Longboat Key Estate Planning Attorney

Estate plans for Gulf-front owners, snowbird retirees, and multistate families.

Estate planning on Longboat Key often involves Gulf-front property, snowbird residency, and multi-state assets that don’t fit standard planning templates. Speak with a Longboat Key estate planning attorney about building a plan that fits your situation.

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Guiding Coastal Estate Planning in Longboat Key

Longboat Key is not a standard Florida estate planning market. The median age is 71, roughly 68 percent of residents are 65 or older, and the median home value sits above $1 million.

Those numbers matter because the assets are often more complex. A single plan may need to address a Gulf-front condo, a beach-club membership, a family LLC, retirement accounts, and property outside Florida.

Longboat also creates a county issue. The key straddles Manatee and Sarasota Counties, so probate and recording questions may depend on which county the property is in.

Recent events have added more planning pressure. Hurricane Milton affected condo assessments, insurance claims, and rebuild decisions. Federal estate tax planning also changed after the One Big Beautiful Bill Act set the exemption at $15 million per individual and $30 million for married couples.

Allie R.B. Castellano leads estate planning and probate at Buckman, Buckman & Castellano, P.A. She works directly with Longboat families on plans built around property, family authority, and transfer risk.

Serving Longboat Key and Our Surrounding Barrier-Island Communities

Our clients come from across the key: Bay Isles, Country Club Shores, Sleepy Lagoon, Longboat Key Estates, and Tangerine Bay. We also serve adjacent barrier-island and mainland communities, including St. Armands Key, Bradenton Beach, Anna Maria Island, and Holmes Beach.

Longboat Key straddles two counties, but both sit inside the 12th Judicial Circuit. Manatee-side filings move through the Manatee County Judicial Center at 1051 Manatee Ave. W. in Bradenton under Clerk Angelina Colonneso.

Sarasota-side matters are handled through the Judge Lynn N. Silvertooth Judicial Center on Ringling Boulevard under Clerk Karen E. Rushing. That county distinction can affect filings, recording, probate administration, and later transfer work.

Buckman, Buckman & Castellano, P.A. has served this region for decades. Allie has experience with the Florida Appellate Court in matters involving the right to direct an estate plan.

Delays make Longboat Key estate planning more complicated. Speak with Allie Castellano in a free, confidential consultation.

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Estate Planning Issues That Need Early Review on Longboat Key

Longboat’s HNW barrier-island property, a Manatee-or-Sarasota county-line straddle, and a 57.5 percent seasonal-vacancy share create planning needs the rest of Florida does not share. Six issues repeatedly arise with the clients we serve.

  • Determining whether a Longboat condo sits in Manatee or Sarasota for probate.
  • Restructuring SLATs executed before the prior planned 2026 federal sunset.
  • Avoiding Florida ancillary probate for Northeast snowbirds and Canadian owners.
  • Drafting succession for Longboat Key Club memberships at death.
  • Directing Hurricane Milton condo special assessments through trust and probate.
  • Coordinating multistate portfolios: Longboat home, plus Northeast brownstone, plus family LLCs.

Each issue is solvable, but only when the planner actually understands Longboat. A Bay Isles condo on the Sarasota side files in Ringling Boulevard, while a Country Club Shores condo on the Manatee side files in Bradenton, and the generic Florida templates do not know the difference.

Documents Every Longboat Key Estate Plan Should Include

  • Last Will and Testament
  • Revocable Living Trust
  • Durable Power of Attorney
  • Designation of Health Care Surrogate
  • Living Will (advance directive)
  • HIPAA Authorization for medical records
  • Declaration of Domicile under §222.17

These documents serve different legal functions. A will controls probate property. A trust can manage titled assets and avoid probate when funded correctly. Powers of attorney and health care documents name who can act during life.

For Longboat clients, the trust and domicile documents often require closer review. A revocable trust may reduce probate exposure for Florida property, while a Declaration of Domicile can help support Florida residency for snowbirds with ties to another state or country.

How to Prepare for Your Longboat Key Estate Planning Consultation

Before the consultation, gather the records that show what you own and how each asset is titled. Useful items include deeds, condo association documents, beach-club membership records, family LLC agreements, beneficiary statements, prior wills or trusts, and any SLAT or irrevocable trust paperwork.

