Florida Land Trust Lawyer: Privacy, Asset Protection And Probate Avoidance

Last updated on January 6, 2026

For property owners and investors in the Tampa Bay area, protecting valuable assets requires thoughtful planning. A land trust established under Florida law offers a powerful strategy for maintaining privacy and directing the future of your property.

Brown & Kimpton, P.A., located in Clearwater, offers this land trust guidance as part of our estate planning practice. Our founding attorney, Barbara Brown, has been practicing since 2002. She holds respected leadership roles in organizations like the Bay Area Real Estate Council and has been recognized for her work, including being featured in Tampa Magazine’s Top Lawyers.

Key Benefits Of A Florida Land Trust

A land trust, governed by the Florida Land Trust Act (F.S. § 689.071), provides two principal advantages for Tampa Bay property owners:

• Privacy of ownership: When our attorneys establish your land trust, only the trustee’s name is recorded in Pinellas County public records. This shields your identity as the beneficiary from public view, adding a layer of discretion and security for your holdings in the Tampa Bay area.
• Probate avoidance: Under Florida law, your beneficial interest in the trust is defined as personal property. This designation allows for the seamless transfer of the real estate to your designated successor upon death, bypassing the public and often lengthy court probate process entirely.

Our lawyers have extensive experience helping clients in the Tampa Bay area establish a land trust for their assets.

Strategic Asset Protection For Investors

For real estate investors, our approach in Clearwater involves creating tailored plans. We recommend and establish separate land trusts for each investment property. This critical strategy provides a structured form of asset protection by isolating liability. Our attorneys guide you through the two essential documents:

• The trust agreement, which outlines the terms and identifies the beneficiaries
• The deed in trust, which formally transfers the property into the trust

This process helps to ensure you retain maximum control while achieving your privacy and protection goals.

Your Clearwater Legal Resource For Property Strategy

If you own property in the Tampa Bay area and seek to secure privacy, avoid probate or structure your investments wisely, call Brown & Kimpton, P.A., at 813-576-3790.  We can also be reached via our online form.