In a nutshell, estate planning is about managing your property both before and after your death. And, the reality of the matter is that if you do not actively plan for the distribution of your estate, the government has a plan set up for you - a plan that may result in your family spending a lot of time in court and seeing a substantive portion of your estate dwindled down by taxes.

Albert Gurevich is a Miami, Florida estate attorney who handles proceedings involving Estate Administration and Probate (settlement), Will challenges, Guardianships, and Special Needs Trusts.