The consultation is used to identify immediate planning concerns. For Longboat clients, this often includes the county of location, Florida domicile, successor decision-makers, existing trust terms, out-of-state property, and whether current documents still reflect the family’s wishes.

You do not need every answer before the first meeting. The purpose is to review the documents, flag gaps, and decide which issues need legal drafting, title work, tax coordination, or follow-up records.

After that review, our office outlines the next steps before drafting begins. That may include updating beneficiary records, confirming condo or club transfer rules, reviewing deed language, or coordinating with a CPA or financial advisor.

How We Build Your Longboat Key Estate Plan

Our drafting starts with the legal structure. A Longboat plan may require a will, a revocable trust, a durable power of attorney, a health care surrogate designation, a living will, an HIPAA authorization, domicile documents, or trust amendments.

The structure must match the asset. A Gulf-front condo, a family LLC, a beach-club membership, an investment account, and a Northeast property may each require different transfer language.

County-specific issues are handled inside the plan. If the property sits on the Manatee side, filings and recording may involve Clerk Colonneso. If it sits on the Sarasota side, Clerk Rushing and Sarasota records may control.

Before signing, we review funding and implementation. That includes deed retitling, trust funding, beneficiary alignment, recording steps, and any SLAT, OBBBA, condo assessment, or insurance-proceeds language needed to make the plan work after execution.

Recent Longboat Key Matters

  • Case results

    $1.6 Million

    Will Contest

  • Case results

    $1.175 Million

    Fiduciary Breach

  • Case results

    $300,000

    Trustee Fraud

  • Case results

    $260,000

    Trust Recovery

Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Each case turns on its own facts

Estate Planning on Longboat Key, By the Numbers

Longboat Key planning is shaped by age, property value, and seasonal ownership. The median age is 71, about 68 percent of residents are 65 or older, and many households hold more than one significant asset.

The real estate profile is also distinct. The median home value is above $1.02 million, and the December 2024 median sale price was reported at $1,256,666. Roughly 57.5 percent of housing units are classified as seasonally vacant.

Those facts affect legal planning. Trust funding, domicile documentation, health care authority, club membership transfer, and multistate coordination often matter as much as the will itself.

Probate filings for Longboat property may also be split by county. Manatee-side matters go through Bradenton, while Sarasota-side matters go through the Silvertooth Judicial Center. Filing fees under Fla. Stat. §28.241 are $400 for formal administration and $345 for summary administration.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS 2024; Point2Homes 2024; Data USA 2024; 12th Judicial Circuit Probate Division; Fla. Stat. §28.241.

Statistics 2022

Median Resident Age

71

Median Home Value

$1.02M+

Seasonally Vacant Homes

57.5%

What Our Longboat Clients Say

My highest recommendation and gratitude to the firm of Buckman, Buckman & Castellano, P.A. Their generous reliability and core knowledge is truly valuable. Complex legal issues are strategically and efficiently handled. Communication was always prompt, and always my needs were a priority. Competency in cost-benefit analysis resulted in my receiving appropriate compensation. During the procedure, I experienced the highest ethical standards. This firm is truly superior in all regards.

The whole firm fought like hell for me and my family in Court. I highly recommend them.

Our experience with Buckman, Buckman & Castellano, P.A. is very positive. They handled all the unexpected annoyances – the E-mails, letters and phone calls that resulted from a relatively minor accident. We are satisfied with our result.

“Drake, Amiee and Nancy were very instrumental in helping me get through a very difficult time in my life. They were very warm and responsive to all my needs at any time. I would highly recommend this team of professionals in any legal matters.

I would highly recommend Drake Buckman to represent myself and any of my loved ones. From the initial contact, Drake always had my best interest, health and welfare as a priority. His friendly, personable manner gave me comfort and confidence from the start of my legal pursuit. Drake Buckman was thorough the entire duration of my case achieving success on my behalf

I found Amiee Buckman to be very attentive, thorough, professional, and very prompt in responding to my needs. I was impressed with not only her professionalism and expertise, but also with her sincerity and honesty. I would highly recommend Amiee Buckman and the firm of Buckman, Buckman & Castellano, P.A. to anyone that needed services in the area of law.

