Believe it or not, it isn’t easy to disinherit your spouse.  But the same is not true for other family members – generally, you can use your estate plan to disinherit your brothers and sisters, your nieces and nephews, or even your very own children and grandchildren.

However, in the State of Florida and the majority of states, you can’t intentionally disinherit your spouse unless your spouse actually agrees to receive nothing from your estate in a Prenuptial or Postnuptial Agreement.

In Florida, a surviving spouse has the option to receive a portion of their deceased spouse’s estate called the “elective share.”   This share is equal to 30% of the deceased spouse’s “elective estate,” which includes the value of the deceased spouse’s probate estate and certain non-probate assets such as payable on death and transfer on death accounts, joint accounts, the net cash surrender value of life insurance, property held in a revocable living trust, and annuities and other types of retirement accounts, reduced by the deceased spouse’s debts.

Disinherited Spouses Need to Act Quickly!

If your spouse has attempted to disinherit you, you must seek legal advice as soon as possible before Florida law bars you from enforcing your rights.  Only an experienced estate planning attorney can help you weigh all of your options and protect your interests as a surviving spouse.