Doral Estate Planning Attorney: Wills, Living Trusts, and Probate Avoidance
Attorney Yanitza Schoonover drafts complete estate plans for Doral families and business owners. Flat fee pricing for estate planning. Lady Bird Deeds. Revocable living trusts. Every document personally handled. Bilingual English and Spanish. Florida Bar #124081.
Estate Planning Attorney Serving Doral, Florida
Doral has grown into one of the most dynamic cities in Miami-Dade County, home to a large Venezuelan-American and broader Latin American community, newer high-value housing developments, and many international business owners who have built real wealth here.
Attorney Yanitza Schoonover serves Doral families and business owners from her office on Waterford District Drive in Miami, minutes from Doral. She provides full estate planning service in both English and Spanish, drafts every document personally, and charges flat fees for all estate planning services confirmed in writing before any work begins.
Many firms advertising estate planning in Doral operate from Boca Raton or further away using templated location pages. The Schoonover Law Firm is based in Miami, minutes from Doral, with direct knowledge of Miami-Dade County recording procedures and Florida estate law.
Doral's Business Community
Doral has one of the highest concentrations of international business owners in Miami-Dade County, each of whom needs incapacity planning that covers business interests, not just personal assets.
Core Documents
Will, Revocable Living Trust, Lady Bird Deed, POA, Healthcare Surrogate Designation, Living Will.
Surprise Fees
Flat fee pricing for all estate planning services. Written quote for all other legal services before any work starts.
Languages
Doral has one of the largest Spanish-speaking populations in Miami-Dade County. Full service in English and Spanish, Hablamos Español.
What Estate Planning Services Does The Schoonover Law Firm Provide in Doral?
A complete Doral estate plan typically includes six legal documents. Every document is drafted to comply with Florida estate law and Miami-Dade County recording procedures.
| Service | What It Does for Doral Families |
|---|---|
| Last will and testament | Directs who receives your assets after death and names a guardian for minor children. A valid last will and testament is required for any Florida probate court to appoint a guardian when both parents are gone. |
| Revocable living trust | Transfers your assets to named beneficiaries at death without Florida probate court. The named successor trustee handles trust administration immediately, without court oversight. |
| Durable power of attorney | Names a trusted agent to manage your finances if you become incapacitated. Supports guardianship avoidance by preventing the need for a court-supervised guardianship proceeding. |
| Designation of Healthcare Surrogate | Names who makes medical decisions for you if you cannot speak for yourself. Without one, Florida law assigns that role from a ranked list of relatives. |
| Living will | States your wishes on life-prolonging procedures in writing. Removes the burden of that decision from your family at the most difficult moment. |
| Lady Bird Deed | Transfers your Doral home to your beneficiaries at death without probate. This enhanced life estate deed preserves Florida homestead protection and Medicaid eligibility while you keep full lifetime control. |
Lady Bird Deeds for Doral Homeowners
Doral has seen significant new home construction and rising property values over the past decade. Many Doral families now own homestead property worth far more than what they originally paid. Without a plan, that property must pass through Florida probate court before any family member can sell it, refinance it, or transfer it.
A Lady Bird Deed, also called an enhanced life estate deed, transfers your Doral home to your named beneficiaries at death without any probate proceeding. You retain complete ownership and control during your lifetime, and you can sell, refinance, or revoke the deed at any time without your beneficiaries’ consent.
The deed does not trigger Medicaid disqualification under federal rules and preserves Florida homestead protection along with the Save Our Homes assessment cap through the transfer. None of the estate planning firms currently serving Doral, including those based outside Miami-Dade County. offer a dedicated Lady Bird Deed service.
Incapacity Planning: Protecting Your Family and Your Business Before a Crisis
Estate planning is not only about what happens after death. Incapacity planning protects you, your family, and your business while you are still alive but unable to manage your own affairs. This matters even more for Doral’s many business owners, who often have far more at stake than a personal estate alone.
Durable Power of Attorney
Authorizes your chosen agent to manage your bank accounts, business interests, and financial affairs the moment you are incapacitated, without court involvement.
Designation of Healthcare Surrogate
Names the person who makes medical decisions for you when you cannot. Without this document, Florida law or a Miami-Dade court decides who that person is.
Revocable Living Trust with Successor Trustee
Your named successor trustee steps in immediately upon your incapacity to manage trust assets and business interests, supporting guardianship avoidance and skipping the 60 to 120-day delay and $3,000 to $5,000 cost of a Miami-Dade guardianship proceeding.
Naming the right successor trustee means your business and personal finances continue operating smoothly the moment you need someone to step in, without a single court filing. For Doral’s international business community, this is one of the most important decisions in the entire estate plan.
Medicaid Planning and Elder Law Planning for Doral Seniors
Doral has a growing senior population as the families who settled here decades ago age in place. Long-term nursing home care in Florida costs approximately $10,646 per month for a private room, according to the 2024 Genworth/CareScout survey. A two-year stay at that rate consumes well over $250,000 in savings.
Medicaid planning is the legal process of structuring your assets so that you or a family member can qualify for Medicaid long-term care coverage without first spending down everything you have built. The Lady Bird Deed is central to elder law planning for Doral homeowners because it transfers the family home at death outside of probate without triggering a disqualifying transfer under Medicaid rules during the owner’s lifetime.
