Attorney in St Petersburg

ABOUT CATHY BLACKBURN

“Everyone needs life planning. Did I mention that everyone needs life planning? Why?”

Life planning effectively serves many goals and avoids many difficulties.  For most people, life is predictable.  That is why we speak of “probable” events and consequences.  There are, however, a significant percentage of people who encounter “unexpected” events.  Life planning is important for both.

Cathy began her career as a pharmacist, served as a law professor, and practiced medical law for 30 years before transitioning to a life planning practice. In medical law, Cathy directly experienced how unpredictable life is for many people. She also directly experienced what does not work in most life planning.  At LifePlanLaw.com – Blackburn Law Firm, PLLC, Cathy is committed to creating life planning documents that work no matter what life delivers.

ABOUT NATHAN BRUEMMER

Nathan is a lifelong community advocate born and raised in the Tampa Bay area. A former educator and nonprofit executive, he now brings his commitment to the local community and for justice to the practice of law. Nathan is a graduate of Stetson University College of Law and the University of South Florida. He is active member of several organizations including Vice Chair of the American Bar Association’s Section on Civil Rights and Social Justice SOGI Committee, the St. Petersburg Bar Association’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and as a member of the Board of Directors of Equality Florida. At LifePlanLaw.com – Blackburn Law Firm, PLLC, Nathan stands ready to create life vital planning documents for all stages of life.

Local Events Postponed due to Covid-19 Situation

Covid-19 has seemingly arrived like a tornado and dumped all of us into a new world. We recognize the need for social distancing and keeping our clients, lawyers, and staff safe and healthy. We are taking steps to meet our clients’ needs while keeping everyone safe.

LIFE PLAN LAW SERVICES

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LIFE PLANNING

Whether you are young or young-at-heart, circumstances change and events happen. Be prepared with legal documents for expected and unexpected events…

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SMALL BUSINESS

If you work for yourself or employ others, proper business structure is important.  LifePlanLaw can set up or modify sole proprietorships, partnerships, LLC’s, or corporations.

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PROBATE

When a loved one dies owning personal or real property, probate court proceedings are often necessary.  LifePlanLaw can explain and handle this confusing process…

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LGBT PLANNING

LGBT people face challenges that heterosexual people, especially married heterosexual people, do not face…

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MEDICAID

Medicaid has a program that helps aging individuals who need long-term care.

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LOCAL EVENTS

Join Cathy and the team at Life Plan Law at local community events.

What Should I Do When A Loved One Dies?

To help ensure a smooth and stress-free probate process our Probate Checklist is designed to help you navigate the legal requirements and obligations involved. Don’t miss a crucial step in the probate process. Download our Probate Checklist today and let us know if we can help you handle your loved one’s estate.

Complimentary Digital Tools for Your Personal Use

Life planning is the thoughtful arrangement of assets and preparation of legal documents to organize your life and direct your affairs according to your values and choices. Life planning allows you and your loved ones to navigate through emergencies and predictable life changes with the least stress, expense, and difficulty possible. Download your complimentary Life Planning Guide and Financial Digital Account Guide to get started.

COMPLIMENTARY PERSONAL CONSULTATION

Selecting an attorney is an incredibly important decision that can have a major impact on you and your family’s lives. Such a decision should not be made lightly or without all necessary and relevant information. Before choosing Life Plan Law, we invite you to contact us directly.

If You Are Married, What Property Are You Able to Give Away in Your Will?

First off, you must know what you cannot and can give away in a will. Wills distribute specific kinds of property but not all. For instance, it is possible to give funds to a beneficiary or give away your coin collection. But other kinds of property, like a bank account that has a beneficiary designation,...
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How to make sure your estate is a mess when you die – part two

  A second method for making sure your estate is a mess is to make your Will incorrectly. This “Part Two” blog will discuss the most important technical requirements for making a Will correctly. Believe it or not, state laws impose requirements to make a valid will. Some are absolute, and failing to comply with...
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3 Ways to Avoid Probate

The most common method of avoiding probate includes creating a trust that holds your assets rather than a will. It is also possible to decrease the quantity of property going through probate by giving gifts to members of your family or other types of beneficiaries before dying. Here are three other ways to avoid probate:...
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How To Make Sure Your Estate Is A Mess When You Die – Part One

The short method for making sure your estate is a mess is don’t make a will. This “Part One” blog will discuss not making a will. The next shortest method of making sure your estate is a mess is make the will incorrectly. Part Two of How to Make Sure Your Estate is a Mess...
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Almost Everyone Makes Mistakes While Trying To Avoid Probate

“Avoiding probate” has become a very popular goal of estate planning. Most people want the distribution of assets at their death to be simple, straightforward, and inexpensive. Even an abbreviated probate procedure in Florida (such as a summary administration) is neither simple, nor straightforward. Most people cannot handle it on their own and, hence, there...
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DO I NEED A TRUST?

Do I Really Need a Trust? People often ask, “do I need a trust”?  The simple answer is “no.”  You don’t need a trust any more than you need a bank account, or a car, or a will for that matter.  I bet that answer does not help you choose to have a trust or...
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DO I NEED TO CHANGE MY LIVING WILL FOR COVID-19?

Clients have been asking if they need to change their Living Will in the new age of Covid-19. There is a simple answer and more nuanced answer to this question, and it raises some very important issues. The simple answer: You do not need to make changes to your advanced directive for coronavirus. A living...
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CAN I SIGN MY LIFE PLAN DOCUMENTS ONLINE?

The easy answer is, not until July 2020. The ability to execute an electronic will takes effect on July 1, 2020. To confuse the issue however, online notarization of documents other than a will became effective on January 1, 2020. The process is very new, expensive, difficult, and, for life plan documents, limited. Choosing to...
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HAPPY NEW YEAR – THE TAX LAWS HAVE CHANGED

I hope the transition to the year 2020 brought joy and a fresh outlook.  If you follow the news, you also know that it brought changes to the tax laws that may impact your life and estate planning. As part of budget legislation, the U.S. House and Senate passed the Setting Every Community Up for...
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