Wills Trusts & Estate Planning

Planning for the future is one of the most important steps you can take to protect your family, assets, and legacy. At St. Johns Law Group, our team of over 10 attorneys includes experienced estate planning attorneys in St. Augustine, Florida, provides comprehensive legal services to help you plan ahead with confidence.

Whether you are preparing your first will, creating a trust to avoid probate, or navigating complex issues like guardianship or business succession, our attorneys offer personalized guidance tailored to your specific needs. We are proud to serve individuals, couples, families, retirees, and business owners throughout St. Johns County and Northeast Florida.

🧭 Plan with Confidence and Clarity

Estate planning is more than just preparing documents—it’s about ensuring your intentions are clearly expressed and legally enforceable. Our attorneys will help you create a plan tailored to your unique family, assets, and goals.

We assist with:

• Reducing or avoiding probate

• Planning for incapacity or illness

• Protecting minor children and special needs heirs

• Designating guardians and healthcare surrogates

• Coordinating with accountants and financial planners

🛑 Concerned About Past Poor Planning or a Disbarred Lawyer?

In light of concerns raised by the disbarment of Joe Boles, we understand local residents may be uneasy about past estate planning. If you’re unsure whether your plan reflects your true wishes—or if you suspect misconduct—we can help.

We will review your will or trust for accuracy, and we never name our attorneys as personal representatives or successor trustees in your documents. If you suspect wrongdoing, our estate and trust dispute attorneys are ready to help.

☕ Let’s Get Coffee

Not sure where to start? Join us for a casual, no-pressure meeting to discuss your planning needs. Whether you’re starting from scratch or updating an old will, we’ll walk you through the options.

📝 Our Estate Planning Services

At St. Johns Law Group, we believe in proactive planning. Our legal team takes a customized approach to every estate plan—no two families are alike, and your plan should reflect your unique goals.

✅ Wills

A Last Will and Testament ensures your property is distributed according to your wishes and can name guardians for minor children. Without a will in Florida, your estate will be subject to intestate succession laws, which may not align with your wishes.

✅ Trusts

Trusts are powerful tools for avoiding probate, protecting privacy, managing tax exposure, and distributing assets efficiently. We draft and administer:

• Revocable Living Trusts

• Irrevocable Trusts

• Special Needs Trusts

• Charitable Trusts

• Asset Protection Trusts

✅ Advance Directives

We help you prepare for incapacity by drafting:

• Healthcare Surrogate Designations

• Living Wills

• HIPAA Authorizations
  These documents ensure your medical decisions are honored and relieve your loved ones from making difficult choices without guidance.

✅ Powers of Attorney

A durable power of attorney allows you to appoint someone you trust to handle legal or financial matters on your behalf if you become incapacitated.

✅ Probate & Estate Administration

If you’ve lost a loved one, our attorneys can guide you through Florida’s probate process. We work with personal representatives (executors) to:

• Administer estates efficiently

• Comply with legal and tax obligations

• Minimize disputes among heirs or beneficiaries

✅ Estate Planning for Business Owners

Our estate planning services include:

• • Business succession planning

  • Buy-sell agreements

  • Continuity planning for LLCs, partnerships, and corporations

🏡 Quit Claim Deeds & Enhanced Life Estate Planning

Our real estate attorneys frequently incorporate deeds into estate plans to pass property efficiently and avoid probate.

Quit Claim Deeds

Used to transfer ownership, add a spouse or child to title, or deed property into a trust.

Life Estate Deeds

Transfer ownership now but reserve a lifetime right to use the property. However, they limit your future ability to refinance, sell, or revoke the transfer.

Enhanced Life Estate Deeds (Lady Bird Deeds)

Offer the same lifetime benefit with added flexibility—you retain the right to change your mind, sell, or borrow against the property. These are ideal for clients who want control and probate avoidance.

If you need a quit claim deed or enhance life estate deed, contact our real estate closing team today:

• • • Katie Lemelin – Closer and Estate Planning Paralegal
    • Thom Sharpe – Closer and Quit Claim Deed Processor 

💼 Tax Coordination & Financial Planning

Our attorneys regularly collaborate with financial advisors and CPAs to ensure that your estate plan aligns with your financial strategy.

• James Hatfield, J.D./LL.M. in Taxation, brings extensive experience in complex estate and tax planning.

⚖️ Probate, Trust Disputes & Administration

Our firm has a dedicated attorney focused on probate, trust disputes, and guardianship cases:

• Felecia Walker – Handles contested estates, trust litigation, probate administration, and guardianships throughout Northeast Florida.

If you’re navigating probate or involved in a trust or will dispute, we’re ready to help.

🌐 Serving Clients Throughout Florida

As St. Augustine’s largest law firm, we serve individuals and families across:

• St. Augustine & St. Augustine Beach

• Ponte Vedra & Ponte Vedra Beach

• Nocatee, Silverleaf & St. Johns

• Palm Coast, Flagler, Bunnell & Flagler Beach

• Palatka & Putnam County

• Green Cove Springs & Clay County

• Jacksonville & Duval County

• Fernandina & Nassau County

• All Surrounding Beach & Inland Communities

📞 Let’s Get Started Today

Whether you’re preparing your first will or need complex trust planning, St. Johns Law Group is here to help. Our attorneys provide cost-effective, results-oriented estate plans with your best interests—and your family’s future—in mind.

Schedule your wills, trusts & estate planning consultation today. In-person, phone, and virtual appointments are available.

❓Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I die without a will in Florida?
Your assets will be distributed based on Florida’s intestacy laws, which may not reflect your wishes.

Is a trust better than a will?
Trusts avoid probate and offer greater control and privacy but are not always necessary. We help clients decide based on their goals.

Do I need a lawyer to draft a will or trust in Florida?
Yes. DIY documents often don’t meet Florida legal requirements, risking their validity. We ensure your documents are legally sound and enforceable.