Estate Planning Attorney in Cutler Bay: Wills, Living Trusts, and Lady Bird Deeds
Attorney Yanitza Schoonover drafts complete estate plans for Cutler Bay families. Flat fee pricing confirmed in writing. Florida Lady Bird Deeds. Revocable living trusts. Every document personally handled. Bilingual English and Spanish. Florida Bar #124081.
Estate Planning Attorney Serving Cutler Bay, Florida
Cutler Bay is one of the most established communities in southern Miami-Dade County, home to a large Latin American and Caribbean-American population, multigenerational families with deep roots in neighborhoods like Lakes of the Meadow and Saga Bay, and a growing senior population that has built real wealth here over decades. That combination of family stability and homeownership creates estate planning needs that are specific and the stakes of getting it wrong are real.
Attorney Yanitza Schoonover is a Florida Bar licensed estate planning attorney who serves Cutler Bay families from her office on Waterford District Drive in Miami, a short drive from Cutler Bay. She provides full estate planning service in both English and Spanish, drafts every will, living trust, and Lady Bird Deed personally, and charges flat fees for all estate planning services confirmed in writing before any work begins.
Lakes of the Meadow · Saga Bay · Whispering Pines · Cutler Bay Village Center · Miami-Dade County
Typical Home Value
Florida's 3% statutory probate fee on a $400,000 Cutler Bay home equals $12,000 in attorney fees before your family can access a single dollar. A Lady Bird Deed eliminates that entirely.
Core Documents
Last will, revocable living trust, Lady Bird Deed, durable power of attorney, healthcare surrogate designation, living will.
Languages
Full estate planning service in English and Spanish for Cutler Bay's large Latin American and Caribbean-American community, Hablamos Español.
Surprise Fees
Flat fee pricing for all estate planning services. Written quote before work begins, no hourly billing, no surprise invoices.
What Estate Planning Services Does The Schoonover Law Firm Provide in Cutler Bay?
A complete Cutler Bay estate plan typically includes six legal documents. Every document is drafted to comply with Florida Statutes and Miami-Dade County recording procedures.
| Service | What It Does for Cutler Bay Families |
|---|---|
| Last will and testament | Directs who receives your assets after death and names a guardian for minor children. Florida requires 2 witnesses and notarization. Without one, Florida's intestacy laws decide who inherits your Cutler Bay home and everything else. |
| Revocable living trust | The most effective way to avoid probate for Cutler Bay families. Transfers your assets to named beneficiaries at death through your successor trustee without any court proceeding. Works for the family home, bank accounts, and all titled assets. |
| Durable power of attorney | Transfers your Cutler Bay home to your beneficiaries at death without probate. This enhanced life estate deed preserves Florida homestead protection and Medicaid eligibility while you retain full lifetime control of the property. |
| Healthcare surrogate designation | Names a trusted agent to manage your finances if you become incapacitated. Prevents the need for a court-supervised guardianship proceeding through Miami-Dade Circuit Court. |
| Living will | An advance directive that 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. |
| Lady Bird Deed | States your wishes on life-prolonging procedures in writing. Removes the burden of that decision from your family and healthcare providers at the most difficult moment. |
Probate avoidance is the most common estate planning goal Cutler Bay families bring to their first consultation. Florida probate costs 3% of the estate in statutory attorney fees under F.S. 733.6171, plus court costs on top of that. For a Cutler Bay home worth $400,000, that is $12,000 in attorney fees before your family can access a single dollar. A funded revocable living trust and a Lady Bird Deed eliminate that cost entirely for most Cutler Bay families.
Lady Bird Deeds for Cutler Bay Homeowners
Cutler Bay has strong homeownership traditions, with many families having owned the same home for 20 or 30 years in communities like Lakes of the Meadow, Saga Bay, and Whispering Pines. Without a plan, that home must pass through Florida probate court before any family member can sell, refinance, or transfer it. That process takes 9 to 24 months on average and is entirely public record.
A Lady Bird Deed, also called an enhanced life estate deed, transfers your Cutler Bay home to your named beneficiaries at death without any probate proceeding. You retain complete ownership and control during your lifetime. You can sell, refinance, or revoke the deed at any time without your beneficiaries’ consent.
The deed preserves Florida homestead protection, the Save Our Homes assessment cap, and Medicaid eligibility under current Florida estate recovery rules. Attorney Schoonover drafts every Lady Bird Deed to comply with Florida Statutes and records it with the Miami-Dade County Clerk. None of the three estate planning firms currently serving Cutler Bay offer a dedicated Lady Bird Deed service.
Incapacity Planning: Protecting Your Cutler Bay Family Before a Crisis
Estate planning is not only about what happens after you die. Incapacity planning protects you and your family while you are still alive but unable to manage your own affairs due to illness, injury, or cognitive decline. It is the part of a comprehensive estate plan most Cutler Bay families overlook entirely.
Durable Power of Attorney
Authorizes your named agent to manage your bank accounts, real estate, and financial affairs immediately upon your incapacity, without any court involvement. Without it, your family must petition for guardianship through Miami-Dade Circuit Court.
Healthcare Surrogate Designation
An advance directive that names the person who makes medical decisions for you when you cannot. Without this document, Florida law assigns that decision to a ranked list of relatives who may not know your wishes.
Revocable Living Trust with Successor Trustee
Your named successor trustee takes over trust administration privately and immediately upon your incapacity, skipping the 60 to 120-day delay and $3,000 to $5,000 cost of a Miami-Dade guardianship proceeding.
