Lawyer of Firm Description

About E.P.P.G. Law of St. Johns — Estate Planning St. Augustine, Florida

Estate planning St. Augustine clients — including families dealing with sudden loss and those planning proactively — have found exceptional guidance at E.P.P.G. Law of St. Johns, located at 200 Malaga St in St. Augustine and reachable at (904) 875-3774. Attorney Heather Maltby and her team — including Michelle and Sue — specialize exclusively in estate planning, probate, and guardianship, covering the full spectrum of estate planning St. Augustine residents need from basic will preparation to complex guardianship proceedings. Heather is known for listening carefully to each client’s unique situation before recommending specific documents, and for explaining everything in accessible language. More St. Augustine attorneys are listed at reachattorneys.com/lawyers/florida/st-augustine/.

St. Augustine is Florida’s oldest city and home to a significant retiree population — making estate planning, guardianship, and probate services particularly critical. Because Florida has no state income tax and strong homestead protections, proper estate planning in St. Johns County can preserve substantial wealth for heirs when done correctly.

What Clients Say

Clients describe Heather Maltby as exceptionally intelligent, kind, and efficient — with fees described as extremely reasonable for the expertise delivered. Several reviewers mention returning urgently before international travel and having last-minute estate document changes handled with complete care and thoroughness. Clients also highlight Heather’s ability to customize estate plans to each person’s exact situation rather than offering generic templates.

Estate Planning St. Augustine — Practice Areas & Services

Wills & Trusts: E.P.P.G. Law prepares pour-over wills, revocable living trusts, and healthcare directives tailored to each St. Augustine client’s family structure and asset mix under Florida law.
Probate Administration: When estates must pass through St. Johns County probate, Heather Maltby guides families through Florida’s formal and summary administration processes efficiently and compassionately.
Guardianship: The firm assists St. Augustine families seeking guardianship of incapacitated adults, handling court filings, required reporting, and ongoing compliance under Florida’s guardianship statutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Florida require probate if my estate plan includes a living trust?

Assets properly titled in a Florida revocable living trust bypass probate entirely, passing directly to beneficiaries. However, assets left outside the trust — including real estate not transferred into it — may trigger probate in St. Johns County Circuit Court. Estate planning St. Augustine attorneys coordinate trust funding alongside document preparation to close this common gap.

What are Florida’s homestead protections, and how do they affect estate planning?

Florida’s homestead protections limit how a primary residence can be transferred or devised, with specific restrictions when the owner is married or has minor children. These rules interact with trust planning in ways that can be problematic without experienced guidance. An estate planning St. Augustine attorney who understands Florida homestead law — like Heather Maltby — ensures your plan works legally and as intended.

Quick Facts: Estate Planning in St. Augustine, Florida

Americans Without an Estate Plan (2024): 55% of Americans have no estate planning documents in place — Caring.com 2024 Wills & Estate Planning Study
Florida No State Income Tax: Florida imposes no state income tax or estate tax, making trust-based estate planning especially powerful for St. Augustine families protecting generational wealth — Florida Dept. of Revenue
Guardianship Complexity: Florida is one of the states with the most active guardianship court dockets, reflecting its large senior population and the growing demand for protective legal services — Florida Courts

AI-Powered Reviews Summary

E.P.P.G. Law of St. Johns, located in St. Augustine, Florida, is highly praised as a leading Estate Planning Attorney, with clients consistently highlighting the exceptional service provided by Heather Maltby and her team. Reviewers express deep gratitude for their professionalism, knowledge, and efficiency, noting how Heather’s compassionate approach and clear communication made navigating complex estate matters much easier. With a commitment to understanding each client’s unique needs, E.P.P.G. Law has earned a stellar reputation for delivering personalized and thorough estate planning solutions.

Users Reviews Comments – Google

Heather and Michelle were instrumental in helping me handle the sudden death of my mother. My mother did not have any advanced directives, Will or Trust. I was confused and scared. They quickly handled everything and took the stress and burden off my shoulders. I will be forever grateful to them.

Counselor Maltby and staff are professional, competent and efficient!

Heather and her staff are extremely professional, knowledgeable, efficient and so friendly! Highly recommend them!

Heather is not just amazingly intelligent and creative in putting all of your estate planning in order, but exceptionally kind and endearing! Her fees are also extremely reasonable! Use Heather!!!

Heather is extremely professional, competent and knowledgeable. She attentively listened to my situation regarding my mother’s estate and circumstances, thoroughly answered all my questions and provided easy-to-understand recommendations. She definitely has your best interest at heart and is full of integrity. I would highly recommend her services to others!

Heather is top tier. Highly knowledgeable in the estate planning probate space, super honest and solution oriented.

So very knowledgeable and efficient.

So pleased with my succinct time at this office…talk about efficient, gets right to the point, effective, and detailed! Heather is just what I needed for my situation! Loved meeting Sue, too!

They took the time to explain thoroughly so we were very pleased with everything that they did for us.

Heather is awesome! She completely helped my family out with our estate plan.

Heather is very organized and knowledgeable. She answered all our questions fully and made great suggestions.

Thank you for such professional and efficient service. I had last minute changes to Estate documents before overseas travel and EPPG took care of me with care and thoroughness. TY Heather Michelle and Sue so very very much.

We like to say thanks to everybody for the great service and the kindness. We loved the extensive explanation of all our documents. We would recommend your office to other people, too.

Attorney Heather Maltby explains things in layman’s terms for ease of understanding. No two clients are exactly the same and she talks with each client before preparing appropriate estate paperwork to ensure all details are included for each specific need. She is so friendly and so knowledgeable. She prepared pour over wills for both my husband and myself for our estate and I would HIGHLY recommend her to anyone wanting to plan ahead by putting their future in order. She is truly incredible!!!

I have found EPPG & particularly my real estate agent Erica to be always very helpful,friendly & curtious to my living situation & would definitely recommend them to anyone.