Estate Planning in Lake Worth Beach: the Local Picture
Lake Worth Beach is younger than most of Florida, with a median age of 37 and 15 percent over 65. Planning needs for the 43,365 residents center on families building wealth. Palm Beach County homes here carry a median value of $401,200, making a lady bird deed a practical way to pass the home.
Lake Worth Beach’s median age is around 37, and the median home value is about $401,200. A home at that value sits well above Florida’s $150,000 summary-administration threshold, raised from $75,000 on July 1, 2026, so without planning it can pull your family into a full, months-long probate. The fix is to coordinate the home, the will or trust, and any deed together, so the house passes the way you intend.
What a Complete Plan Covers
Three documents come up in nearly every Lake Worth Beach consult, the will, the trust, and the power of attorney. Your last will and testament directs what you own, a living trust can skip probate entirely, and a durable power of attorney lets someone act for you if you cannot.
An estate plan is a coordinated set of documents, not one piece of paper. It takes a will or a revocable living trust to direct your property, a durable power of attorney so someone can act if you can’t, and a health-care surrogate, living will, and HIPAA authorization for medical decisions. Homeowners often add a lady bird deed on the homestead. See the full estate-planning guide →
Keeping a Lake Worth Beach Home Out of Probate
Your Florida homestead carries special rules. It generally can’t be left freely in a will if you have a spouse or minor child, and it passes outside the will by its own path. A funded revocable trust or a lady bird deed keeps the home out of probate while you keep full control during life. See Palm Beach County probate → or find the right deed →
Serving Lake Worth Beach and Palm Beach County, wherever you are.
A free consultation maps your plan and quotes a flat fee. No office visit required.
Book a free consultationKeeping Your Homestead Exemption With the Home in a Trust, Palm Beach County
A home that moves into your revocable trust keeps its Florida homestead exemption and its Save Our Homes cap when the trust gives you the right to live there for life. The firm writes the deed and the trust that way. The exemption does not move by itself, and the county Property Appraiser decides what documents to require. Some counties want the whole trust, some want a one-page certificate on their own form, and one takes nothing online. The firm handles the appraiser filing as part of your plan, and the facts below are the Palm Beach County rules read from the appraiser’s own page on the date shown.
What the appraiser asks for
- "If you have filed for a homestead exemption or if you currently have a homestead exemption and your property is put into a trust, our office does not need the Trust Agreement, which can be large and have personal information."
- "Instead, we use a Certificate of Trust (COT). The COT lets us know who has beneficial interest along with who is entitled to the use and occupancy of the property."
- Submission: "Email: pa-trust@pbcpao.gov or Mail: Palm Beach County Property Appraiser's Office Exemption Services, 1st Floor 301 N. Olive Ave. West Palm Beach, FL 33401"
- Certificate of Trust form (Revised 4/26): "It is hereby certified that I am/we are the Beneficiary(ies)/Homestead Applicant(s) ... and I am/we are entitled to the use and occupancy of the following real property for my/our lifetime(s) under the terms of the: (NAME OF TRUST), This must match the Trust name on current deed. Date of Trust ____; and therefore have sufficient equitable title to claim an entitlement to homestead exemption pursuant to Section 196.041(2), Florida Statutes and Chapter 12D-7.011 Florida Administrative Code." ... "Note: If more than two beneficiary(ies), please attach additional Certificate of Trust." ... "Return completed form to: pa-trust@pbcpao.gov."
How to file
Online filing is available.how to file online
Offices
- Main Office (5th Floor) and Downtown Service Center, Exemptions (1st Floor), County Governmental Center, 301 North Olive Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33401. Monday through Friday, Office Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- South County Service Center, 14925 Cumberland Drive, Delray Beach, FL 33446. not stated on the contact page (phone 561.276.1250)
- North County Service Center, 3188 PGA Boulevard, 2nd Floor, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410. not stated on the contact page (phone 561.624.6521)
- Mayor Fred Pinto Midwestern Community Building, 200 Civic Center Way, Suite 200, Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411. not stated on the contact page (phone 561.784.1220)
- Belle Glade Service Center, 2976 State Road 15, Belle Glade, FL 33430. not stated on the contact page (phone 561.996.4890)
Phone561-355-2866
Read from the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser on October 30, 2026. Rules change; confirm with the office before you file.
Notary Services in Lake Worth Beach
The firm prepares your deed or trust and most clients sign from home by online notarization, with the firm arranging the notary and the two witnesses by video. Some people prefer to sign on paper in person. A Florida deed must be signed in front of two witnesses and acknowledged before a notary, so you need to bring two adult witnesses who are not named in the deed. Do not count on the store to supply witnesses. Call the store first to confirm a notary is on duty that day.
| Store | Address | Phone | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| The UPS Store #6645Ne Corner Of S Dixie Hwy & Lake Ave | 824 Lake Ave, Lake Worth 33460 | (561) 508-4713 | Mon to Fri 8:30 am to 6:30 pm · Sat 9 am to 5 pm · Sun closed |
| The UPS Store #3523Charleston Square At Hypoluxo And Jog Road | 6586 Hypoluxo Rd, Lake Worth 33467 | (561) 432-8890 | Mon to Fri 8:30 am to 6:30 pm · Sat 9 am to 5 pm · Sun 10 am to 3 pm |
| The UPS Store #7500 | 9835 Lake Worth Rd, Ste 16, Lake Worth 33467 | (561) 530-4772 | Mon to Fri 8 am to 6:30 pm · Sat 9 am to 4 pm · Sun 10 am to 3 pm |
Hours read from each store’s own page on October 30, 2026. Confirm by phone before you go.
Communities We Serve
We work with families across Palm Beach County, and the rest of Palm Beach County. Any deed in your plan records with the Palm Beach County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, whose office is at 205 North Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach; we prepare and e-record it for you. We are a Miami firm serving Lake Worth Beach wherever you are; this is not a Lake Worth Beach office.
Recently moved to Florida, or planning to? Make it official and cut your old state’s income tax with a Palm Beach County Declaration of Domicile, then re-do your plan under Florida law.
Flat Fees
Trust-based plan $3,200 individual / $4,500 couple (trust + pour-over will + durable POA + health-care directives + one funding deed). Will-based plan $1,200 individual / $1,950 couple (will, durable POA, health-care directives and a lady bird deed on the home). Single documents from $299. Government recording costs are additional, at cost. See full pricing →
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have an office in Lake Worth Beach?
No. StepUpLaw is a Miami firm that serves Lake Worth Beach and Palm Beach County residents wherever they are, by phone and video. Most of the work happens online, and your signing is coordinated to meet Florida formalities (two witnesses and a notary).
Where are deeds recorded in Palm Beach County?
Deeds and other documents for a Palm Beach County property are recorded with the Palm Beach County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller. We handle the recording for any deed in your plan and pass the county’s cost through at cost.
Do I need a living trust, or is a will enough?
It depends on what you own and your goals. A will alone still goes through probate; a funded revocable living trust avoids it and manages things if you lose capacity. For a single home passing to your kids, a lady bird deed may be all you need. We talk through both at the free consultation.
Updated September 30, 2026. Reviewed by Kevin D. Klagge, Esq., Fla. Bar No. 99502. Attorney Kevin Klagge represents families, businesses, and international clients in estate and tax planning, business structuring, and international law, with a focus on Florida legal tools. He litigates estate and business issues in court. General information about Florida law, not legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is created. We serve Lake Worth Beach and Palm Beach County residents from our Miami office. Local figures are Census estimates (ACS 2024) and approximate.
