Take Charge of Life’s Transitions

Estate & Medicaid Planning | Wills | Trusts | Probate | Elder Law | Business Consulting

Call Us Today

Take Charge of Life’s Transitions

Estate & Medicaid Planning | Wills | Trusts | Probate | Elder Law | Business Consulting

CALL US TODAY

Customized Estate Plans as Unique as You and Your Family

The Tessier Law Firm’s mission is to empower our clients to take charge of their most challenging life transitions. We provide empathetic legal counseling services primarily focused in the areas of Wills and Trusts, Probate and Administration of Estates, Elder Law, and Long-Term Care Planning. We proudly serve Central Florida, including:


  • Polk — Lakeland, Winter Haven, Bartow, Haines City, Lake Wales, Auburndale, Champions Gate, and Davenport
  • DeSoto — Arcadia, Nocatee, Fort Ogden, Lake Suzy, Brownville, Hull, and Hidden Acres
  • Hardee — Wauchula, Bowling Green, Zolfo Springs, Fort Greens, Gardner, Limestone, Sweetwater, and Crewsville
  • Highland — Sebring, Avon Park, Lake Placid, Lake Istokpoga, Venus, Placid Lakes, Sylvan, Shores, Spring Lake, Sun 'n Lake of Sebring,  Avon Park Lakes, Desoto City, Brighton, Fort Basinger, For Kissimmee, Cornwell, and Hicora


Wherever you are in these communities, The Tessier Law Firm is here to guide you with clarity, empathy, and expertise.

Senior Signing Documents — Winter Haven, FL — The Tessier Law Firm

Estate Planning Done Right

Our firm is dedicated to providing you with quality estate planning resources, so you can become familiar with all of the existing options. When you visit or call our office, we want you to feel comfortable discussing such an important issue concerning both you and your family. We want to arm you with the information you need to make an informed decision about your family’s future.

Family on beach— Winter Haven, FL — The Tessier Law Firm

Holistic Estate Planning

To many, will planning and estate planning are one and the same. Both provide your relatives with instructions about how your property should be handled after your death. However, our holistic estate planning approach goes even further to outline your wishes regarding your health, finances, and your personal legacy, even while you’re living. 

What Will Your Legacy Be?

A legacy is what you will hand down to future generations. It may be money or property left to family, or donations to charity. But more importantly, it can be your teachings and wisdom, your core values, and a lifetime of accrued experiences. You will live on in the hearts of your friends and family through cherished memories of shared experiences. That’s true family wealth.

The Tessier Law Firm can help you with true Family Wealth planning, dealing with ALL of the aspects of our lives that will impact our legacy even more than just our finances. It’s what we try to do at our firm - we strive to make a difference. In our case, it’s one family at a time. This comprehensive view of your wealth is what we are all about.

What Will Your Legacy Be?

A legacy is what you will hand down to future generations. It may be money or property left to family, or donations to charity. But more importantly, it can be your teachings and wisdom, your core values, and a lifetime of accrued experiences. You will live on in the hearts of your friends and family through cherished memories of shared experiences. That’s true family wealth.

The Tessier Law Firm can help you with true Family Wealth planning, dealing with ALL of the aspects of our lives that will impact our legacy even more than just our finances. It’s what we try to do at our firm - we strive to make a difference. In our case, it’s one family at a time. This comprehensive view of your wealth is what we are all about.

Family on beach — Winter Haven, FL — The Tessier Law Firm

What’s the Difference Between a Will and a Trust? 

Many people have heard the terms “will” and “trust,” but it is often not clear what the differences are between the two. Both are useful estate planning documents that help you distribute your assets in a way that YOU control, rather than the state. However, they have different advantages and disadvantages, and can serve different purposes. They also can work together to create a comprehensive estate plan. A major distinction between a will and a trust is that a will takes effect only after you die, but a trust is in force as soon as you create it, and can bring benefits while you are still alive.

A Will

A will is a foundational document that directs who will inherit your property only upon your death. It assigns a legal representative to carry out your wishes. You can override default state inheritance schemes and give your property to whomever you choose. A will in Florida must be filed with the court and needs to go through a probate proceeding (with some limited exceptions).

A Trust

A trust is a legal arrangement through which one person (or an institution, such as a bank or law firm), called a “trustee,” holds legal title to property for another person, called a “beneficiary.” A trust usually has two types of beneficiaries — one set that receives income from the trust during their lives and another set that receives whatever is left over after the first set of beneficiaries dies. Having a trust enables you to avoid an expensive and time-consuming probate process, helps keep your personal information private, and streamlines the handling of your affairs both while you are alive and potentially incapacitated or disabled, and then when you pass away.

Family on beach — Winter Haven, FL — The Tessier Law Firm

What’s the Difference Between a Will and a Trust? 

Many people have heard the terms “will” and “trust,” but it is often not clear what the differences are between the two. Both are useful estate planning documents that help you distribute your assets in a way that YOU control, rather than the state. However, they have different advantages and disadvantages, and can serve different purposes. They also can work together to create a comprehensive estate plan. A major distinction between a will and a trust is that a will takes effect only after you die, but a trust is in force as soon as you create it, and can bring benefits while you are still alive.

A Will

A will is a foundational document that directs who will inherit your property only upon your death. It assigns a legal representative to carry out your wishes. You can override default state inheritance schemes and give your property to whomever you choose. A will in Florida must be filed with the court and needs to go through a probate proceeding (with some limited exceptions).

A Trust

A trust is a legal arrangement through which one person (or an institution, such as a bank or law firm), called a “trustee,” holds legal title to property for another person, called a “beneficiary.” A trust usually has two types of beneficiaries — one set that receives income from the trust during their lives and another set that receives whatever is left over after the first set of beneficiaries dies. Having a trust enables you to avoid an expensive and time-consuming probate process, helps keep your personal information private, and streamlines the handling of your affairs both while you are alive and potentially incapacitated or disabled, and then when you pass away.

How We Can Help

Elder Law — Winter Haven, FL — The Tessier Law Firm

Elder Law
Estate Planning — Winter Haven, FL — The Tessier Law Firm

Estate Planning
Family-Owned Businesses — Winter Haven, FL — The Tessier Law Firm

Family-Owned Businesses
Incapacity Planning — Winter Haven, FL — The Tessier Law Firm

Incapacity Planning
IRA & Retirement Planning — Winter Haven, FL — The Tessier Law Firm
Legacy Planning — Winter Haven, FL — The Tessier Law Firm
LGBTQ Estate Planning — Winter Haven, FL — The Tessier Law Firm
Pet Planning — Winter Haven, FL — The Tessier Law Firm
Special Needs Planning — Winter Haven, FL — The Tessier Law Firm
Trust Administration & Probate — Winter Haven, FL — The Tessier Law Firm

See What Our Clients are Saying About Us

For more information, or to schedule a consultation, call us at 863-220-7927.