PTM Trust and Estate Law

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PTM Trust and Estate Law PTM is a statewide law firm based in Gainesville, Florida. Our attorneys focus on estate planning, probates, trust administration, and more.

10/15/2026

Things people actually say to us on the phone, and the short version of the answer.

"I already did one of those online." Maybe it's fine. Bring it in and we'll read it.

"My mom said it's all handled." That sentence has done more damage than any document we've ever seen.

"I'll do it after the holidays." You've said that before. We're not judging. We've all got a version of that.

"Is this going to take forever?" Usually less than you think.

No lecture. Just come ask. We are here for you.

PTM Trust and Estate Law | Gainesville, FL | Serving all of Florida

Not every Florida estate needs the long version of probate.People hear the word and picture two years and a courtroom. O...
10/13/2026

Not every Florida estate needs the long version of probate.

People hear the word and picture two years and a courtroom. Often that isn't what happens. A quick gut check:

Was there a will, and does anyone dispute it? A dispute changes everything, and that's its own conversation.

How much is in the estate, and how long ago did they pass? Florida has a shorter route for smaller estates, and a different one again when enough time has gone by.

Is there real property in the mix? A house usually decides which path you're on.

Did the assets already have beneficiaries named? Some things pass outside probate entirely and never touch a court.

Sometimes the answer is that you don't need probate at all. We'd rather tell you that in thirty minutes than have you assume the worst for a year.

Probate consultations are free. 30 minutes, phone or in person. ptmlegal.com or (352) 554-5576.

PTM Trust and Estate Law | Florida Probate Attorneys | Gainesville, FL

For the personal injury attorneys in our feed:Your client's case is settled. The file still can't close, because the pro...
10/08/2026

For the personal injury attorneys in our feed:

Your client's case is settled. The file still can't close, because the probate side hasn't started yet.

We get that call regularly. Usually it's one of three things:
- Nobody has been appointed to act for the estate, so there's no one who can legally accept the funds
- The claimant is a minor, and the settlement needs the court's blessing before anyone touches it
- The claimant can't manage their own affairs, and a guardianship has to be opened first

None of that is your practice area, and there's no reason it should be. It is ours, every week, across all of Florida.

Send it over and we'll handle that piece so you can close yours.

Call the office directly at (352) 554-5576.

PTM Trust and Estate Law | Florida Probate Attorneys | Gainesville, FL

10/06/2026

Fifteen seconds of a Tuesday.

Not the dramatic part. Just the part where someone finds the right folder, the coffee goes cold, and a plan that took a family eleven years to get around to finally gets finished.

Most of this work looks like this. We think that's a good sign.

PTM Trust and Estate Law | Gainesville, FL | Serving all of Florida

Your will says who gets the house. It says nothing about who can get into your phone.Email. Photos. The bank app. The ac...
10/01/2026

Your will says who gets the house. It says nothing about who can get into your phone.

Email. Photos. The bank app. The account quietly paying your power bill. For most families that's where the real friction starts, and it's the part almost no estate plan mentions.

Florida does have a law for it. The Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act, Chapter 740, sets out when the person handling your estate can reach your online accounts. Here's the part people miss: if you've named a legacy contact inside the account itself, that setting can override what your will says.

So the two have to agree. Worth ten minutes of your evening to go check.

Questions about yours? Book a consultation at ptmlegal.com or call (352) 554-5576. You'll speak directly with an attorney.

PTM Trust and Estate Law | Gainesville, FL | Serving all of Florida

You moved to Florida. You kept the house up north.That second property is the part most plans skip.Here's what usually h...
09/29/2026

You moved to Florida. You kept the house up north.

That second property is the part most plans skip.

Here's what usually happens when someone passes away owning real estate in two states. Florida handles the estate for everything here. The other state handles the land inside its own borders, under its own rules, on its own timeline. Two courts, two sets of paperwork, two sets of fees, and often two attorneys.

It runs the other direction too. Florida has a specific process for people who live somewhere else and own property here, which is why this comes up more often in this state than almost anywhere else.

A will does not prevent any of it. A will is instructions, and land answers to the state it sits in.

What usually helps:
- A trust that holds the out-of-state property
- Changing how the deed is titled
- Occasionally an LLC, though that one is a longer conversation

Which of those fits depends on the other state, the value, and what you want to happen. It's an hour of work, not a year of it.

Book at ptmlegal.com/consultation or call (352) 554-5576. $100 for a full hour with an attorney, discounted from our standard rate of $400 per hour.

PTM Trust and Estate Law | Gainesville, FL | Serving all of Florida

New photos, same people who answer the phone.We spent a morning in August letting a camera follow us around the office, ...
09/24/2026

New photos, same people who answer the phone.

We spent a morning in August letting a camera follow us around the office, which is a strange thing for a law firm to do and a good thing for you. Because the person in this picture is the person you actually talk to.

That's the whole reason we did it.

PTM Trust and Estate Law | Gainesville, FL | Serving all of Florida

09/22/2026

"I added my kid to the deed, so we're fine."

We hear that one a lot, usually from someone who got it from a video. It isn't crazy advice. It's just not Florida advice.

Adding an adult child to your deed is a gift the moment you sign it. It exposes your home to their creditors, their divorce, their bankruptcy. And depending on how it's done, it can cost you part of the homestead protection you already had.

There's usually a cleaner way to get where you're going. Sometimes it's a Lady Bird Deed. Sometimes it's a trust. Sometimes it's leaving it exactly as it is.

Worth an hour before you sign anything. Book at ptmlegal.com or call (352) 554-5576. You'll speak directly with an attorney.

PTM Trust and Estate Law | Gainesville, FL | Serving all of Florida

Most firms will give you a free consultation. Usually that means a sales call, or someone reading your intake form back ...
09/17/2026

Most firms will give you a free consultation. Usually that means a sales call, or someone reading your intake form back to you.

Ours costs $100. It's a full hour with an attorney, discounted from our standard rate of $400 per hour, and it's a real working meeting. You bring the situation you're actually worried about. We tell you what you need, what you don't, and what it would cost.

We want you to walk away from that hour with something tangible.

Book at ptmlegal.com/consultation or call (352) 554-5576. You'll speak directly with an attorney.

PTM Trust and Estate Law | Gainesville, FL | Serving all of Florida

September is National Preparedness Month. It's a good excuse to ask a simple question: if something happened tomorrow, i...
09/15/2026

September is National Preparedness Month. It's a good excuse to ask a simple question: if something happened tomorrow, is your family's plan actually in place?

A quick gut check for Florida families:
→ A will
→ A durable power of attorney
→ A designation of healthcare surrogate
→ A declaration naming a preneed guardian for minor children
→ For many families, a revocable trust to avoid probate

If any of those are missing, that's the gap worth closing before the year gets away from you.

Book a consultation at ptmlegal.com or call (352) 554-5576. You'll speak directly with an attorney.

PTM Trust and Estate Law | Gainesville, FL | Serving all of Florida

Address

200 NW 75th Drive Suite B
Gainesville, FL
32607

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5am
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+3525545576

Website

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