Glossary of Terms

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A legal document that outlines your medical treatment preferences if you are unable to communicate or make decisions for yourself.

A person or entity designated to receive assets or benefits from a will, trust, insurance policy, or retirement account.

A legal document that authorizes someone you trust to manage your financial and legal matters, even if you become incapacitated.

All assets you own — including real estate, bank accounts, investments, and personal property — that are passed on after your death.

The person named in your will to carry out your final wishes, manage your estate, and distribute assets according to the will.

A legal relationship where a person is appointed to care for another person (often a minor or incapacitated adult) and/or manage their affairs.

An individual appointed to make medical decisions on your behalf if you are unable to do so.

A legal form that allows your healthcare surrogate or designated person to access your private medical records and communicate with healthcare providers. Essential for enforcing advance directives or managing care.

Dying without a valid will. In such cases, state law determines how your estate is distributed.

A deed commonly used in Florida that allows you to retain control over your property during your lifetime and automatically transfer it to a named beneficiary upon death — avoiding probate.

A trust you create while you're alive to manage your assets. You retain control and can modify it as needed. Helps avoid probate and can provide continuity in case of incapacity.

A type of advance directive that specifies which medical treatments you do or do not want in end-of-life situations.

The court-supervised process of validating a will, paying debts, and distributing assets after death. It can be time-consuming and costly, which is why many people plan to avoid it.

A flexible trust that can be amended or canceled during your lifetime. It helps manage your estate during incapacity and avoids probate after death.

A specific item, amount of money, or piece of property that you leave to a particular person or organization in your will or trust. For example, “I leave my grandmother’s wedding ring to my niece, Sarah.”

The person who creates and signs a will.

The individual or institution responsible for managing and distributing trust assets according to the trust terms.

A legal document that outlines how your assets will be distributed after death and who will serve as guardian for minor children, if applicable.