Understanding a Specific Bequests Broward Will
When you create a will in Florida, you can create specific bequests of your assets. Bequests are gifts in your last will and testament in which you leave something specific to your intended beneficiary. You can make specific bequests that include gifts of cash, tangible personal property, or real property. Once any remaining debts, funeral expenses, and costs of administration have been paid, any specific bequests you have made will be transferred to your beneficiaries through your will’s residuary bequest. Depending on your will, your specific bequests could either represent a small or large portion of the gifts you make. Attorney Rhonda D. Zimmerman, Esq. has more than two decades of experience helping her clients draft last wills and testaments, including making specific bequests. Recently, a Florida woman made a sizeable specific bequest to her local sheriff’s department that made the news.
Specific Bequest Made to Sheriff’s Department
Pamela Mobb was a 90-year-old resident of Florida who lived in Volusia County. She was a dog lover who had always believed that K-9 dogs used by law enforcement agencies should be provided with bulletproof vests to protect them. In her last will and testament, Ms. Mobb left a specific bequest of $32,856.52 to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Department so that it could purchase bulletproof vests for its police dogs. She passed away in Oct. 2020.
According to her daughter, Ms. Mobb was raised by her grandfather, and he had a guard dog that protected the property that she loved. Her daughter reportedly took her to Daytona Beach to see a K-9 dog demonstration, and she loved the experience. She wanted K-9 police dogs to be fitted with vests because they are the first inside when the police are attempting to find and apprehend suspects.
The K-9 unit at the Volusia County Sheriff’s Department includes 18 dogs. These dogs are used to detect explosives and drugs, assist in search-and-rescue efforts, and help with making arrests. In 2020, two of the dogs in the K-9 unit were shot and injured.
Body armor for K-9 dogs helps to protect them from being shot or stabbed. Ms. Mobb’s bequest will also help other K-9 dogs in the future. The Sheriff’s Department said that her gift will benefit the public and the law enforcement agency for years.
German shepherds are often used by law enforcement agencies as K-9s because of their intelligence, ability to work for many hours without growing tired, and responsiveness to commands. The breed is also protective, calm, athletic, and quick. It can cost between $12,000 and $15,000 to train a K-9 dog for a law enforcement agency. The dogs are frequently trained somewhere else before they are delivered to the agencies where they will work. They are matched with officers who are suited to them, and the officers often take their K-9 dogs home to care for them.
Get Help With Specific Bequests Broward Will
If you want to make a specific bequest in your last will and testament, you should speak with Broward estate planning attorney Rhonda D. Zimmerman, Esq. She can help you draft a will that will accurately reflect your wishes and ensure that they will be followed. Call the Law Offices of Rhonda D. Zimmerman, Esq. today at (954) 822-7566.