None of the three firms currently serving Cutler Bay address incapacity planning as a structured three-document framework. Miami Probate Attorneys is primarily a probate and litigation firm. Loughlin Law is based in Boca Raton and serves Cutler Bay virtually. Niebla handles probate and guardianship only, not estate planning. Building this protection into every estate plan is a core service here for Cutler Bay families.
A family member who needs to manage your affairs must file for guardianship through Miami-Dade Circuit Court, a process that takes 60 to 120 days and costs $3,000 to $5,000 to initiate before any protective authority is granted.
Medicaid Planning and Elder Law Planning for Cutler Bay Seniors
Cutler Bay has a substantial and growing senior population, many of whom have owned their homes for decades and built meaningful savings. 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 Medicaid planning for Cutler Bay 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 incorporates Medicaid planning and elder law considerations into every estate plan she drafts for Cutler Bay seniors, addressing Florida homestead protection, asset structuring, and long-term care costs before a health crisis forces a rushed decision. None of the firms currently serving Cutler Bay address Medicaid planning alongside estate planning as a structured service.
- 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 Cutler Bay?
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 Cutler Bay and southern Miami-Dade County families personally, from the initial consultation through trust funding and deed recording with the Miami-Dade County Clerk.
Cutler Bay estate planning requires more than a generic will or a templated trust drafted by a firm that lists this community alongside hundreds of others. The families in Lakes of the Meadow, Saga Bay, and Whispering Pines have built real homeownership wealth that deserves a Florida Lady Bird Deed handled by an attorney who knows Miami-Dade recording requirements, a revocable living trust funded correctly from the start, and flat fee pricing confirmed in writing before a single document is drafted. That is not what a Boca Raton firm serving Cutler Bay virtually or a probate-litigation practice with 9-to-5 hours can offer.
Years in Estate Law
Years Licensed
Consecutive Rising Stars
Weekly Availability
Why Cutler Bay Families Choose The Schoonover Law Firm
Three firms compete for estate planning searches in Cutler Bay, and each has a significant limitation. Miami Probate Attorneys is a probate and litigation practice with estate planning as a secondary service, operating 9am to 5pm only, with no flat fee pricing. Loughlin Law is based in Boca Raton and serves Cutler Bay virtually as one of hundreds of Florida cities on their location page list. Niebla Probate Firm is probate and guardianship only, not an estate planning firm.
Estate planning firms in Miami range from solo practitioners to large multi-attorney firms. Most large firms pass your case to someone else after the initial consultation. The Schoonover Law Firm works differently.
Lady Bird Deed
Every estate planning firm competing in Cutler Bay searches overlooks the Florida Lady Bird Deed. For a $400,000 Cutler Bay home that oversight costs a family $12,000 in statutory probate fees.
Flat Fee Estate Planning: Written First
All estate planning fees confirmed in writing before work begins. Written quote for all other legal services before any work starts.
Bilingual in English and Spanish
Full estate planning service in both languages for Cutler Bay's large Latin American and Caribbean-American community. Hablamos Español.
Direct Attorney Representation
Attorney Schoonover handles every will, every living trust, and every Lady Bird Deed personally from consultation through deed recording.
Extended Availability Beyond 9 to 5
In-person Mon–Fri before 5 PM. Evening and weekend consultations by phone or Zoom only, Mon–Sun 8 AM to 9 PM.
Medicaid Planning for Cutler Bay Seniors
Every senior estate plan accounts for Florida homestead protection, Medicaid eligibility, and long-term care costs from the start.
Estate Planning Attorney Serving Cutler Bay and Surrounding Communities
Primary Service Areas
Cutler Bay · Palmetto Bay · Homestead Pinecrest · South Miami · Kendall Richmond Heights · Goulds · Naranja
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 · Short drive from Cutler Bay · All in-person visits by appointment only
Estate Planning Questions from Cutler Bay Families
Common questions Attorney Schoonover receives from Cutler Bay families during initial consultations.
Q: How do I avoid probate on my Cutler Bay home?
There are two primary tools. A revocable living trust holds your titled assets during your lifetime and transfers them to your named beneficiaries at death through your successor trustee, without any Florida probate court involvement. A Lady Bird Deed transfers your Cutler Bay home to named beneficiaries at death without probate, while you retain full ownership and control during your lifetime. Used together, a funded revocable living trust and a Lady Bird Deed eliminate formal probate administration for most Cutler Bay families. For a 00,000 Cutler Bay home, that eliminates 2,000 or more in statutory attorney fees alone.
Q: What is the difference between a will and a revocable living trust in Florida?
A last will and testament takes effect at death and must pass through Florida probate court before anything is distributed to your beneficiaries. The probate process takes 9 to 24 months and costs 3% of the gross estate in statutory attorney fees. A revocable living trust takes effect immediately and transfers your assets to your named beneficiaries through your successor trustee without any court proceeding. For Cutler Bay homeowners, the combination of a funded revocable living trust and a Lady Bird Deed on the family home is the most effective way to avoid probate entirely.
Q: What does a flat fee estate planning attorney in Cutler Bay actually charge?
At The Schoonover Law Firm, flat fee estate planning means you pay a single fixed price for your estate plan, confirmed in writing before any work begins. A basic will package including a last will and testament, durable power of attorney, healthcare surrogate designation, and living will typically ranges from 00 to ,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 ,500 to ,000. A written quote is provided before any work begins.
Q: Does The Schoonover Law Firm serve Cutler Bay 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 Cutler Bay 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 Cutler Bay Estate Plan Today
A complete Cutler Bay 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 Cutler Bay, Palmetto Bay, Homestead, and southern Miami-Dade families: including last wills, revocable living trusts, Lady Bird Deeds, durable powers of attorney, healthcare surrogate designations, 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
