How Christian Smith, Esq. Is Redefining Estate Planning for Florida Families
In the quiet halls of the University of Dayton School of Law, Christian Smith was fighting a battle far beyond books and briefs. His grandfather had passed — a father figure, his hero — and what followed wasn’t just grief. It was probate: a yearlong legal quagmire that drained more than $40,000 from his family’s savings and strained relationships to the brink.
“I was in law school, learning how the system should work — while watching it break families apart in real life,” Smith recalls. “That experience didn’t just motivate me. It changed the entire course of my career.”
Today, Christian Smith is the founder of Smith Will & Trust, a Florida-based estate planning and elder law firm with one mission: to protect families from the chaos he once endured. With thousands of trusts and estate plans under his belt, and millions in client assets preserved, Smith has become one of Florida’s trusted names in strategic legacy protection.
From Military Roots to Legal Reformation
Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Christian’s early life was shaped by structure and service. Raised as a military brat while his mother served at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, he learned discipline, adaptability, and a deep respect for duty — values that still ground his legal philosophy.
After graduating with high honors in English Literature from the University of North Florida, Christian made the selfless choice to move north to Ohio to care for his aging grandfather. Law school followed, but his real education came through personal loss — and the costly, confusing probate process that trailed it.
That season of hardship birthed Smith Will & Trust, a firm rooted in compassion and driven by clarity.
The Turning Point: From Pain to Purpose
When Smith opened his practice, he didn’t want to be just another lawyer. He wanted to shield families — not only from probate, but from estate taxes, Medicaid recovery liens, family infighting, and the lifelong regret that comes from being unprepared.
“Probate isn’t just paperwork,” says Smith. “It’s trauma disguised as a legal process. Our job is to spare families from that.”
Smith Will & Trust was built to provide not just legal services but peace of mind. The firm’s process is streamlined, its strategies sophisticated, and its messaging unusually clear — a stark contrast to the industry’s maze of legalese.
Clients quickly noticed. So did Florida families in crisis. Within years, Smith’s firm had grown to serve clients across the state, offering everything from revocable living trusts and Medicaid protection trusts to tax minimization strategies and asset protection planning.
What Sets Smith Will & Trust Apart
Where many law firms treat estate planning as a checklist, Smith Will & Trust sees it as a calling. Every plan is personalized. Every client is educated. And every outcome is designed to do more than transfer wealth — it protects peace, preserves dignity, and prevents conflict.
What makes the firm unique?
- Preventive Planning: Smith’s strategies aim to avoid probate entirely, bypassing the courts and their delays.
- Medicaid Defense: He helps families avoid Medicaid liens that can wipe out assets after a loved one’s passing.
- Tax-Smart Solutions: By leveraging legal tools, the firm minimizes estate taxation to maximize what heirs receive.
- Family Harmony: Thoughtful planning reduces the risk of post-death disputes and family estrangement.
- Accessible Expertise: With a tone and style clients describe as “clear and caring,” Smith makes the complex understandable.
The results? Thousands of Florida families now rest easier, knowing their legacy is protected, their retirement secure, and their loved ones spared from future burdens.
More Than a Lawyer: A Floridian With a Family Mission
Today, Christian Smith lives in St. Petersburg near Weedon Island Preserve, where he and his wife enjoy kayaking and running the nature trails. He still plays tennis and ice hockey when he isn’t at the office — but make no mistake, his clients come first.
“I see this work as generational,” he explains. “You’re not just protecting assets — you’re protecting what matters most: your family, your values, and your legacy.”
It’s a sentiment he lives out with every client, every plan, every case.
Secure Your Legacy — Without the Stress
If you’ve ever worried about probate court, Medicaid liens, or leaving behind a tangled financial mess, it’s time to talk to Smith Will & Trust. Whether you’re building your wealth or preparing to pass it on, this Florida-based firm has the experience, heart, and legal horsepower to make sure your legacy lives on — drama-free and ironclad.
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