A client came to us after her mother had been hospitalized.
She brought what she thought was everything she needed — the power of attorney, carefully signed and notarized years earlier.

But when she went to her mom’s Florida bank, they said no.

The document looked fine. It was official. It had all the right signatures.
The problem? It was from another state — and it didn’t meet Florida’s legal language requirements.

She couldn’t access her mother’s accounts.
Couldn’t pay her bills.
Couldn’t manage her care when it mattered most.

It wasn’t that the bank was being difficult — it was that her documents didn’t match Florida law.

A plan only works when it’s designed for the state you live in.
And as more retirees move here from places like New York, Illinois, and New Jersey, this is becoming one of the most common — and costly — mistakes we see.

The good news? It’s fixable.
Updating your estate plan to Florida standards ensures your loved ones have real authority when they need it.

Because a document is only as good as the laws it follows — and if your plan was written somewhere else, it might not protect you here.

Make sure your documents match your current life, your current home, and your current laws.