Shannon Smith, Attorney at Law

09/08/2026

Have you ever thought about what would happen to your digital life if something happened to you?

Think about how much of our lives now exists online:

Photos stored in the cloud.
Social media accounts.
Email.
Online banking.
Automatic payments and subscriptions.
Digital business records.
Even cryptocurrency or other digital assets.

Most of us have accumulated years of digital information, but our families may have no idea what exists—or how to access it.

Digital assets are becoming an increasingly important part of estate planning. It’s worth thinking about what accounts and digital property you have, what you would want to happen to them, and whether the appropriate person would have the legal authority and information necessary to handle them.

This doesn't mean writing all of your passwords on a piece of paper and putting it in a drawer! It means having an organized plan for your digital life just as you would for your other important assets.

Here's a little challenge for this week:

Take five minutes and think about how many online accounts and digital assets you actually have.

You might be surprised by the answer!

Estate planning has changed a lot because the way we live has changed. A good plan should account for that too.

This post is for general educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. Estate planning laws vary by jurisdiction and individual circumstances. Consult with an attorney regarding your specific situation.

08/31/2026

Here’s an estate planning question you may not have thought about lately:

If something happened tomorrow and you couldn’t handle your own affairs for a period of time, who would step in?

Most people think about estate planning in terms of what happens after we die. But a good estate plan also considers what happens while we’re still here.

Who could handle your financial affairs if you couldn’t?

Who could make health care decisions for you?

Would the people you trust actually have the legal authority they need to help?

Documents such as a Durable Power of Attorney and Health Care Surrogate Designation can be an important part of making sure the right people are able to step in when needed.

And here’s something else worth considering: if you prepared these documents years ago, are the people you named then still the people you would choose today?

Life changes. Relationships change. The people we trust and rely upon can change too.

Estate planning isn’t only about having documents in a folder somewhere. It’s about making sure those documents still reflect your life and your wishes today.

So, a little question for the week:

When was the last time you looked at WHO you named in your estate planning documents?

This post is for general educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. Estate planning laws vary by jurisdiction and individual circumstances. Consult with an attorney regarding your specific situation.

08/27/2026

A question I hear often is: “If I already have beneficiaries listed on my accounts, do I really need an estate plan?”

Beneficiary designations are certainly an important part of planning, but they aren't a substitute for a complete estate plan.

An estate plan addresses much more than simply who receives a particular account. It can address who will make financial or health care decisions for you if you become unable to make them yourself, how and when your loved ones receive assets, who will handle your affairs, and what happens to property that doesn't pass through a beneficiary designation.

It's also important to remember that beneficiary designations and your estate planning documents need to work together. An outdated beneficiary designation can sometimes produce a very different result than what you intended in your will or trust.

Good estate planning isn't just about having documents. It's about making sure all the pieces of your plan actually work together.

When was the last time you checked the beneficiaries listed on your retirement accounts, life insurance policies, or other accounts?

This post is for general educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. Estate planning laws vary by jurisdiction and individual circumstances. Consult with an attorney regarding your specific situation.

08/18/2026

Have your kids turned 18?

Does that mean it’s time to throw out your estate plan and start over? Not necessarily—but it may be time for a review.

When your children were younger, one of the most important decisions in your estate plan was likely naming the person you wanted to serve as their guardian if something happened to you.

But once your child becomes a legal adult, that guardianship designation generally no longer applies to them.

So does that blow up your whole estate plan? Usually, no.

But it IS a great reminder that an estate plan shouldn’t be something you create once and forget about. As your children grow up, your family changes, your assets change, and your wishes may change too.

Maybe the person you chose as guardian years ago is also named in other important roles. Maybe your children are now old enough that you want to reconsider when and how they receive an inheritance. Or maybe your plan simply hasn’t been looked at in years.

Estate planning should grow and change along with your family.

When was the last time you actually looked at yours? 💙

This post is for general educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. Estate planning laws vary by jurisdiction and individual circumstances. Consult with an attorney regarding your specific situation.

08/12/2026

Estate planning isn’t just about what happens someday. It’s about making things easier for the people you love. 💙

Think about this:

If something unexpected happened to you, would your family know…

Where your important documents are?

Who to contact?

Who you would want making financial or medical decisions for you?

What accounts, insurance policies, or other assets you have?

What you would want to happen next?

These aren’t always comfortable questions, but answering them now can save your family from having to figure everything out during an already difficult time.

