Estate Planning – Cochran Law Firm, P.L.

Young adult signing legal documents with parent and attorney

The 3 Legal Documents Every 18-Year-Old Needs Before Disaster Strikes

The day your child turns 18, the law stops treating them as your child and starts treating them as a legal stranger. It is a strange and unwelcome plot twist for most parents. You can still be paying tuition, covering the phone bill, and doing their laundry over winter break, but you no longer have […]

Florida pet trust attorney helps owner plan for companion animal care

A Pet Trust Is How You Keep Your Promise to Your Pet

Most people plan carefully for the humans in their lives and assume the pets will simply be taken care of. But if something happens to you, your animals cannot advocate for themselves, and good intentions from friends and family do not always translate into actual care. If you want to make sure your companion animal […]

Lady Bird Deed vs. Trust: What’s the Difference in Florida?

If you’re planning how your home and other assets will pass to your family, you’ve probably run into two terms that get thrown around a lot: Lady Bird deeds and trusts. Both can help your property avoid probate. Both are used often in Florida estate planning. But they work in very different ways, and picking […]

July 21, 2026
By Allison Cochran
Business, Estate Planning, Investing, Long Term Care Planning, Real Estate, Special Needs Planning, Trusts
No Comments

What Happens to Your Assets If You Get Sued? A Practical Look at Asset Protection for Florida Business Owners and Investors

You built something. A business, a rental portfolio, a professional practice. Maybe all three. And at some point, someone told you to “protect your assets” — without ever explaining what that actually means in practice. This post is the explanation. Asset protection is not about hiding money offshore or gaming the system. It is about […]

July 13, 2026
By Allison Cochran
Estate Planning, Long Term Care Planning, Special Needs Planning
No Comments

ABLE Accounts Just Got a Major Upgrade: What Families Need to Know in 2026

If you have a family member with a disability, or if you have a disability yourself, there is a good chance you have heard of an ABLE account. And if you have been sitting on the sidelines because you thought you (or your loved one) did not qualify, it is time to take another look. […]

Can You Do Estate Planning Without Your Spouse? Yes, and Here’s How

You’re ready to get your estate plan done. Your spouse is not. Maybe they’ve dismissed the idea, shut down the conversation, or agreed to a meeting and then backed out. Whatever the version of “no” you’re dealing with, you’re probably wondering whether you can move forward with estate planning without your spouse. The short answer: […]

Do Parents Need More Than a Guardian Nomination? 3 Times the Answer Is Yes

If you have minor children and no estate plan, naming legal guardians is the first thing you need to do. Full stop. Without a written nomination, a court decides who raises your kids if something happens to you, and that court does not know your family. But here is what a lot of parents do […]

Estate Planning for Unmarried Couples: How to Protect Your Partner When the Law Won’t Do It for You

You and your partner have built a life together. You may share a home, finances, years of history, or all three. But without a legal marriage, the law does not treat your partner the way it treats a spouse. If something happens to you, your partner could be excluded from medical decisions, locked out of […]

What to Do With an Inherited Home in Florida: The Practical Reality Nobody Warns You About

Inheriting a home in Florida puts you in charge of a significant asset at one of the hardest moments of your life. Whether you plan to sell the property, keep it in the family, or figure that out later, the house will not wait patiently while you grieve and sort through paperwork. It has immediate […]

April 27, 2026
By Allison Cochran
Business, Estate Planning, Probate, Succession Planning, Trusts
No Comments

Digital Assets and Estate Planning: What Happens to Your Phone, Photos, and Accounts When You Die

Most people spend years building an estate plan to protect their home, their savings, and their family. Then they forget about everything stored behind a password. Your photos. Your email. Your cloud storage. Your social media accounts. Your business records and financial logins. None of that transfers automatically. And in many cases, your family will […]