Estate Planning Attorney in Palmetto Bay: Wills, Living Trusts, and Lady Bird Deeds
Attorney Yanitza Schoonover drafts complete estate plans for Palmetto 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 Palmetto Bay, Florida
Palmetto Bay is one of southern Miami-Dade County’s most established and sought-after communities. Incorporated as a village in 2002, it was built around a specific vision: low density, tree-lined streets, and the kind of residential stability that comes from families choosing to stay. The result is a community of professional families, multigenerational homeowners in neighborhoods like Old Cutler Estates, Lakes of Killian, and Snapper Creek, and a substantial senior population with waterfront and estate-lot properties that represent decades of hard work and smart decisions.
Those homes and assets deserve more than a generic estate plan drafted by a firm that treats Palmetto Bay as a line on a service area list. Attorney Yanitza Schoonover is a Florida Bar licensed estate planning attorney and last will and testament attorney who serves Palmetto Bay families from her office on Waterford District Drive in Miami, a short drive from Palmetto Bay. She provides full estate planning service in both English and Spanish, drafts every will, revocable living trust, and Lady Bird Deed personally, and charges flat fees for all estate planning services confirmed in writing before any work begins.
Old Cutler Estates · Lakes of Killian · Snapper Creek · Palmetto Bay Village Center · Miami-Dade County
Typical Home Value
Florida's 3% statutory probate fee on a $700,000 Palmetto Bay home equals $21,000 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 Palmetto Bay's large Latin American professional 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 Palmetto Bay?
A complete Palmetto Bay estate plan typically includes six legal documents. Attorney Schoonover drafts every document to comply with Florida Statutes and Miami-Dade County recording procedures.
| Service | What It Does for Palmetto 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 a valid last will and testament, Florida's intestacy laws decide who inherits your Palmetto Bay home and everything else. |
| Revocable living trust | The most effective way to avoid probate with a trust in Florida. Transfers your assets to named beneficiaries at death through your successor trustee without any court proceeding. Works for Palmetto Bay estate properties, investment accounts, and all titled assets. |
| Lady Bird Deed | Transfers your Palmetto Bay home to your beneficiaries at death without probate. This enhanced life estate deed is the cornerstone of Florida homestead protection planning and preserves Medicaid eligibility while you retain full lifetime control of the property. |
| Durable Power of Attorney | Names a trusted agent to manage your finances if you become incapacitated. A core incapacity planning document that prevents the need for a court-supervised guardianship proceeding through Miami-Dade Circuit Court. |
| Healthcare Surrogate Designation | An advance directive that names who makes medical decisions for you if you cannot speak for yourself. Without this document, Florida law assigns that role from a ranked list of relatives who may not know your wishes. |
| Living Will | States your wishes on life-prolonging procedures in writing. A core advance directive that removes the burden of that decision from your family at the most difficult moment. |
Probate avoidance is the most common estate planning goal Palmetto Bay families bring to their first consultation. Palmetto Bay homes in Old Cutler Estates and Lakes of Killian frequently exceed $700,000. 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 $700,000 Palmetto Bay home, that is $21,000 in attorney fees before your family can access a single dollar. A funded revocable living trust and a Lady Bird Deed on your home eliminate that cost entirely for most Palmetto Bay families.
Lady Bird Deeds for Palmetto Bay Homeowners
Miami-Dade County. Estate-lot homes along Old Cutler Road, waterfront properties in Snapper Creek, and established neighborhoods like Lakes of Killian represent significant family wealth built over decades. Without a plan, that wealth must pass through Florida probate court before any family member can sell, refinance, or transfer the property. 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, is the most direct way to transfer Palmetto Bay real property to your named beneficiaries at death without any probate proceeding. You retain complete ownership and control during your lifetime. You can sell, refinance, lease, 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 competing for Palmetto Bay searches offer a dedicated Lady Bird Deed service.
Incapacity Planning: The Three Documents That Protect Your Palmetto Bay Family Before a Crisis
Estate planning addresses what happens after you die. Incapacity planning addresses what happens while you are still alive but unable to manage your own affairs due to illness, injury, or cognitive decline. For Palmetto Bay professional families with investment portfolios, real property, and business interests, this is the part of a comprehensive estate plan that matters most during a health crisis, and it is the part most families overlook entirely.
Durable Power of Attorney
Authorizes your named agent to manage your bank accounts, real estate, investments, and financial affairs immediately upon your incapacity, without any court involvement. Without this document, your family must petition for guardianship through Miami-Dade Circuit Court, a process that takes 60 to 120 days and costs $3,000 to $5,000 before any protective authority is granted.
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 guardianship proceeding entirely. For Palmetto Bay families with estate properties and investment accounts, the successor trustee manages everything the moment you need them to, without a single court filing.
