Too often we use the excuse that “there aren’t enough hours in the day” when we are approached with chores that we know are important but require us to stop our daily routines long enough to take care of them.  One of the most important chores that you can ever check off of your To Do List is to have your estate plan drafted.  If you already have an estate plan, it is equally important to have it reviewed every 3 to 5 years with an estate planning attorney to account for changes in law, changes in tax and changes in your family.

Today is June 21.  June 21 is also known as the Summer Solstice; the longest day of the year.  My challenge to you is to use the extra time we receive today (and yes, I know we still only get 24 hours but work with me on this) to make an appointment with an estate planning attorney and get your estate plan in place and up to date before your days get shorter and shorter.

For more information on successful Florida estate planning and probate, please contact the South Florida law firm of Wild Felice & Pardo, P.A. at 954-944-2855 or via email at info@wfplaw.com to schedule your free consultation.

It’s a Wild world. Are you protected?

Today, Rep. Anthony Weiner listened to calls for his resignation from Congress after a two-week scandal. The scandal initiated when he posted a photograph exposing his genitals through his twitter account.

The sexting scandal grew when the Weiner admitted that he lied after initially claiming that his account had been hacked. Weiner eventually admitted that he sent the picture and had maintained several inappropriate relationships with women he met online. Weiner will most likely lose a very promising political career because he allowed himself to be exposed.

Don’t be a Weiner, never leave yourself exposed. That includes your assets and your loved ones.  For most people leaving a legacy to their loved ones is a priority. We live in a very litigious society; you never know when someone may want their share of your work. Don’t let a lifetime of hard work slip away in a matter of days. Make sure your Estate Plan and Asset Protection Plan are in order.

For more information on successful Florida estate planning and probate, please contact the South Florida law firm of Wild Felice & Pardo, P.A. at 954-944-2855 or via email at info@wfplaw.com to schedule your free consultation.

It’s a Wild world. Are you protected?

While NBA analysts, sports experts, newspaper columnists, and even your neighbor can make predictions on what is going to happen next, the truth is that the future is unknown for even the most talented of NBA teams.  Just like these NBA teams, our future is unknown. The morbid reality is that no one knows when they will die.  You can’t predict your future so it’s best to be prepared for it … by properly planning your estate to assure that your assets are protected.

For more information on successful Florida estate planning and probate, please contact the South Florida law firm of Wild Felice & Pardo, P.A. at 954-944-2855 or via email at info@wfplaw.com to schedule your free consultation.

It’s a Wild world. Are you protected?

Summer is just around the corner, which means – summer blockbuster movies! These high budget, star-studded flicks have already begun to hit the big screen and it seems like you have spent every one of your past weekends this month at the movies.  You were a good husband a couple of weeks back on that Friday night when you skipped seeing Hangover 2 with The Guys to take your wife instead to see Bridesmaids … but you did it because it made her happy.  After seeing X-Men: First Class with your younger son, he is running around the house, acting more like a mutant than ever.  And after seeing Pirates of the Caribbean 4 with your older son, he decided to try wearing eye liner to look more like Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow character … but again you did it because it made them both happy.  Finally, while your teenage daughter’s crush on Shia LaBeouf may be hard to stomach, you still plan to take her to the movies to see LaBeouf star in Transformers 3 the weekend it comes out … and you will do this because you know it will make her happy.

With all of the time and effort spent keeping your family happy at the movies, you can make your family and loved ones happy just by planning for their future, and yours, which means adequately setting up your estate and assuring asset protection.  You can make sure your family is taken care of well after you are gone by hiring a well-qualified, experienced Estate Planning Attorney who can help you construct an estate plan that fits the desires and intentions for your family.  Such legal representation can draft a living trust to protect your children’s financial future and eliminate the need for probate or simply create a Will which can pronounce a guardian for any minor children and establish and burial or cremation request you might have, thus reducing and legal procedures that a family must inevitably go through when a loved one dies.

So call us now for a free consultation, and be your family’s superhero by planning your estate … before you take them to see the superhero blockbuster Captain America this summer!

For more information on successful Florida estate planning and probate, please contact the South Florida law firm of Wild Felice & Pardo, P.A. at 954-944-2855 or via email at info@wfplaw.com to schedule your free consultation.

It’s a Wild world. Are you protected?

The homestead protection that the Florida Constitution provides is among one of the many benefits of living here.  Homestead’s main objective is to protect the family home.  However, homestead creates unique situations when it comes to probate. When a homestead property owner dies there are restrictions on how the property can be transferred to the family regardless of what a will says. Specifically, these restrictions come into play when the decedent has a spouse or minor children.

Who gets the property will depend on who survives the decedent. If the decedent leaves a spouse but no minor children, the spouse gets the property. If a decedent leaves a spouse and a minor child, the spouse gets a life estate in the property, with the property going to the minor child upon the spouse’s death. In the case that the decedent leaves a spouse and only adult children, the spouse also gets only a life estate. However, in this case the decedent may choose to leave the remainder interest to the children or the spouse.

The most important thing to remember is that the homestead laws override any clause in your will. Therefore, if the decedent is survived by a spouse or a minor lineal descendant, the decedent is not free to give the property to just anyone in a will. This makes it crucial to understand the effects homestead property will have on your overall estate plan.

For more information on successful Florida estate planning and probate, please contact the South Florida law firm of Wild Felice & Pardo, P.A. at 954-944-2855 or via email at info@wfplaw.com to schedule your free consultation.

It’s a Wild world. Are you protected?

Plantation FL  5/18/2011 –
Michael D. Wild, managing partner of Wild Felice & Pardo, PA has been selected as the Small Business Person of the Year for the city of Plantation for his accomplishments in both private legal practice and in community and civic affairs.  Over the past year, and throughout his entire legal career, Michael has provided the residents of South Florida with exceptional service and care that goes above and beyond the expected.  His extensive knowledge in the areas of estate planning and asset protection, as well as his humorous and caring bedside manner, allows his clients to feel a level of assurance and security that is often missing in most encounters with legal professionals.

According to Wild: “The most important aspect of my practice is the relationship that I build with my client.  I don’t see my clients as the
monetary means to a self-serving end. Instead, I treat every client as if they were a family member or friend, which incidentally often leads to that relationship forming.  I am often invited to dinner or other social engagements by my clients and many even attempt to marry me off to their daughters … to my wife’s chagrin.  The greatest compliment I can receive from my client is them telling me that they feel safer and more secure after sitting and talking with me.  The emotional security of my clients has always been a top priority.”

Michael D. Wild is an attorney in greater Fort Lauderdale that focuses his law practice on the areas of estate planning, asset protection and probate administration. He has been serving families and small businesses in the South Florida area since 2006.  For more information on successful Florida estate planning and probate techniques, or to schedule your free consultation with Michael Wild, please contact the South Florida law firm of Wild Felice & Pardo, P.A. at 954-944-2855 or via email at info@wfplaw.com to schedule your free consultation.

It’s a Wild world.  Are you protected?