Filing a homestead declaration—or applying for a homestead exemption—can safeguard your family home from certain creditors, reduce property taxes, and provide security for your spouse and children. Because homestead laws vary widely, it’s essential to understand your state’s requirements and consult qualified professionals. Integrating a homestead declaration into your overall estate plan can give you peace of mind, knowing that your home is protected and that your loved ones

Estate planning for blended families requires careful thought, clear communication, and tailored legal instruments. By using wills, trusts (including QTIP and credit shelter trusts), beneficiary designations, marital agreements, and other tools, you can protect your spouse and children in a way that reflects your unique family dynamics. Regularly review your plan as circumstances change, and consult with experienced estate planning professionals to navigate complexities.

Learn how Qualified Personal Residence Trusts (QPRTs) can reduce estate taxes and preserve your home for heirs. We explain how QPRTs work, the tax benefits and risks, and offer guidance on choosing the right term, addressing maintenance costs and insurance, and combining QPRTs with other estate‑planning tools. Updated for August 2025, this guide reflects the new $13.99 million estate tax exemption and the looming rise to $15 million in 2026.

Staying on top of your estate plan is essential for protecting your family and preserving wealth. This guide explains why experts recommend reviewing your plan every three to five years or whenever a major life event occurs. Learn how marriage, divorce, births, deaths, new assets, relocation and tax law changes—including the 2026 increase of the federal estate tax exemption to $15 million palmcitylawyer.com —should trigger updates, and discover practical steps for keeping up

Climate change poses new challenges for real estate investors, and trustees must adapt. By understanding climate risks—rising seas, extreme weather, wildfires and heat—trustees can evaluate their portfolios, diversify holdings, invest in resilience, obtain appropriate insurance and decide when to divest. Incorporating climate considerations into investment policies and communicating with beneficiaries ensures that trust assets remain secure in a warming world.

Climate risk may feel overwhelming, but with careful planning trustees can navigate the storm. By acknowledging changing conditions, seeking expert advice and acting proactively, trustees ensure that real estate remains a source of security, not vulnerability, for generations to come.

Seasonal planning is what separates reactive trust management from proactive, professional stewardship. By anticipating the rhythms of beneficiary needs, trust expenses, market behavior, and tax obligations, trustees can ensure the trust is always ready for what’s next.

Real estate adds both opportunity and complexity to trust administration. Trustees must balance income generation, asset preservation and beneficiary expectations while navigating landlord‑tenant laws, maintenance responsibilities and market fluctuations. By following the trust document, adhering to the prudent investor rule, engaging professionals, maintaining records and communicating clearly with beneficiaries, trustees can steward real estate assets effectively and avoid

Preserving a vacation home for future generations requires more than just passing down the deed. By talking to heirs, carefully choosing the right trust structure and establishing clear rules and funding mechanisms, families can transform a cherished cabin into a lasting legacy. Whether you choose a revocable trust, irrevocable trust, cabin trust or QPRT, the key is proactive planning and open communication. With the right structure in place, your family’s home away from home