Florida Real Estate Attorney — for the questions transactions don't answer.
Truestead Law represents Florida property owners on the matters that shape what you own and how it passes on. We don't handle closings. We focus on the ownership questions that closings don't address — titling, structure, disputes, and the long-term consequences of how Florida real estate is held.
Real estate as a piece of a larger plan.
Most Florida real estate work happens at the closing table. The deed gets signed, the title gets recorded, and the matter is considered handled. But the closing is only one moment in the life of the property. The questions that matter most often come before — or long after — that signing.
How should the property be titled? Should it sit inside a trust, an LLC, or in joint names? What are the homestead consequences? What happens when one owner dies, divorces, or wants to sell? What are the tax implications of holding, transferring, or exchanging the property?
Truestead exists for those questions. We provide ongoing real estate counsel to Florida property owners — individuals, families, and small business owners — who want their property decisions to fit into a larger financial and estate plan.
How we represent Florida property owners.
The way a Florida property is titled has lifelong consequences. Joint tenancy with rights of survivorship, tenancy by the entireties, trust ownership, LLC ownership, and life estates each have different tax, creditor, and inheritance implications. We help property owners choose the structure that matches their goals — and restructure when their circumstances change.
Quitclaim deeds, warranty deeds, lady bird deeds, life estate deeds, and trust transfers. We prepare and record the documents that change how a property is held — outside of a closing transaction.
Independent counsel for buyers and sellers who want a lawyer reviewing the contract before they sign. We do not handle the closing itself; we review terms, negotiate revisions, identify risks, and advise on whether the deal protects your interests.
Structuring like-kind exchanges, working with qualified intermediaries, and coordinating with your CPA and financial advisor on the broader tax and investment implications.
Boundary disputes, easement disputes, quiet title actions, partition actions, and disagreements between co-owners. Whether you're seeking to clear a title, enforce a right, or resolve a disagreement with a neighbor or co-owner, we provide counsel and litigation representation.
Florida's homestead protection is unique and powerful. We advise property owners on establishing, maintaining, and structuring around homestead status — including the planning implications when homestead property passes to heirs.
Disagreements with a homeowners association or condominium board over assessments, restrictions, enforcement, or governance.
Transferring property into a revocable or irrevocable trust, an LLC, or another holding structure — and managing the ongoing implications.
Real estate and estate planning are closely connected. See how we handle homestead planning and trust structures — and when they intersect with your property.
Counsel, not just paperwork.
Real estate is rarely just real estate. A property is also a marital asset, an estate asset, a tax position, a creditor target, and, often, a source of family meaning. The legal questions that affect a Florida property reach into estate planning, business law, tax planning, and elder law.
We treat real estate work that way. Every property matter we handle is connected to the larger questions that surround it — and our clients benefit from having one firm that can see the whole picture.
We do not handle residential or commercial closings. Closings are well served by Florida title companies and closing-focused firms. Our role is upstream: the planning, structuring, and dispute work that closings don't address.
The Florida property owners we serve.
Foreign Nationals Buying
Florida Real Estate.
Arthur Simpson is a Florida-licensed attorney and holds the CIPS (Certified International Property Specialist) designation — the NAR credential for cross-border real estate practice. He advises foreign national buyers on the legal structure behind their Florida transactions before a contract is ever signed.
International purchases carry legal exposure that domestic deals don't. Direct personal ownership by a non-U.S. person can trigger a 40% estate tax on Florida property above $60,000, withholding of up to 15% of the gross sales price at resale under FIRPTA, and beneficial ownership disclosure requirements under FinCEN rules. The right structure — established before the purchase contract — eliminates most of these risks.
Schedule a Consultation See our full International & Cross-Border practice →Services for Foreign National Buyers
- → FIRPTA withholding analysis & certificates
- → LLC & trust formation for foreign buyers
- → Estate planning for non-U.S. persons
- → FinCEN beneficial ownership compliance
- → U.S.–foreign tax treaty analysis
- → Deed structuring & ownership title review
Arthur is the founder of GCRID — the Global Coalition for Real Estate, Investment & Development — which publishes daily intelligence on every major cross-border real estate corridor, including FIRPTA law, foreign buyer trends, and international deal structuring.
Read GCRID Intelligence → gcrid.orgAnswers to Florida's most-asked real estate questions.
Real estate attorney near you in Florida.
We prepare deeds, review contracts, and resolve title questions for property owners across Florida — by phone, video, and secure e-signing. Find your city:
Latest from GCRID
Daily cross-border real estate intelligence from GCRID — the Global Coalition for Real Estate, Investment & Development, founded by Arthur Simpson.
- The Week in Corridors: The Rules Changed and the Buyers Shifted Anyway — September 4, 2026September 4, 2026 · GCRID Intelligence
- FinCEN's New Rules: GTOs Are Dead, Nationwide RRE Reporting BeginsSeptember 3, 2026 · GCRID Intelligence
- Real Estate as Development Tool: Building Incentive Frameworks That WorkSeptember 2, 2026 · GCRID Intelligence
Frequently asked questions.
No. We do not represent buyers or sellers at the closing table. Florida has a robust ecosystem of title companies and closing-focused firms that handle that work. Truestead focuses on the planning and ownership questions that closings don't address — and we frequently work alongside closing firms to make sure our clients' transactions fit the larger plan.
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Trust ownership avoids probate but can affect homestead protection, property tax assessments, and creditor exposure. The right answer depends on your goals, your family structure, and your other planning. This is exactly the kind of question we help families work through.
A lady bird deed — formally, an enhanced life estate deed — is a Florida planning tool that lets you transfer property to your heirs at death without probate while retaining full control during your life. It can be a useful tool, but it is not right for every situation. Florida is one of only a handful of states that recognize this type of deed.
Yes. We handle real property disputes, including boundary, easement, quiet title, and partition matters.
Yes. We expect to. The best property and planning decisions are made with input from your tax and financial advisors, and we welcome those conversations.
Talk to us before you sign.
Whether you're titling a new Florida property, restructuring ownership, planning a deed transfer, or working through a title issue — the right time to bring in counsel is before decisions are made, not after.
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