Valentine’s Day is a reminder how important it is to show the special people in our lives just how much we love them. South Florida estate planning is the perfect gift for achieving this. By getting your estate plan in order, you are essentially saying, “I want to make sure you are well taken care of and protected…. physically, financially and emotionally, no matter what happens in life. With this ultimate gift, I want to protect you today, tomorrow, and long after I am gone.” If that doesn’t express true and endless love, I don’t know what will.

After all, we strive to protect our loved ones on a daily basis. We pay for health insurance just in case our children get sick. We pay for car insurance just in case our spouses get into an accident. We save money in a pre-paid college plan just in case our children need help paying for school. Do you see how we consistently plan for life’s “what if’s;” however, we rarely stop to consider life’s “certainty?” The death rate in South Florida is 100 percent. South Florida estate planning protects your family and helps eliminate any tax burden you might shoulder after you are gone.

Don’t just tell that special someone in your life or your beloved family members just how much you love them. Show them by setting an appointment with your South Florida estate planning attorney today. You will be guided through the entire process on how to make sure your loved ones are well-taken care of this Valentine season.

For more information on how to plan for you business’ future, contact our South Florida law firm of Wild, Felice & Partners, PA for a free consultation at (954) 944-2855.

It’s a Wild world. Are you protected?SM

Many of us struggle with the concept of death and become torn by conflicting feelings of reality and what we believe won’t happen. Deep down, we all know that one day we will die. However, we believe it won’t happen today or tomorrow. It won’t happen next week or next month. We still have next year and the following years after that to flourish on this Earth.  This kind of mentality translates into false notions that we will never die so we have nothing to worry about.

The problem is we are all mortals.This truth radiates today from the Vatican walls of the papal palace.  Pope Benedict XVI, 85, has come to terms with this by  announcing his resignation from papal office due to his declining health. The Bishop of Rome admitted to his age-related incapacity preventing him from adequately fulfilling his papal duties.

We are all at risk of becoming mentally and physically incapacitated. It can be from advanced age, car accident, stroke, you name it. It’s better to protect yourself and your loved ones before its too late. Do you have a Living Will? Do you have a Designation of Healthcare Surrogate? What about your Durable Power of Attorney? If the answer to these questions are no, then its time to answer an even more important question. What are you waiting for? These documents dictate what happens to you in the event you become incapacitated. Who will make medical decisions on your behalf if you become unable to? Who will take care of your finances? These legal instruments are your answer.

Life is short. We can’t predict or control when we are going to die. However, we can control what happens after we are gone. Always expect the best but be prepared for the worst. Get your estate plan in place today.

The pope has carefully examined his conscious and so should you. It is time to release your white smoke and follow its trail to the office of your South Florida estate planning attorney today.

For more information on how to plan for you business’ future, contact our South Florida law firm of Wild, Felice & Partners, PA for a free consultation at (954) 944-2855.

It’s a Wild world. Are you protected?SM

The Nike “Just Do It” campaign allowed the company to increase their share of the sneaker business from 18% to 43% between the years 1988 and 1998. There must be something to it…

People tend to not like dealing with estate planning because they believe that it is an acknowledgment of their mortality, so they put it off. But lack of action is not smart. Estate planning is a process involving the counsel of professional advisors who are familiar with your goals and concerns, your assets and how they are owned, and your family structure. It can involve the services of a variety of professionals, including your lawyer, accountant, financial planner, life insurance advisor, banker and broker. Estate planning covers the transfer of property at death as well as a variety of other personal matters and may or may not involve tax planning. The core documents most often associated with this process are your will and your trust.

At Wild, Felice & Partners, P.A. we take great pride in our ability to successfully cater to the needs of all Floridians. Whether you are a highly successful and high net worth individual or you are still working hard on creating your nest egg, we can help you accomplish your goals. We assist our clients in determining how best to structure their holdings, as well as assisting in the disposing of such assets during and after their lifetime. Our attorneys focus primarily on minimizing a variety of estate related taxes, while simultaneously protecting assets from third party creditors.

Our South Florida firm routinely utilizes a variety of estate planning tools, including Trusts, Wills, Powers of Attorney, Health Care Surrogates, Funding Techniques, and more. In addition, we may advise for the formation and funding of a family limited partnership which provides, among other things, asset protection, a positive method of control and a long term plan for the accumulation of wealth that will remain outside of one’s taxable estate. By utilizing the estate planning techniques that we have perfected, we may be able to protect your family from unnecessary hassles and save them tens of thousands of dollars.

Take a cue from Nike: “JUST DO IT.”

