Trust & Estate Planning in Orlando
Protect what you have built. Ensure your wealth transfers with clarity, continuity, and fidelity to your intentions.
Fee-Only
Compensated solely by our clients. No commissions. No conflicts.
Serving Florida Since 1995
Three decades of fee-only fiduciary wealth management.
Your Estate Plan Should Account for Every Kind of Family
Your estate plan, reviewed continuously. Coordinated with your attorney.
Central Florida's families do not fit a single template. Second marriages with children from both sides. First-generation wealth from a tech exit or defense career that has not yet been structured for the next generation. Young families with dual executive incomes and no estate documents at all. Each situation requires a different approach, but Florida law applies the same homestead restrictions to all of them.
If you are remarried, Florida's homestead descent rules can override your will entirely, leaving your surviving spouse with rights you did not intend and your children without access you assumed they would have. If you built significant wealth in the last decade, the question is not whether you need estate planning, but whether your current documents reflect what your life actually looks like today. View our trust and estate approach
Your Orlando FinancialTeam
Michael T. Koenig, CFP®, J.M.
Mike founded FirsTrust in 1995 and leads the firm's trust and estate practice. A Certified Financial Planner® with a JurisMaster in Law and 40 years of experience.
Dan Brownsberger, CIMA
Dan is a lifelong Floridian with over 37 years of experience helping clients achieve their financial goals through disciplined investment management.
Estate Planning Considerations for Central Florida Families
Blended Family Homestead Planning
Remarried families face Florida's homestead descent restrictions, which override your will or trust. QTIP trusts, disclaimer trusts, and prenuptial waivers can help honor your intentions while complying with the law.
Dynasty Trusts for First-Generation Wealth
Florida's 1,000-year trust duration enables multigenerational wealth protection. Assets in a properly structured dynasty trust can grow outside your beneficiaries' taxable estates.
Executive Estate Coordination
Stock options, RSUs, deferred comp, and employer life insurance create estate planning complexity. Beneficiary designations, trust ownership of policies, and coordination with your employer's plan documents are essential.
Multi-County Considerations
Families in Orange County, Seminole County (Heathrow, Lake Mary), and Osceola County (Celebration) file in different circuit courts. Your estate plan should account for your specific county's administrative requirements.
Common Questions About Trust & Estate Planning in Orlando
Under Florida law, if you are survived by a spouse, you generally cannot devise homestead property to anyone other than your spouse. Your surviving spouse is entitled to either a life estate (the right to live there for life, with the property then passing to your children) or an undivided 50% interest as tenant in common with your children. If you want to provide for both your spouse and your children from a prior marriage, options include a QTIP trust, a life estate with remainder to children, or a valid prenuptial/postnuptial waiver of homestead rights. These structures require careful coordination between your estate attorney and your FinancialTeam. This is general information; consult with a Florida estate attorney for guidance specific to your situation. Learn more
A dynasty trust is an irrevocable trust designed to last across multiple generations. Florida's Trust Code permits trust durations of up to 1,000 years (extended from the former rule against perpetuities in 2022). Assets placed in a dynasty trust can grow outside of any beneficiary's taxable estate while providing distributions for health, education, maintenance, and support. The trust also provides creditor protection and divorce protection for beneficiaries. Design and funding of a dynasty trust involve complex tax and legal considerations, including generation-skipping transfer tax planning. Your FinancialTeam coordinates with your estate attorney on these structures.
A valid prenuptial or postnuptial agreement can waive a spouse's homestead rights under Florida law, including the right to a life estate or 50% tenancy in common. However, the waiver must meet specific Florida requirements for enforceability, including full financial disclosure and voluntary execution. If your prenup was executed in another state, its enforceability of homestead provisions under Florida law should be reviewed by a Florida estate attorney. Your FinancialTeam helps identify these issues and coordinates with your legal counsel.
Estate administration procedures are generally consistent under Florida's Trust Code and Probate Code regardless of county, but probate filings are made with the clerk of the circuit court in the county where the decedent was domiciled. Seminole, Orange, and Osceola counties each have their own clerk's office and may have different local administrative rules, filing procedures, and processing timelines. Your estate documents should be prepared with your specific county in mind.
The federal estate and gift tax exemption is $15M per individual ($30M per married couple) in 2026, following the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed in July 2025. Amounts transferred above the exemption are taxed at 40%. Married couples can combine their exemptions through portability (the surviving spouse claims the deceased spouse's unused exemption). Proper estate planning can ensure both spouses' exemptions are fully utilized. This exemption level is set by current law and could change with future legislation. Your FinancialTeam monitors legislative developments and coordinates with your estate attorney. Learn more