Legacy Liftoff

Choosing a will or trust can determine more than who inherits; it can shape a family’s privacy, costs, and experience after a loss. Host and Florida estate-planning attorney Stephen Lacy explains why there is no universal answer: the right approach depends on goals, assets, and family circumstances. Stephen walks through probate, and he discusses how a trust must be funded, often by retitling asse...

Estate planning in Florida can protect your family or create expensive headaches, depending on how you plan. In this conversation, we walk through the five core documents every Floridian should understand: a will, revocable living trust, durable power of attorney, healthcare surrogate designation, and living will. Stephen explains how each document works at different stages of life, from incapacit...

Many Florida veterans and their families are quietly missing out on thousands of dollars in benefits they’ve already earned. We walk through how VA Aid and Attendance can help cover assisted living or in‑home care, especially when Medicaid is reserved for more intensive nursing home needs. Listeners hear how strategies like paying down debt and structuring assets through revocable and irrevocable...

Windfalls from IPO stock can create life-changing wealth, but they also create serious tax exposure if you don’t plan ahead. Listen in as we walk through how pre-IPO shareholders, especially new millionaires at companies like SpaceX, can move value out of their taxable estates before prices surge. We explain why early gifting matters, how valuation discounts for lack of marketability and control w...

Most families don’t realize how fast nursing home costs can drain a lifetime of savings until a crisis hits. We walk through what Florida Medicaid really covers, why Medicare and private health insurance fall short for long-term care, and how the five-year lookback period actually works, including the real penalty for past gifts and transfers. Stephen explains the three-part Medicaid eligibility t...

Waiting until something goes wrong is the most expensive way to test your estate plan. Listen in as we walk high net worth Floridians through what it really takes to protect what they’ve built. We unpack why a basic will and power of attorney package often falls short once you own a business, rental properties, or a large retirement portfolio, and why an unfunded revocable trust can be just as dan...

High-net-worth life can change overnight, and that’s exactly why we walk through how to build a durable asset protection strategy that actually holds up when challenged. We break down when a simple LLC structure is no longer enough, and why properly designed irrevocable trusts can separate ownership and control without completely locking you out of your own wealth. You’ll hear how fraudulent trans...

Protecting wealth isn’t just about making money — it’s about keeping it when life gets messy. In part 1, we walk through how high‑earning Florida professionals can proactively guard what they’ve built. We explore why relying solely on insurance is a risky bet, as policies have exclusions, limits, and can be quickly exhausted in catastrophic events. Listeners learn why timing matters: once a lawsui...

Decades of hard work can be undone by an outdated estate plan. In this episode, we walk through what really happens when Florida families assume a dusty trust binder means their legacy is secure. We explore the most common breakdowns: unfunded trusts that still force heirs through probate, beneficiary designations that quietly override a carefully drafted plan, and outdated trustees or health care...

Most estate planning mistakes don’t start with bad intentions; they start with bad information. In this episode, we walk through the myths that quietly cost Florida families tens of thousands of dollars and, in some cases, fracture relationships beyond repair. The conversation digs into why DIY estate planning so often backfires, especially in Florida. Pulling a power of attorney or will off the i...

Most Florida families have an estate plan built on bad information. In this episode, Stephen Lacey breaks down the myths that quietly drain estates, delay inheritances, and tear families apart, starting with the one that surprises almost everyone: a will does not avoid probate. Stephen brings 25 years of Florida estate planning experience to the conversation. He covers why middle-class families ne...

Florida homeowners have a powerful tool for passing property to their loved ones without the cost and delay of probate court. But without thoughtful planning, this tool can have devastating long-term consequences. Stephen Lacey, a Florida estate planning attorney, breaks down exactly how Lady Bird deeds work, why retained control sets them apart from traditional life estate deeds, and the situatio...

Probate in Florida can drag on for nine months to a year, cost families 3% of their assets in attorney's fees alone, and leave grieving relatives waiting 45–60 days just to access basic funds. Estate planning attorney Stephen Lacey breaks down exactly why that happens — and what to do before it does. He covers revocable trusts, beneficiary designations, joint ownership pitfalls, and Florida's home...

Stephen Lacey grew up watching his parents treat people from all walks of life with the same level of care and respect. That early lesson, that character matters more than credentials, shaped the attorney he became, and it's the reason 3-2-1 Legacy Liftoff exists. In this first episode, Stephen traces his path from Mercer Law School to a University of Florida tax LL.M. to a desk hidden behind a bo...

Legacy Liftoff is the podcast from Lacey Rezanka Law Firm for Florida families and high-net-worth individuals who want straight answers—and a plan that actually holds up when life gets complicated. We cut through the noise around avoiding probate, protecting assets, and minimizing tax exposure, with clear, practical guidance you can use to make confident decisions. Hosted by the attorneys at Lacey...