribution (distributing remaining assets to heirs according to beneficiary designation in the will or intestate laws, re-titling assets, filing final accounting of the estate)

Depending on how the estate plans are set up, the deceased person’s will may need to be “probated” by a court, which means the court will supervise the administration of the estate. The court will authorize the distribution of assets, and will settle disputes regarding the will or regarding payment of claims in the estate and distribution of assets. Many complicated questions arise and must be dealt with during the course of a probate proceeding. Attorney Andy Hunt can help to answer these and many others:

Is a probate necessary?
What if there is no Last Will and Testament?
How long will the probate process take?
Who is responsible for the remaining debts and medical bills?
Does the attorney I hire need to be located in the same city or county as the decedent?
What if the original Last Will and Testament cannot be located?
How do I determine if probate has already been opened?
Do life insurance benefits go through probate?

With almost 30 years of experience in complex estate laws, estate administration and probate matters, our firm stands ready to assist you with your estate administration/probate needs.