Lauren Nagel Richardson

Lauren Richardson moved to Gainesville in 1993 to complete an LLM in Taxation at UF Law. Since then, she has focused her practice on protecting families and property through estate planning, guardianship, probate, special needs, and elder law. She also serves as co-counsel on wrongful death, personal injury and probate and trust litigation cases. Lauren's probate practice is Statewide. All other areas are throughout North Florida. Free phone consult. Reasonable fees.

• Free Consultation
  Free phone consultation relating to Estate Planning, Probate, Guardianship, Trust Administration, Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect, Elder Law, Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, and Wrongful Death cases.
• Credit Cards Accepted
• Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
  Other forms of payment: Checks Cash Money Order

Florida

Since 1996

Founding Attorney

Lauren Richardson Law, PLLC

2020 - Current

Of Counsel to Bogin, Munns & Munns, P. A.

2019 - 2020

Continuing to provide affordable and compassionate legal services in estate planning, probate, guardianship and elder law in Gainesville and surrounding areas. Now with the support of a law firm with 12 offices in Central Florida and North Central Florida. Free phone consultations. Statewide Florida Probate. Flat fees for summary administration and some estate planning.

Founding Attorney

Lauren Richardson Law, PLLC

2017 - 2019

Serving North Florida in estate planning, probate, guardianship, elder law and some family law matters. Also probate administration Statewide. LLM in Taxation. 20 years experience. Welcoming and professional. I will meet you at your home, nursing home or hospital if you are unable to come to my office.

Attorney

Knellinger, Jacobson & Associates

2011 - 2017

practicing probate administration Statewide and estate planning, probate, guardianship, wills, trusts, elder law, and some family law throughout North Florida.

University of Florida

LL.M. (1997) | Taxation

1993 - 1997

Tax Thesis: Private Inurement After the United Cancer Council Case

Florida State University College of Law

J.D. (1993) | Law

1990 - 1993

Honors: Graduated Magna Cum Laude; Book Awards: Constitutional Law, Intellectual Property

Activities: President: National Association of Public Interest Lawyers

Rollins College

B.A. (1990) | Philosophy

1984 - 1990

Honors: Bruce Wavell Philosophy Prize; NEH Younger Scholars Award

Pro Bono Service Award

Three Rivers Legal Services

2021

Pro Bono Service Award

Three Rivers Legal Services

2020

Pro Bono Service Award

Three Rivers Legal Services

2019

Pro Bono Service Award

Three Rivers Legal Services

2018

Pro Bono Service Award

Three Rivers Legal Services/Southern Legal Counsel

2017

The Florida Bar  # 0083119

Member

Current

Eighth Judicial Circuit Bar Association

Board Member

Current

Q. Is a will valid with only one living witness if not contested?

March 25, 2025

A: Yes a will can be admitted to probate if one or more of the witnesses is deceased. If the will is self-proving, meaning that certain attestation clauses are included in the signature area, then witnesses are not contacted in the probate case at all. If that attestation clause is absent, then the living witness can sign an oath of witness to will in front of the clerk of court. If living witness is not available, then a disinterested person such as your attorney can sign a proof of will in front of the clerk of court.

Q. Options to recover shared expenses as personal representative in Florida estate.

March 23, 2025

A: If there are no non-exempt assets, there are no assets from which the Court would enter an order directing that you be reimbursed, the reason being that the probate court only has jurisdictions over the assets of the estate. So, yes, the Court does order that the heirs pay any debts for which claims may be filed after the issuance of the judge's orders, but again, that would only be from non-exempt assets that the heirs actually received. So it wouldn't matter if you had actually been appointed PR in a formal administration or did what you have done--getting an order signed in a summary administration--if there are no non-exempt assets, then there are no assets out of which the Court could order that expenses be reimbursed.

So unfortunately, this is a matter between you and your siblings to negotiate outside the estate. The last opportunity that you would have, failing any such family agreement, is when (and if) the homestead is sold, you can require that the unpaid final expenses be reimbursed to you as a seller's cost before the net proceeds of sale are distributed in equal shares to the owners. You have leverage, because the other heirs are going to want the real estate closing to go through, because if they don't agree to you being reimbursed from the proceeds of sale a seller's costyou ... Read More

Q. Is a notarized will enough for inheritance, including lawsuit proceeds, in FL?

March 3, 2025

A: If you are listed as what is called the remainder beneficiary to receive the "rest, residue, and remainder" of the estate, then you would be entitled to any asset that was part of that remainder including proceeds from settlement. The remainder would not include any asset that passed outside the estate such as a bank account or life insurance that has a payable on death beneficiary.