None of the three firms currently competing for Palmetto Bay estate planning searches address incapacity planning as a structured three-document framework. Sugarman and Sugarman is a real estate and title firm with Palmetto Bay as a footnote in their service area list. Miami Probate Attorneys is probate-litigation primary, and its Palmetto Bay page is a pure template swap of the same content used on 30+ other location pages. Lorenzo Law is probate and litigation primary, and its Palmetto Bay page covers only probate. That gap is the clearest differentiation this page offers.
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 Palmetto Bay Seniors
Palmetto Bay has a substantial senior population, many of whom have lived in the same home for decades and built meaningful savings alongside significant real estate equity. 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, and that figure does not touch the home.
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 Florida Lady Bird Deed plays a direct role in Medicaid planning for Palmetto 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 Palmetto Bay seniors, addressing Florida homestead protection, asset structuring, and long-term care costs before a health crisis forces a rushed decision. No competing firm serving Palmetto Bay addresses 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 Palmetto 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 Palmetto Bay families personally, from the initial consultation through trust funding and deed recording.
Palmetto Bay estate planning requires more than filling in a standard template. Florida homestead restrictions, Miami-Dade County recording requirements, and the specific probate avoidance tools that protect Palmetto Bay families, particularly the Florida Lady Bird Deed on the village’s higher-value estate and waterfront properties, demand an attorney who knows local law 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 Palmetto Bay Families Choose The Schoonover Law Firm
Three firms appear in Palmetto Bay estate planning searches, and each falls short in a specific way. Sugarman and Sugarman is primarily a real estate and title firm with Palmetto Bay listed as a service area alongside dozens of other Miami-Dade communities. Miami Probate Attorneys is a probate and litigation practice operating 9am to 5pm Monday through Friday, with a Palmetto Bay wills and trusts page that is identical in structure and content to its pages for 30 other Florida locations. Lorenzo Law’s Palmetto Bay page covers probate only, not estate planning.
Lady Bird Deed
Every estate planning firm competing in Palmetto Bay searches overlooks the Florida Lady Bird Deed. For a $700,000 Palmetto Bay home that oversight costs a family $21,000 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.
Incapacity Planning as a Named Framework
Durable power of attorney, healthcare surrogate designation, and revocable living trust with successor trustee, explained and drafted as a unified plan.
Bilingual in English and Spanish
Full estate planning service in both languages for Palmetto Bay's large Latin American professional community. Hablamos Español.
Direct Attorney Representation
Attorney Schoonover handles every will, every living trust, and every Lady Bird Deed personally from consultation through trust funding and deed recording with the Miami-Dade County Clerk.
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.
Estate Planning Attorney Serving Palmetto Bay and Surrounding Communities
Primary Service Areas
Palmetto Bay · Old Cutler Estates · Lakes of Killian Snapper Creek · Cutler Bay · Pinecrest South Miami · Kendall · Richmond Heights
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 Palmetto Bay · All in-person visits by appointment only
Estate Planning Questions from Palmetto Bay Families
Common questions Attorney Schoonover receives from Palmetto Bay families during initial consultations.
Q: How do I avoid probate on my Palmetto Bay home?
There are two primary tools that work together. 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 Florida Lady Bird Deed, also called an enhanced life estate deed, transfers your Palmetto 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 Palmetto Bay families. For a 00,000 Palmetto Bay home, that eliminates 1,000 or more in statutory attorney fees alone.
Q: What does a Lady Bird Deed cost for a Palmetto Bay home and how does it work?
At The Schoonover Law Firm, the Lady Bird Deed is included in the complete trust-based estate plan, which typically ranges from ,500 to ,000 depending on your asset mix and family structure. A written quote is provided before any work begins. The deed itself is executed, witnessed, notarized, and recorded with the Miami-Dade County Clerk. It takes effect only at your death. During your lifetime you retain complete ownership and can sell, refinance, lease, or revoke the deed at any time. The beneficiaries have no rights in the property while you are alive. For Palmetto Bay homeowners with properties in Old Cutler Estates, Lakes of Killian, or Snapper Creek, the Lady Bird Deed is the single most cost-effective probate avoidance tool available.
Q: Does estate planning require in-person meetings in Palmetto Bay?
In-person appointments are available Monday through Friday before 5:00 PM at the Waterford District Drive office in Miami, a short drive from Palmetto Bay. Evening and weekend consultations are available by phone or Zoom only, Monday through Sunday from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Many Palmetto Bay families complete the entire initial consultation by phone or Zoom, then schedule one in-person appointment for document signing. The signing appointment is the only time that benefits from in-person attendance, since Florida law requires 2 witnesses and a notary for wills and powers of attorney. Attorney Schoonover handles all signing appointments personally.
Q: Does The Schoonover Law Firm serve Palmetto 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 Palmetto 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 Palmetto Bay Estate Plan Today
A complete Palmetto 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 Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay, Pinecrest, 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
