Monthly Archives: October 2026
The Legal Lifeline for a Spouse Left Out of a Florida Will
Marriage carries certain financial protections that do not disappear just because a spouse was written out of a will. Florida law recognizes that a surviving spouse may be entitled to a share of the estate regardless of what the will actually says, and this right exists independently of whatever provisions a deceased spouse may… Read More »
What Makes a Florida Trust Legally Vulnerable to Challenge?
Trusts are often described as a cleaner alternative to a will, avoiding probate and keeping family affairs private. But a trust is only as strong as the process used to create it, and Florida law allows beneficiaries and heirs to challenge a trust just as they would a will when something about its creation… Read More »
When an Heir Loses Everything Because of How the Decedent Died
Most estate disputes revolve around what a will says or whether it was properly executed. A smaller but far more serious category of cases asks a different question entirely: did the person set to inherit have something to do with the decedent’s death? Florida law has a direct answer, and it does not leave… Read More »
Can a “No Contest” Clause Actually Backfire in Florida?
Some estate plans include a clause designed to scare beneficiaries into silence. The idea is simple on paper: if you challenge the will or trust, you lose whatever you were set to inherit. It sounds like a strong deterrent. In Florida, it is also completely unenforceable. For families who assumed such a clause would… Read More »
Mark R. Manceri, P.A. is a boutique law firm that specializes in Estate, Trust and Guardianship litigation. These matters include Will and Trust contests involving lack of capacity, undue influence, forgery, improper execution and tortious interference...