Attorney Schoonover builds Medicaid planning and elder law considerations into every estate plan she drafts for Doral seniors, addressing Florida homestead protection, asset structuring, and long-term care costs before a health crisis forces a rushed decision.
- Super Lawyers Rising Stars 2021 through 2026
- 2024 Elite Lawyer Award
- Florida Bar #124081, admitted September 2016
Why Choose The Schoonover Law Firm for Estate Planning in Doral?
Yanitza Schoonover is a Florida Bar licensed estate planning attorney based in Miami with 13 years of Florida estate law experience. She holds Florida Bar number 124081 with active good standing status and drafts every estate planning document for Doral families and business owners personally, from the initial consultation through trust funding and deed recording.
Doral estate planning requires an attorney who is actually based in Miami-Dade County. Many firms advertising estate planning services in Doral operate from Boca Raton or further away using templated location pages. Florida homestead requirements, Miami-Dade County recording procedures, and the incapacity planning tools that protect Doral business owners and families demand an attorney who understands this market firsthand and handles every detail without delegation.
Every estate planning document, every client question, and every signing appointment handled personally by Attorney Schoonover.
Years in Estate Law
Years Licensed
Consecutive Rising Stars
Weekly Availability
Why Doral Families Choose The Schoonover Law Firm
Many of the firms advertising estate planning services in Doral are not actually based in Doral or even Miami-Dade County. Some operate from Boca Raton or further away using a Doral page built for search visibility rather than local presence.
Direct Attorney Representation
Attorney Schoonover handles every document, every consultation, and every signing appointment personally.
Flat Fee Pricing for Estate Planning
All estate planning fees confirmed in writing before work begins. Written quote for all other legal services before any work starts.
Bilingual Service in English and Spanish
Doral has one of the largest Spanish-speaking populations in Miami-Dade County. Full estate planning service in Spanish. Hablamos Español.
Extended Availability
In-person Mon–Fri before 5 PM. Evening and weekend consultations by phone or Zoom only, Mon–Sun 8 AM to 9 PM.
Lady Bird Deed Focus
No estate planning firm serving Doral offers a dedicated Lady Bird Deed service, including out-of-area firms using templated pages.
Business Owner Planning
Doral's business community needs incapacity planning that covers business interests, not just personal assets. Successor trustee planning is built into every business owner estate plan.
Estate Planning Attorney Serving Doral and Surrounding Communities
Primary Service Areas
Doral · Miami Lakes · Hialeah Gardens Country Club · Miami Springs · Sweetwater Tamiami · Westchester · Fontainebleau
In-Person Appointments
Monday through Friday Before 5:00 PM By appointment only
Phone & Zoom
Monday through Sunday 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM Evenings & weekends available
Office: 6303 Waterford District Dr, Suite 400, Miami, FL 33126 · Minutes from Doral · All in-person visits by appointment only
Estate Planning Questions from Doral Families
Common questions Attorney Schoonover receives from Doral families and business owners during initial consultations.
How do I avoid probate in Florida if I own a home in Doral?
There are two tools that work well together. A revocable living trust holds your titled assets during your lifetime and transfers them to your named beneficiaries at death without any Florida probate court involvement. A Lady Bird Deed transfers your Doral home to named beneficiaries at death without probate, while you retain full control during your lifetime. Used together, a funded revocable living trust and a Lady Bird Deed on your property eliminate the need for formal probate administration for most Doral families.
What is a successor trustee and why does my family or business need one?
A successor trustee is the person you name in your revocable living trust who takes over trust administration when you become incapacitated or pass away. Unlike a personal representative in Florida probate, a successor trustee acts immediately and privately without any court appointment. For Doral families and business owners with a funded revocable living trust, the successor trustee can manage business interests, pay bills, and distribute assets to beneficiaries without waiting months for court approval, which directly supports guardianship avoidance.
How much does estate planning cost in Doral?
The Schoonover Law Firm charges flat fees for all estate planning services, confirmed in writing before work begins. A basic will package including a last will and testament, durable power of attorney, designation of healthcare surrogate, and living will typically ranges from $800 to $1,500. A complete trust-based estate plan including a revocable living trust, pour-over will, all four supporting documents, and a Lady Bird Deed for your home typically ranges from $3,500 to $8,000. A written quote is provided before any work begins, for estate planning and all other legal services.
Does The Schoonover Law Firm serve Doral families in Spanish?
Yes. Attorney Schoonover provides full estate planning representation in both English and Spanish. Every consultation, every document review, and every signing appointment can be conducted in Spanish for Doral families who prefer it. Hablamos Español. Call (305) 299-7496 or email info@estateplanningattorney.us to schedule a free consultation in the language you prefer.
Start Your Doral Estate Plan Today
A complete Doral estate plan takes 1 to 4 weeks from consultation to signing. Attorney Schoonover reviews your assets, family structure, and goals in the first call and confirms exactly which documents you need and what they will cost before any work begins.
Attorney Schoonover drafts complete Florida estate plans for Doral families and business owners including last wills, revocable living trusts, Lady Bird Deeds, durable powers of attorney, designations of healthcare surrogate, and living wills.
Start With a Free Consultation
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Email info@estateplanningattorney.us
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Schedule a Free Consultation at estateplanningattorney.us
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In-person meetings by appointment only.
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English and Spanish, Hablamos Español
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Flat fee for estate planning, fee quote provided before any work begins