A good estate plan isn’t about expecting the worst. It’s about making sure the people you love aren’t left guessing.

This week, take 10 minutes and ask yourself: Would my family know what to do if I couldn’t tell them?

If the answer is “probably not,” that might be a good place to start.

— Shannon Smith, Esq.
Florida & California Attorney

For educational purposes only. This post does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship.

08/02/2026

This week is bittersweet in our house. Like so many families, we’re getting ready for another school year, and it’s hard to believe how quickly the years go by.

This time of year always brings a mix of excitement and emotion.
We’re buying school supplies, checking class schedules, packing backpacks and wondering how another school year arrived so quickly.

Every new school year is another reminder of how quickly our children grow. Before we know it, they’re heading off to college, starting careers, getting married, and building families of their own.

As an estate planning attorney, I’ve learned that preparing for life’s milestones isn’t just about legal documents—it’s about giving the people we love the peace of mind that comes from being prepared.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing practical tips to help families navigate life’s transitions with confidence. Whether your child is starting kindergarten, high school, or college, I hope you’ll follow along. I’d love to hear from you…

What milestone is your family celebrating this school year?

🎒 First day of kindergarten?
📚 Middle school?
🎓 High school?
🏫 College?
❤️ Another exciting chapter?

Share in the comments—I love celebrating these special moments with our community!

07/24/2026

A question for you...

Have you ever said, "We really need to get our estate plan done," and then life just got busy?

You're definitely not alone.

Between work, kids' activities, vacations, and everything else on our calendars, it's easy to put estate planning on the "I'll get to it later" list.

The interesting thing is that estate planning isn't really about preparing for the worst—it's about making life a little easier for the people you love if the unexpected ever happens.

I've found that the families who have the most peace of mind aren't necessarily the ones with the biggest estates. They're the ones who have a plan.

So I'm curious...

👉 What's the biggest thing that's kept you from getting your estate plan in place?

No judgment—I'd genuinely love to hear your thoughts.

07/15/2026

Sending your child off to college this year?

Many parents don't realize that once a child turns 18, parents no longer automatically have access to important medical or educational information.

That means if your college student has a medical emergency, is hospitalized, or needs assistance handling financial matters, you may be unable to help without the proper legal documents in place.

A few important documents every family should consider once a child turns 18:

✔️ Durable Power of Attorney
✔️ Health Care Surrogate Designation
✔️ HIPAA Authorization
✔️ FERPA Authorization

These simple documents can provide tremendous peace of mind for both parents and students.

As both an estate planning attorney and a mom, I know how exciting (and emotional!) this season of life can be.

Have you talked with your college student about these issues yet?

Feel free to reach out if you have questions.

📞 (877) 226-7960
🌐 www.armentroutandassociates.com
📧 [email protected]

Estate Planning Law Firm, Trusts, Wills, Healthcare Planning, Power of Attorney, Business Planning, LLCs, Corporations, Asset Protection, Trustee Services, Armentrout & Associates, Ltd.

07/09/2026

📣 Exciting news!

Over the past several months, I've been thinking about how I can better educate and serve families in our community—not just when they need an attorney, but before they ever face a legal issue.

That's why I'm excited to introduce a new weekly series called **Legal Minute with Shannon Smith**.

Each week, I'll share a short, easy-to-understand video covering practical legal tips for life's biggest milestones—from sending a child off to college, to creating an estate plan, protecting your family, planning for aging parents, avoiding probate, and more.

My goal is simple: to make legal information approachable, practical, and easy to understand so you can make informed decisions for yourself and your loved ones.

As an estate planning attorney and proud Lake Nona resident, I'm excited to share this journey with you and hope these videos become a valuable resource for you, your family, and our community.

I'd love to hear from you! What life planning or estate planning topic would you like me to cover in a future Legal Minute? Leave your ideas in the comments—they may inspire an upcoming episode!

Thank you for following along. I can't wait to get started!

– Shannon Smith, Esq.
Of Counsel | Armentrout & Associates

01/20/2026

TIMESHARES!!! This week, we assisted a couple in transferring their vacation club timeshare into their trust. Deed transfers are an integral component of estate planning, yet often overlooked. If you or someone you know owns an interest in a timeshare/Disney Vacation Club/Marriott Vacation Club, we can ensure seamless inclusion within a new or existing trust and discuss various options for managing these properties. Please do not hesitate to reach out for our expertise.