Estate Planning for Veterans in Pensacola and the Florida Panhandle
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Veterans should add a few items to a standard Florida estate plan: make sure the family can find the DD-214, record burial wishes (including national cemetery burial), confirm any disabled veteran homestead exemption, and coordinate the plan with VA benefits a surviving spouse may claim.
Northwest Florida is home to one of the largest veteran communities in the country, from NAS Pensacola to Eglin and Hurlburt Field. Military service brings benefits your family should know how to use.
1. Keep your DD-214 where your family can find it
Your DD-214 proves your service and is needed for burial benefits and many survivor benefits. Keep the original with your estate planning documents, give a copy to your personal representative, and consider recording it with your county clerk. If it's lost, you can request a copy from the National Archives.
2. Put your burial wishes in writing
Eligible veterans and, in many cases, spouses can be buried in a national cemetery such as Barrancas National Cemetery aboard NAS Pensacola. The VA offers a pre-need eligibility determination so your family knows in advance. Record your wishes in a signed memorandum or in your will and tell your family where it is.
3. Check your homestead exemptions
Florida offers additional property tax relief for veterans with service-connected disabilities, including a full exemption for veterans with a total and permanent service-connected disability (§ 196.081). A surviving spouse may be able to keep some of these exemptions. Make sure your deed and any trust are set up so your spouse doesn't lose them.
4. Plan for VA benefits
A surviving spouse may qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation or a survivors pension. The VA pension program, including Aid and Attendance, has income, net worth and look-back rules, so large gifts or transfers can affect eligibility. Coordinate your estate plan with any benefits you or your spouse may need.
5. Don't skip the core documents
Deployments, long-distance moves and service-related health issues make a durable power of attorney and health care surrogate especially important. Most veterans also benefit from a revocable trust or at least an updated Florida will.
Thank you for your service. Call 850-607-2222 to review your plan.
Talk with a Florida estate planning lawyer
Trusted Elder Law & Asset Protection helps families in Pensacola, Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties plan ahead. Call 850-607-2222 or schedule a free Peace of Mind Strategy Session.
This article is general information about Florida law, not legal advice for your situation.
