Wills | Trusts | Estates
Straightforward, Personalized Legal Guidance for Central Florida
A Family-Oriented Hometown Law Office
At Lance A. Ragland, P.A., we help individuals and families understand and navigate all aspects of estate planning with respect, patience and care, priding ourselves on clear, direct communication and a no-nonsense approach.
Service to our community is central to our identity. Lance grew up in the community where he lives and works. He attended Lake Howell High School and received his undergraduate degree from the University of Central Florida. Upon obtaining his law degree from Stetson University, Lance returned home to practice law in the community in which he was raised. He has since raised his own family here and continues to serve our local community through his involvement with several local nonprofit charitable and community service organizations.
As a small, stable practice focused exclusively on matters related to the preparation and administration of wills and trusts, with relationships established through decades of living in this community, our advertising needs and efforts are minimal. Instead, we are able to concentrate all of our resources on doing what’s most important — helping our clients achieve peace of mind for a reasonable fee and without any unwanted pressure.
FOCUSED ON ESTATE PLANNING
With a singular focus on wills, trusts and estates/probate, Lance A. Ragland, P.A., offers a comprehensive suite of estate planning services, including not only the preparation of key documents that make up a complete plan, but also trust administration and representation during the probate process.
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A revocable living trust will direct how your assets will be managed and distributed to your children and/or other beneficiaries after you pass away. The trust will help to avoid probate, provide for the management and distribution of the assets of the trust to the beneficiaries as necessary, and can provide asset protection for your beneficiaries for the assets that are left for their benefit.
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If you are not executing a trust as part of your plan, a simple will can direct how your assets are to be distributed when you pass away and will allow you to nominate the person or persons that will be in charge of making the distributions directed by you.
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This document allows you to appoint someone to make financial decisions and manage financial affairs for you during your lifetime, as necessary.
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This document essentially directs that if you have been determined by two physicians to be in a “terminal condition,” an “end-stage condition” or a “persistent vegetative state” (these terms are defined by statute) with no reasonable medical probability of recovery that you don’t want to be kept alive artificially.
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This document will allow you to appoint someone to make medical decisions and manage medical affairs for you if you are unable to make those decisions on your own.
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Probate (or “estate administration” as it is sometimes referred to) is the court process of ensuring that your will is valid (if there is a will), determining who the proper beneficiaries are, determining who the valid creditors are, making sure that valid creditors are paid, and ultimately distributing the assets in accordance with the terms of the will or Florida law if there is no will.
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A trust administration is the process of getting the assets of the trust distributed to the beneficiaries in the manner directed by the maker of the trust. Unlike a probate, it is not a court process.
Meet Our Team
Lance
Attorney Lance Ragland opened his own law office in 2015 but has been practicing as a wills, trusts and estates attorney for more than 25 years.
Debbie
Debbie Durdin has served as a paralegal in wills, trusts and estates since 1999 and has worked with Lance since 2008.
Bailey
Bailey Nelson-Isaak is the newest addition to our team and is our lead estate planning paralegal.
Keri
Keri Ragland has been the office manager for Lance A. Ragland, P.A. since opening their doors in 2015.
Emma
Emma Gaedele has been working for Lance since 2020 as a legal assistant and file clerk.
Riley
Riley Ragland joined the firm in 2024. She is currently working as a legal assistant and file clerk.
Estate Planning Initial Consultation
We offer a free initial consultation to discuss your estate planning needs. During the first appointment, Lance will discuss your family and asset situation and determine what your estate planning needs and goals are. Generally, he will discuss the pros and cons of a Trust versus a Will, and quote a flat price for either plan so that you may make an educated decision regarding which plan is right for you and your family.
If you choose not to move forward, the consultation is still free and there is no further obligation. If you decide to hire Lance to prepare a plan for you, the second half of the appointment will be for obtaining the necessary information to draft those documents.
Once the documents have been drafted, you will return for a second appointment to review and sign them. During that appointment, we will review the prepared documents with you, make any necessary changes during the meeting and provide the required witnesses and notary to complete the execution of the documents.
After the documents are signed, we will go over with you and provide written instructions regarding the transfer of certain assets into your trust and the designation of your trust as a beneficiary of certain other assets.
“Lance was a consummate professional in guiding us through trust planning. Explained every step of the process in clear and understandable terms.”
“Lance was very professional and knowledgeable. He continues to follow up with me as laws change to keep my estate current.”
“He made us feel comfortable discussing our personal life, and his compassion and understanding of our needs helped relieve our concerns.”
Contact Us
Office:
5750 Canton Ct.
Winter Springs, FL 32708
Hours:
Monday - Friday
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Email: debbie@lraglandlaw.com
Phone: 407.960.6069
Fax: 407.960.6091