Buckman, Buckman & Castellano, P.A. has provided outstanding legal representation for us in the area of Estate Planning and Elder Care. Helped us through a difficult situation with a loved one that resulted in a successful outcome.

I am a client of the Buckman, Buckman & Castellano, P.A. law firm which I use for all my corporate and personal matters. Amiee has a personal hands on approach with attention to details and emphasis on communication. It is with great confidence I recommend her and the entire staff at this firm.

Drake is a conscientious person and a knowledgeable attorney. He’s a great counselor to have working for you. His costs are reasonable; and he will tell you the truth whether that’s what you want to hear or not. He’s experienced in writing Wills and setting up trusts and estates. I highly recommend him.

Mr. Buckman is a highly-skilled Professional who expedited my case efficiently and effectively. He was ethical, knowledgeable, patient and thorough from start to finish. I could not have asked for anything more!

Longboat property, club, or trust questions? Talk with Allie before documents fall out of sync.

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  • Wills & Codicils

  • Revocable & Irrevocable Trusts

  • Powers of Attorney & Directives

  • Probate & Trust Administration

Meet Allie R.B. Castellano

Allie R.B. Castellano leads estate planning and probate at Buckman, Buckman & Castellano, P.A. Her work includes wills, trusts, estate administration, probate disputes, and planning for Florida property owners.

She has experience with the Florida Appellate Court in matters involving a person’s right to direct an estate plan. That background is important when documents must be clear, enforceable, and prepared with future disputes in mind.

Her approach is practical and document-focused. She reviews assets, title records, authority, beneficiary designations, county issues, and funding steps so the plan is not limited to signatures on paper.

Allie R.B. Castellano, Sarasota estate planning attorney, outside a Sarasota courthouse building

Allie R.B. Castellano

Partner

The plans that hold up are the ones drafted around the family’s real life, not around a template.

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Our Practice Areas

Revocable living trust icon

Revocable Living Trust

Durable power of attorney icon

Durable Power of Attorney

Power of attorney icon

Power of Attorney

Business law icon

Business Lawyer

Simple will icon

Simple Will

Property deeds and transfers icon

Property Deeds and Transfers

Succession planning icon

Succession Planning

Estate planning icon

Estate Planning

Probate icon

Probate

Beneficiary rights icon

Beneficiary Rights

Answers to Common Estate Planning Questions in Longboat Key

Ready to Protect Your Family’s Future?

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How does the 2025 OBBBA permanent $15M exemption change my Longboat plan?

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed July 4, 2025, sets the federal estate and gift tax exemption at $15 million per individual and $30 million per married couple, effective January 1, 2026. Longboat clients with pre-sunset SLATs or similar structures should review whether modification, decanting, or restructuring is appropriate.

Is my Longboat condo in Manatee or Sarasota for probate?

It depends on the unit’s county location. South-end properties, including parts of Bay Isles and Sleepy Lagoon, are generally on the Sarasota side. North-end properties are generally on the Manatee side. The county determines whether filings go through Sarasota, under Clerk Karen Rushing, or Bradenton, under Clerk Angelina Colonneso.

How does my Longboat Key Club membership pass at death?

The membership agreement and Club bylaws control transfer rights. A will alone may not transfer the membership if the Club documents restrict assignment. We review the membership records and draft will or trust provisions that match what the Club will recognize.

Can my Canadian-owned Longboat home avoid Florida ancillary probate?

Yes, with proper planning. A Florida revocable living trust can hold title to Longboat property so the home passes through trust administration rather than Florida probate. Canadian owners should also coordinate cross-border tax issues, beneficiary designations, and deemed-disposition rules with Canadian counsel.

Will Hurricane Milton condo special assessments follow the property to heirs?

Generally, unpaid condo assessments can remain tied to the unit under Chapter 718. In probate or trust administration, the association’s estoppel certificate should be reviewed, unpaid assessments accounted for, and payment timing addressed before transfer or sale.