Broward County & Palm Beach County Property Damage, Probate, & Estate Planning Lawyers

Property Damage Claims

First-Party Property involves disputes between homeowners and their insurance carriers over denied, underpaid, or delayed claims handling. In short, we represent individual homeowners who have made a claim for property damage to their homeowner’s insurance company and are not getting adequate compensation for their claims. You may need to consult a Palm Beach County property damage lawyer if you are getting the run-around by your homeowner’s insurance company.

If your property was damaged as a result of a sudden and accidental occurrence (whether related to inclement weather such as a hurricane or other windstorm, water damage, plumbing break, or any other loss in your home), it is likely that your homeowners insurance covers this loss and you should consult an attorney. A homeowner should turn to their homeowner’s insurance policy as soon as such a loss occurs, as there are duties which are necessary to perform by the homeowner before their carrier will offer coverage. However, insurance companies are often unwilling to cooperate and wrongfully deny claims, underpay claims, or delay their decision making. We are dedicated to protecting the homeowners’ interests and ensuring that their claims are adequately handled so that the homeowner is able to put their property back into a pre-loss condition after the insurance company covers and compensates the homeowner. Whether you are looking for a locally based attorney in Palm Beach County specializing in property damage, or in any other county in Florida, we are here to help.

Our Palm Beach County property damage lawyers also represent water mitigation companies, water restoration companies, mold companies, and other emergency mitigation service companies in their claims against homeowner’s carriers. Often, when a property suffers a loss, it’s necessary to engage an emergency mitigation specialist (or “EMS”) to mitigate your damage and ensure that the damage does not get worse. EMS companies often have a homeowner sign an “assignment of benefits” or “AOB” which authorizes the EMS company to pursue their payment directly from the insurance carrier, instead of the homeowner. This ensures that the homeowner is acting diligently in protecting their home, as most homeowner’s insurance policies require. If you have questions about this, you may need to consult a lawyer specializing in homeowner’s property damage claims.

We take pride in evaluating the facts, law, and specific policy language relevant to each individual’s circumstances to ensure efficient and effective results for each client. We represent individuals with claims in relation to a variety of coverage issues including, but not limited to, sinkhole claims, civil remedy notices, catastrophic claims, EUOs, water damage, wind-storm damage, hurricane claims, tornado damage, fire damage, and bad faith. If you find yourself in a situation where your home was damaged by circumstances beyond your control, please feel free to contact a Palm Beach County property damage attorney at our firm for a consultation. Even if we are unable to offer our services, we can point you to the correct source.

Over the years, we’ve successfully recovered millions of dollars in property damage claims from insurance companies for their insureds, allowing homeowners to be able to repair their homes after a covered loss.

Probate and Trust Administration

Additionally, we handle Probate and Trust Administration issues. If a loved one has passed away and the family needs to close out their affairs (e.g. transfer title to real property, access bank accounts or safety deposit boxes, distribute property per a Will, etc.), we can help. This time is difficult and the process may seem overwhelming, which is why the law requires that anyone who serves as a Personal Representative must be represented by an attorney.

Probate is a legal process where the probate court takes over the handling of the assets of someone who has died. The Probate court puts in place a Personal Representative who is responsible for informing the Court of all the assets, the existing beneficiaries, and proposals on how to distribute the assets according to law. The Personal Representative is either someone nominated in the deceased person’s Last Will and Testament; or a family member who came forward and qualifies under the Florida law to serve as a Personal Representative. Either way, we can help families in Palm Beach County, and all surrounding counties, with attorney needs for probate administration.

Once all the assets are collected, the Probate Court, with the assistance of the Personal Representative and after allowing the opportunity for all beneficiaries to voice their concerns, allows the distribution of assets. If there is a valid and enforceable Last Will and Testament of the deceased person, then the Probate Court ensures that the distribution of assets takes place according to that Will. If there is no Will in place, then the Probate Court ensures that the assets are distributed by statutory requirements.

Estate Planning

Depending on the estate planning that the deceased individual did prior to their demise, probate proceedings might not be necessary. For example, if there is a valid, enforceable, and funded trust in existence then the probate court does not need to be involved and a Trust Administration will take place instead. Additionally, if there are certain types of investment accounts which do not require probate court intervention, those will be distributed accordingly as well. If you’re unsure whether you need the assistance of a Probate Attorney, please give us a call and if we are unable to offer our services, we can help you find the appropriate source.

At the Law Offices of Rina Feld we have attorneys in Palm Beach County, and surrounding counties, who can represent any individuals involved in the Probate/Trust Administration process, including, but not limited to, personal representatives, beneficiaries, spouses, children, friends, caretakers, etc., We are dedicated to ensure that the probate process moves smoothly and effortlessly for our clients during such an emotional and turbulent time in their lives. We assess the facts, the estate planning documents, and the relevant law carefully to safeguard each individual’s distribution, whether they are the Personal Representative entitled to compensation, or a beneficiary who is waiting patiently for their distributed share of assets.