Estate Planning & Trusts
Living trusts and the documents that surround them, drafted and reviewed by licensed attorneys, with Michelle coordinating the process from start to finish.
Why so many families end up in probate
- 24%
- of American adults have a will, and the share has fallen every year since 2022
- 3 months
- is the minimum a Florida probate estate must stay open, for the creditor claim period
- 5–6 months
- is what The Florida Bar says a simple probate estate reasonably takes to handle properly
- $75,000
- is the most an estate can be worth, outside exempt property, to use Florida's simplified probate
Sources: Caring.com 2025 Wills and Estate Planning Study; The Florida Bar consumer pamphlet, Probate in Florida, including the summary administration threshold in section 735.201, Florida Statutes. Timelines describe typical cases and are not a prediction for any particular estate.
Drafted by attorneys, coordinated by Michelle
Michelle is contracted and certified with Integrated Trust Services, a digital trust platform. Your documents are drafted and reviewed by licensed attorneys through the platform, and Michelle coordinates the process from the first conversation through signing and funding.
Why a POD or TOD is not the whole answer
Naming a payable-on-death or transfer-on-death beneficiary feels simple, and it does move the account when the time comes. What it does not do is protect the asset while you are still alive. If the person you added is going through a bankruptcy, a divorce, or a lawsuit, your money can be pulled into it alongside theirs. Adding your oldest child to your accounts is the most common version of this. A lady bird deed has the same limit from a different direction: it handles one property, not the rest of what you own.
Who does what, plainly
Michelle Rocchio is not an attorney and does not practice law. Trust documents are drafted and reviewed by licensed attorneys through Integrated Trust Services, under a formal review process. Michelle's role is to help you work out what you actually need, gather what the attorneys require, and stay with the process until the documents are signed and funded. You should know exactly how that is structured before you begin.
What a plan usually includes
- A living trust, and the question of whether you need one at all
- Healthcare power of attorney and advance directives
- Beneficiary review: the designations that override a will, and are the most commonly out of date
- Probate avoidance: what actually passes outside probate in Florida, and what does not
- SECURE Act considerations for inherited retirement accounts, alongside your retirement income plan
Funding is the step people skip
A trust that is signed but never funded does very little. Retitling accounts and property into the trust is where plans most often fall apart, so it is treated as part of the work rather than as homework you leave with. Signings are notarized in house, in person or online.
What it costs
Trust work is quoted as a flat engagement, not by the hour, and you will have the figure in writing before anything starts. Ask on the first call and you will get a straight answer.
Michelle Rocchio is a licensed insurance and annuity professional, not an attorney. The information on this page is educational and is not legal or tax advice. Legal documents are prepared and reviewed by licensed attorneys.
Plain answers
Questions about estate planning & trusts
Short, honest answers with no product talk. If yours is not here, just ask.
Can Michelle draft my trust?
No. Michelle is not an attorney. Trust documents are drafted and reviewed by licensed attorneys through the home office we work with. Michelle helps you work out what you need, gathers what the attorneys require, and stays with the process until the documents are signed and funded.
Does a will avoid probate in Florida?
No. A will is the set of instructions the probate court follows; it still goes through probate. A properly funded revocable living trust generally does not, which is the main reason families choose one.
What does a trust cost?
Trust work is quoted as a flat engagement, not by the hour, and you will have the figure in writing before anything starts. The first conversation, where we work out whether you need one at all, is free.
What does it mean to fund a trust?
Retitling assets, such as the house and non-retirement accounts, into the trust's name after it is signed. A trust that is signed but never funded controls nothing. Michelle stays with the process until the documents are signed and funded.
Also handled here
