Shelly Wald, a member of Shutts & Bowen’s Trusts & Estates Department, spoke about the probate process at a National Business Institute Training Seminar for attorneys on December 10, 2010. Ms. Wald gave a step-by-step explanation of the analysis necessary to determine a spouse's right to the elective share. The elective share is a surviving spouse’s right to a portion of a decedent’s estate and is an important consideration when representing a widow or widower in an estate administration. Sample computations were presented to the audience to illustrate how to determine the size of the elective share as well. Additionally, Ms. Wald wrote the chapter in the seminar textbook on this subject which was distributed to all attendees.
Ms. Wald works with individuals and families of high net worth and is one of a limited number of Florida attorneys who is Board Certified in Wills, Trusts and Estates, by the Florida Bar. She focuses exclusively on estate planning and trust and estate administration in Shutts & Bowen's West Palm Beach office, and has extensive experience in this field.