Thoughtful planning for your family, assets, and future—and guidance through probate when a loved one passes.
Thinking through what happens to your assets, your business, or your minor children if something happens to you isn’t a fun way to spend an afternoon, which is exactly why so many people put it off indefinitely. The Hilton Law Firm helps individuals and families in Florida and Washington, D.C., put a plan in place while things are calm, and guides families through probate when a loved one has already passed, at a time when the last thing anyone needs is confusion about deadlines and paperwork.
Every estate plan looks different because every family is blended families, business ownership, minor children, out-of-state property, a beneficiary who needs extra protection. Property in more than one jurisdiction is worth flagging early, since an estate administered in one place can still require a separate proceeding where the real estate sits. What matters is building around your actual circumstances rather than a generic template.
A trust can let assets pass to beneficiaries outside probate, and it can control how and when distributions happen, useful for minor children, beneficiaries needing creditor protection, or blended families. THLF builds the structure around your actual goals.
A will is still the backbone of most estate plans, even alongside a trust. It documents how assets should be distributed and lets you name a guardian for minor children, a decision that shouldn’t be left to a court.
When an estate has to go through probate, the personal representative is responsible for identifying assets, notifying creditors, addressing claims, and eventually distributing what remains. D.C. matters are handled through the Superior Court’s Probate Division, which offers both unsupervised administration for straightforward estates and supervised administration where the estate is complex or contested. THLF guides families through each stage so nothing gets missed.
Not every estate needs the full process. Florida offers summary administration for qualifying estates; D.C. offers a small estate proceeding at or below a statutory value, currently $40,000, which is faster and less expensive. THLF determines whether you qualify and handles the filings.
When someone lived in one place but owned real estate in another, the main proceeding usually can’t transfer that property alone; a separate ancillary proceeding is required where it sits. Being licensed in both Florida and D.C. means THLF can handle both jurisdictions rather than coordinating across two firms.
When someone dies without a will, establishing the legal heirs becomes a necessary step, and the order is set by statute rather than family expectation. THLF prepares the documentation the court requires and works through complicated family situations.
Florida imposes no state estate tax. D.C. does, with its own exemption threshold and a return due within months of death. For families holding assets in both places, or moving between them, that difference drives real planning decisions long before probate. THLF flags where it applies and builds around it.
Sometimes an heir chooses not to accept an inheritance, for tax reasons, to preserve eligibility for benefits, or to let assets pass to another family member. Disclaiming has specific requirements, strict timing rules, and permanent consequences once it’s done; THLF helps clients understand what they’re giving up before they sign.
Probate is the court-supervised process for administering someone’s estate: identifying assets, paying valid claims, and distributing what’s left according to the will or intestacy law. Timing varies widely. A straightforward estate might wrap up in a few months, while a contested or complex one can take well over a year.
D.C.’s small estate proceeding is generally available where the probate estate is valued at $40,000 or less. It’s the simplest and fastest route through the Probate Division, though whether it fits depends on what the assets actually are and how they’re titled.
Intestacy statutes determine who inherits, generally prioritizing a surviving spouse and children before more distant relatives. The specific shares differ between Florida and D.C., and the estate typically still goes through administration, just without the person’s own instructions guiding it.
Often, yes. The main estate is usually administered where the person lived, but transferring real property in another jurisdiction generally requires a separate ancillary proceeding there. Planning ahead, sometimes through a trust, can avoid putting the family through two processes at once.
Florida has no state estate tax. D.C. does, applying above an exemption threshold that adjusts over time, with a return generally due several months after death. If you own property in both, or are relocating between them, it’s worth reviewing before it becomes the estate’s problem.
Usually, yes. A trust generally only covers assets actually transferred into it, so a will catches anything left outside, and it’s the only document that can name a guardian for minor children.
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