Estate Planning in Margate: the Local Picture
Margate is older than Florida overall, with a median age of 45 and 24 percent over 65. Planning demand among the 59,198 residents reflects a substantial retiree population. Broward County homes in Margate carry a median value of $316,200, making the homestead deed a sensible part of the plan.
Margate’s median age is around 45, and the median home value is about $316,200. 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 Margate 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 Margate 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 Broward County probate → or find the right deed →
Serving Margate and Broward County, wherever you are.
A free consultation maps your plan and quotes a flat fee. No office visit required.
Book a free consultationNotary Services in Margate
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 #2277Palm Lakes Plaza Publix Shopping Center | 7276 W Atlantic Blvd, Margate 33063 | (954) 970-9771 | Mon to Fri 8:30 am to 7 pm · Sat 9:30 am to 3 pm · Sun 10 am to 3 pm |
| The UPS Store #8105 | 5487 W Atlantic Blvd, Margate 33063 | (954) 366-3043 | Mon to Fri 8:30 am to 7:30 pm · Sat 10 am to 5 pm · Sun 11 am to 4 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 Broward County, and the rest of Broward County. Any deed in your plan records with Broward County’s Records, Taxes and Treasury Division, whose office is at 115 South Andrews Avenue in Fort Lauderdale; we prepare and e-record it for you. We are a Miami firm serving Margate wherever you are; this is not a Margate office.
Recently moved to Florida, or planning to? Make it official and cut your old state’s income tax with a Broward 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 Margate?
No. StepUpLaw is a Miami firm that serves Margate and Broward 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 Broward County?
Deeds and other documents for a Broward County property are recorded with Broward County’s Records, Taxes and Treasury Division. 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 Margate and Broward County residents from our Miami office. Local figures are Census estimates (ACS 2024) and approximate.
