Miller Johnson Law
by Kevin Fritz
As we celebrate the start of a brand-new year, it’s worth taking some time to review your estate planning.
“Any time is a good time to look at your estate-planning documents just to make sure you have everything in order, or to meet with an estate-planning attorney to see if there is anything you are missing,” says Lori Pieper, an attorney with the Altamonte Springs-based Miller Johnson Law, who specializes in estate planning, family law and probate.
Miller Johnson Law has been assisting clients in Central Florida and beyond for more than 40 years.
For those seeking to amend their plans or looking to put together estate-planning documents, there are a number of things to consider. Is the best option a simple will or would a better choice be a pour-over will (which transfers the assets of an estate to a trust)? What about forming a trust or healthcare surrogate documents that spell out your wishes?
“Most people who don’t really think about estate planning are younger individuals with children under the age of 18,” Lori says, adding that documentation denoting a child’s guardians is critical to assure they end up in the care of someone you trust.
Lori says she is encouraged by the number of people who have been double-checking their estate planning since the pandemic.
“COVID-19 kind of woke everybody up,” she says.
Lori, who has handled family law since 2006 as an attorney or legal assistant, notes that it’s an emotional type of law, and many times clients simply need someone who will listen and guide them through the process. Other times they want someone to vent to so they can move forward.
“At Miller Johnson Law, we try to act as counselors in more ways than one,” she says.
A graduate of the University of North Florida and the Barry University Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law, the Lake Mary resident and her husband are raising two boys, ages 16 and 9, and a girl, 5. Lori is a member of the Rotary Club of Sanford-Breakfast, and she volunteers for Leadership Seminole, at local schools, and for her children’s sports activities.