For more information on successful Florida estate planning and probate techniques, please contact the South Florida law firm of Wild, Felice & Partners, P.A. at 954-944-2855 to schedule your free consultation. It’s a Wild world. Are you protected?SM

Just to quickly clear something up, and most of last night’s Super Bowl spectators would agree, it was Beyonce’s electrifying half-time performance that caused the blackout, not some glitch in the Superdome’s power system. Despite the half-hour standstill in the third quarter when most of the lights and scoreboards went dark, it was a great game… depending on who you were rooting for.

However, another thing can be said about America’s biggest sporting event. Sports carry with it risks of serious injury. Studies have shown that NFL football players sustain head injuries to such a high degree resulting in memory-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. Statistics unveil the number of former football players with this disease to be a staggering nineteen times the normal rate for men ages 30-49.

It’s not only in football where risk of injury is inherent. Life also carries risks. Just think of how many people get into car accidents every year. What about health problems that afflict the elderly? What about employees injured on the job? Can you imagine what it must be like to be unable to physically take care of yourself or to lose the mental capacity to make decisions on your own? Who will take care of your loved ones?

No matter what we do, there is always a risk of injury. However, you can protect yourself and your family by accounting for these dire possibilities. Creating an estate plan with specific supplemental documents can ensure your wishes are met. A Designation of Health Care Surrogate is a document that is based on statutory language found in Florida Statute 765.203. It allows the designated person or persons to make medical decisions on your behalf. A Living Will is a form that allows you to state whether you want your life to be artificially prolonged or whether you prefer to be allowed to die naturally. This document contains the statutory language found in Florida Statute 765.303. Without a correctly executed Living Will, you must be kept alive artificially no matter what your true wishes are or how much it costs your family financially. A Durable Power of Attorney form is designed to allow the designated person or persons to manage your financial affairs either immediately or in the future should you become mentally or physically unable to do so.

The best way to be certain of which supplemental documents you need as part of your estate plan is to consult with your South Florida estate planning attorney. Here at Broward County, our attorneys will evaluate your needs and desires and outline a plan that is best for you. Supplemental documents ensure that your estate is handled as you wish during your lifetime and after you die.

Last night’s Super Bowl is testament to how unpredictable life is. Arm yourself with the right estate planning tools to protect yourself and your family from such unwelcomed events.

For more information on how to plan for you business’ future, contact our South Florida law firm of Wild, Felice & Partners, PA for a free consultation at (954) 944-2855.

It’s a Wild world. Are you protected?SM

Super Bowl weekend is finally upon us. Rolling Stone has listed some of the best past Superbowl halftime shows in honor of football’s biggest day. Along with some of these epic musical performances, we are enumerating some of the best reasons why you should have a trust in place.

• Rolling Stone’s list of memorable musical gigs include Pete Townshend’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” Just like he fired up the crowd in 2010, you can rock your estate plan by establishing a trust, which allows you to make  special gifts to individuals or organizations. This can include gifts such as jewelry, furniture, or even family heirlooms.
•  In 1995, Patti LaBelle won hearts by dressing up as an Egyptian princess while belting out “Release Yourself.” You can release yourself from the burdens of heavy taxation by having your South Florida estate planning attorney help you structure your estate in order to reduce or even eliminate estate tax.
•  In 1997,  James Brown stole the halftime show while sporting his pink satin suit during the big hit “I Feel Good.” Nothing feels better than saving tons of money. A trust avoids probate which can save you thousands of dollars in probate costs and attorney fees.
• Bruce Springsteen made the list when he busted out his classic “Born to Run” in 2009. With a trust in place, your estate can be settled after your death as fast as a quick  jog. You don’t have to worry about a protracted process that can take up to years due to the judicial process and court delays.
•  In 2005, former Beatle, Paul McCartney unspooled his talent during his performance in “Live and Let Die.” The world can be a very difficult and capricious place to live in. Experience can have a disenchanting effect on even the most open hearts. With a trust, you have control. You can include instructions on how you would like to have your assets managed. You can revoke elements of your trust, change your beneficiaries, and sell property.
•  Who can forget Michael Jackson’s stellar performance in 1993 when he brought the house down with “Billie Jean.”  Just like the King of Pop, who valued privacy when it came to his personal life, a living trust allows you to keep your financial affairs and the names of your beneficiaries private.
• Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake’s performance in Super Bowl 2004 will always be deeply ingrained in our memories regarding that infamous wardrobe malfunction incident. Having a trust in place is low maintenance and you only need to amend your trust when changes in your life occur. You might want to change or add a new beneficiary to your estate or you may decide to change how your assets should be distributed. There is very little room for a trust malfunction when you keep it up to date.