Life, Legacy & Wealth

This episode covers what families should do in the first weeks after a parent is diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s, from legal capacity to guardianship costs. Cary Moss explains the difference between a dementia diagnosis and a legal loss of capacity, and outlines which documents, including the durable power of attorney, living will, and healthcare surrogate, need to be signed first. Cary Moss also details how guardianship works in Florida, including the timeline, court process, and typical costs, and explains why dementia patients are common targets for financial exploitation. She shares specific examples from her practice, including a client who lost $400,000 to a scam, and outlines Medicaid planning strategies that remain available even after a diagnosis. Listeners will come away with a clear understanding of which steps to take first. In this episode, you will hear: Why a dementia or Alzheimer’s diagnosis does not automatically mean a parent has…

When a child has a disability, a standard estate plan can do real harm. Cary Moss, Managing Partner at Sawyer & Sawyer, P.A. and a Florida elder law attorney with nearly three decades of experience, breaks down exactly how supplemental needs trusts work, where they fail, and what families must do to protect a disabled loved one’s benefits while still leaving them something to live on. Cary covers the most common mistakes parents make, including cutting a disabled child out of the estate entirely or leaving funds informally to a sibling. She explains the full planning picture, from trustees and beneficiary advocates to trust protectors and guardian advocates, and why getting the legal language wrong can collapse the entire structure. No family should wait for a crisis to start this conversation. The right plan, built now, protects everything. In this episode, you will hear: Why cutting a disabled child out…

A $2,000 asset limit stands between a disabled beneficiary and the government benefits keeping them afloat. Elder law attorney Cary Moss joins the show to walk families through supplemental needs trusts and why getting this planning wrong can cost far more than money. Cary breaks down the three types of trusts families encounter, first party, third party, and pooled, explains what each one covers, and draws a clear line between what a trust can pay for and what will trigger a loss of benefits. She also addresses Florida-specific programs, from ABLE United accounts to vetted pooled trust organizations like AGED and Guardian Trust Foundation. The episode closes with a scenario every Orlando parent should hear: a $400,000 life insurance policy named the wrong beneficiary, and what that mistake sets in motion. In this episode, you will hear: Why leaving money directly to a disabled child can eliminate their government benefits…

The day a child turns 18, parents lose the legal right to make any decision for them. Medical calls, financial disputes, lease negotiations, all of it. Cary Moss and Tom Moss, attorneys at Sawyer & Sawyer, P.A., lay out exactly what documents every young adult needs the moment that birthday hits: a durable power of attorney, a living will, a designation of healthcare surrogate, and a HIPAA release form. Cary and Tom speak from personal experience. They have two sons, 22 and 20, and they’ve been through this themselves. If your child is approaching 18, or already there, this episode tells you what to do and why waiting is a risk you don’t want to take. In this episode, you will hear: Why turning 18 changes everything for parents, legally and financially The durable power of attorney and what it actually covers Three healthcare documents every young adult needs in…

Probate costs Florida families real money. Attorney’s fees alone run 3% of the estate, and the personal representative takes another 3%, meaning a $1 million estate loses $60,000 before a single beneficiary sees a cent. In this episode, Tom Moss lays out three strategies that keep assets out of probate entirely: revocable living trusts, Lady Bird deeds, and beneficiary designations. Tom explains why each tool fits certain situations and fails in others. A Lady Bird deed works well for a straightforward transfer to one healthy adult child. Add creditor issues, a disabled beneficiary, or siblings who don’t get along, and a trust becomes the smarter call. If you have ever assumed your estate plan covers all the bases, this episode will tell you whether it actually does. In this episode, you will hear: Why probate costs Florida families up to 6% of the total estate value before any beneficiary collects…