Estate Planning Attorney in Aventura: Wills, Living Trusts, Lady Bird Deeds
Attorney Yanitza Schoonover drafts complete estate plans for Aventura families. Florida Lady Bird Deeds. Revocable living trusts. All six advance directives and documents personally handled. Flat fee pricing confirmed in writing. Bilingual English and Spanish. Florida Bar #124081.
Estate Planning Attorney Serving Aventura, Florida
Aventura is one of the most distinctive communities in South Florida. With some of the highest condominium values in Miami-Dade County, a large senior population that has lived here for decades, and a diverse mix of Latin American, Jewish, and international families, the estate planning needs here are specific and the stakes are real.
Attorney Yanitza Schoonover serves Aventura families from her office on Waterford District Drive in Miami, a short drive from Aventura. She provides full estate planning service in both English and Spanish, drafts every last will and testament, revocable living trust, and advance directive personally, and charges flat fees for all estate planning services confirmed in writing before any work begins.
Barbara Buxton has practiced estate planning in Aventura for decades but has no Lady Bird Deed service and states no flat fee pricing. Elder Needs Law has a North Miami Beach office but also no Lady Bird Deed. The Schoonover Law Firm fills both gaps directly.
Typical Condo Value
On a $500,000 Aventura condo, Florida's statutory attorney fees alone equal $15,000 before your family can access a single dollar. A Lady Bird Deed eliminates that cost entirely.
Core Documents
Last will, revocable living trust, Lady Bird Deed, durable power of attorney, healthcare surrogate designation, living will.
Surprise Fees
Flat fee pricing for all estate planning services, confirmed in writing before work begins. No hourly billing. No surprise invoices.
Languages
Full estate planning service in English and Spanish: Hablamos Español.
What Estate Planning Services Does The Schoonover Law Firm Provide in Aventura?
A complete Aventura 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 Aventura Families |
|---|---|
| Last will and testament | Directs who receives your assets after death and names a guardian for minor children. Florida Statutes require 2 witnesses and notarization for a will to be legally valid. A will that does not meet execution requirements has no legal effect. |
| 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 Aventura condos, investment accounts, and all other titled assets. |
| Lady Bird Deed | Transfers your Aventura property to your beneficiaries at death without probate. This enhanced life estate deed is a core tool in Florida homestead planning, preserving Medicaid eligibility and the Save Our Homes cap while you keep full lifetime control. |
| Durable Power of Attorney | Names a trusted agent to manage your finances if you become incapacitated. Supports incapacity planning and 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 one, Florida law assigns that role from a ranked list of relatives. |
| 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. |
Florida Lady Bird Deeds for Aventura Property Owners
Aventura real estate includes some of the most valuable condominiums and waterfront properties in Miami-Dade County. Without a plan, that property must pass through Florida probate court before any family member can sell it, refinance it, or transfer it to a beneficiary. That process takes 9 to 24 months and is entirely public record.
A Florida Lady Bird Deed, also called an enhanced life estate deed, is the most direct way to transfer Aventura 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 asking your beneficiaries for permission.
The deed preserves Florida homestead protection, the Save Our Homes assessment cap, and Medicaid eligibility under current Florida Medicaid estate recovery rules. Among the established estate planning firms serving Aventura, none currently offer a dedicated Lady Bird Deed service with flat fee pricing.
Incapacity Planning: The Three-Document Framework Every Aventura Family Needs
A comprehensive estate plan addresses what happens if you become incapacitated before you die, not only what happens after. Incapacity planning is a framework of three distinct documents that each cover a different gap. Miss any one of them and your family faces a court proceeding for that specific category.
Durable Power of Attorney: Covers Your Finances
Names the agent who manages your bank accounts, real estate, and financial affairs immediately upon your incapacity, with no court involvement. Without it, your family must petition for guardianship of the property through Miami-Dade Circuit Court.
Healthcare Surrogate Designation: Covers Your Medical Decisions
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: Covers Your Trust Assets
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 four estate planning firms serving Aventura address incapacity planning as this structured three-document framework. Each document covers a different gap, miss any one and your family faces a court proceeding for that specific category.
Medicaid Planning and Elder Law for Aventura Seniors
Aventura has one of the largest senior populations in Miami-Dade County, including many longtime residents who have lived in the same condo for decades. Long-term nursing home care in Florida costs approximately $10,646 per month for a private room, according to the 2024 Genworth/CareScout survey. Without advance planning, those costs can deplete a lifetime of savings in a matter of years.
Medicaid planning is the legal process of structuring your assets so that you or a family member can qualify for Medicaid long-term care benefits without first spending down everything you have built. The Florida Lady Bird Deed plays a direct role because it transfers the family home or condo at death outside of probate without triggering a disqualifying transfer under Medicaid rules during the owner’s lifetime.
Elder Needs Law and Barbara Buxton both serve the Aventura elder law market, but neither offers a dedicated Lady Bird Deed service or flat fee estate planning with written quotes before work begins. Attorney Schoonover incorporates Medicaid planning and elder law considerations into every estate plan she drafts for Aventura seniors from the start.
- 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 Aventura?
Yanitza Schoonover is a Florida Bar licensed estate planning attorney serving Aventura families from her Miami office. With 13 years of Florida estate law experience and Florida Bar #124081, she personally drafts every estate planning document from consultation through signing, trust funding, and deed preparation.
Estate planning in Aventura often involves high-value condominiums, homestead property, retirement assets, and probate avoidance planning. Attorney Schoonover helps Aventura families protect their assets through wills, revocable living trusts, Lady Bird Deeds, durable powers of attorney, healthcare surrogate designations, and living wills.
Years in Estate Law
Years Licensed
Consecutive Rising Stars
Weekly Availability
Why Aventura Families Choose The Schoonover Law Firm
Aventura has several established estate planning options. Barbara Buxton has practiced in Aventura for decades. Elder Needs Law has a North Miami Beach office. Daniel Fleischer at 411 Probate serves Aventura from Plantation. None of the four firms offer flat fee estate planning, a dedicated Lady Bird Deed service, or extended evening and weekend availability.
Florida Lady Bird Deed
Every competing firm serving Aventura families overlooks the Florida Lady Bird Deed. It is a core estate planning service here for Aventura property owners.
Flat Fee Pricing, Written First
All estate planning fees confirmed in writing before work begins. A written quote is provided for all other legal services before any work starts.
Direct Attorney Representation
Attorney Schoonover handles every last will and testament, every revocable living trust, and every advance directive personally.
Bilingual in English and Spanish
Full estate planning service in both languages for Aventura's diverse Latin American and international community. 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, when Aventura families actually have time.
Medicaid Planning for Aventura Seniors
Every senior estate plan accounts for Florida homestead planning, Medicaid eligibility, and long-term care costs from the start, not as an afterthought.
Estate Planning Attorney Serving Aventura and Surrounding Communities
Primary Service Areas
Aventura · Sunny Isles Beach · Bal Harbour Surfside · Bay Harbor Islands · North Miami Beach Hallandale Beach · Golden Beach · Ojus
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 Aventura · All in-person visits by appointment only
Estate Planning Questions from Aventura Families
Common questions Attorney Schoonover receives from Aventura families during initial consultations.
How do I transfer property without probate in Aventura?
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 Florida Lady Bird Deed, also called an enhanced life estate deed, transfers your Aventura property 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 Aventura families. On a $500,000 Aventura condo, that eliminates $15,000 or more in statutory attorney fees alone.
What advance directives does an Aventura estate plan include?
A complete Aventura estate plan includes three advance directives: a healthcare surrogate designation, which names who makes medical decisions for you if you cannot; a living will, which documents your wishes on life-prolonging procedures in writing; and a durable power of attorney, which authorizes a trusted agent to manage your financial affairs if you become incapacitated. All three are distinct documents that cover different gaps. Having one or two but not all three leaves your family exposed to a court proceeding for the missing category.
What does a Florida Lady Bird Deed cost and how does it work?
At The Schoonover Law Firm, the Lady Bird Deed fee is included in the complete trust-based estate plan, which typically ranges from $3,500 to $8,000 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.
Does The Schoonover Law Firm serve Aventura 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 Aventura 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 Aventura Estate Plan Today
A complete Aventura 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 Aventura families including last wills, revocable living trusts, Florida 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
