As I scanned through my South Florida Estate Planning Attorney Facebook friends’ status updates looking for other people’s take on the Gator game the night before, I was innundated with posts of people typing the same cliched lines over and over again.  We will always remember.  We will never forget.  One of my friends even posted that he remembers going to sleep the night before with no idea of what was going to happen on September 11th.  NO KIDDING!  Unless you were in on the planning or have precognative abilities, NO ONE saw it coming.

My wife said something interesting though.  She said it must be awkward to have a friend or family member that died on September 11, 2001 but not due to any terrorist act.  What if your husband died in a car accident in Omaha, Nebraska at 6:35 am on September 11, 2001?  While his death was not Al Queda related (I assume), was it any more expected?

While we should not forget the horror of 9/11, we should also remember that not all deaths happen 3,000 at a time.  In fact, most deaths are unexpected and happen 1 at a time.  Since life is precious, the death rate is 100 percent and none of us know when it might be our turn to go, it is absolutely imperative that you get your estate plan drafted today and protect your family in case tomorrow is the day you die.  You may be thinking that “tomorrow is the day you die” is a ridiculous statement surely not to come true.  3,000 Americans may have been thinking the same thing on September 10, 2001.

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?

Please join South Florida Estate Planning Attorney Michael D. Wild this Thursday from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm at Rare restaurant in downtown Ft. Lauderdale for a terrific networking event with a great cause – the Lighthouse of Broward.

The Lighthouse of Broward serves visually impaired children, youth, working age adults and elders and is the primary resource for services and information for the blind in Broward County. As the only source in Broward County for comprehensive rehabilitation training and adaptive computer training for adults with visual impairment, the Lighthouse also is the only local facility offering specialized skill building for blind babies and children.

The cost of the event is $20 but includes with it a $20 gift certificate for Rare restaurant, therefore negating the entrance fee. For more information, please feel free to contact me directly at mwild@wfplaw.com.

Over the next three weeks, South Florida estate planning attorney Michael Wild will be the guest speaker at the following presentations:

September 7

Michael Wild will be speaking to a group of 50 accountants at SunLife stadium at the FICPA’s quarterly meeting.  The presentation will revolve around foundational trust-based estate planning and the more common estate planning mistakes.

September 14

Michael Wild will be speaking to a group of 60 attorneys, CPAs and financial advisors at Broward College about the fundamentals of quality estate planning and asset protection techniques.  The presentation will be followed by a happy hour at YOLO sponsored by Mr. Wild.

September 21

Michael Wild will be the guest speaker at the Planned Giving Council’s monthly breakfast meeting.  The topic of discussion will be “Marketing to the Selfish Donor” and Mr. Wild will be providing a room full of non-profit organizations with key marketing and fundraising tips.  The meeting will be held at the Tower Club.

For more information, or to attend any of the above presentations, please contact Michael Wild at mwild@wfplaw.com and 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 the damage of Hurricane Irene is in the billions, Congress is currently in the process of enacting law that could cost the American people trillions.

On August 2nd, Congress approved the Budget Control Act of 2011, which calls for the appointment of a bi-partisan committee to propose new tax legislation by November 30, 2011 that would reduce the deficit over the next 10 years by $1.5 trillion.  One of the first ways they will simplify the tax legislation will be to begin closing the loopholes in the current tax code, especially those breaks given to dead people.  Soon after that, we will see the removal of automatic portability, a reduction in the estate tax exemption amount and an increase in the overall estate tax.  After all, dead people tend to fight less than live people when being overtaxed.

What does this mean for you?  Well, while many experts in my field (along with myself) have been preaching that all Americans have to get a comprehensive estate plan in place prior to December 31, 2012, the date we may have to focus on is actually November 30, 2011.  For those that are calendar-impaired, THAT’S ONLY NINETY (90) DAYS FROM TODAY!!!

Rather than wasting your summer praying in vain for a savior to rise from these streets and enact a more favorable tax code (which may never come), you should be scheduling a free consultation with an estate planning attorney that can walk you through the process of using the current tax laws to your advantage before they possibly go away in three months.

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?

Next week is September which means that football is back and Labor Day weekend is upon us but there are some other September holidays of which you may be less familiar.

September 2^nd is National Beheading Day so your clients better have their estate plans in place before that celebration.

September 6^th is National Fight Procrastination Day but I’ll tell you about how that connects with estate planning later.

September 12^th is National Pet Memorial Day and while pets can’t have their own estate plans, they can play a large part in the estate plans of their owners.

September 16^th is Stay Away From Seattle Day, probably because that is where they hold all of the beheadings.

No matter what day it is, it is crucially important that you protect your family by having a comprehensive estate planning drafted well before you need it.

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?

Whether you divorce her or not is up to you but you need to adjust your estate plan either way.  If you stay with her, you need to be certain that you name the executor and trustee that you desire.  If you don’t want her to get everything upon your death, you need to be very explicit about that in your trust.  If you want your parents or siblings to be the guardian of your children instead of her parents and siblings, you need to stipulate that in your will (and you need to survive her).  Who do you want making health care decisions for you?  Financial decisions?  Pulling the plug on your death bed?

Maybe you decide to divorce her.  Your marital settlement agreement will most likely require that you procure a life insurance policy.  Your life insurance policy should be owned by an Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust and not in your own name.  If you already had an estate plan drafted, you’ll want to amend or restate all of the documnets to remove your now ex-wife from them completely.  That is, unless you want her to still control all of your financial and medical decision making if you become incapacitated.  Remember that line above regarding pulling the plug?  It probably shouldn’t be left to your ex-wife.

And ladies, this goes for you too.  After you wash that man right out of your hair, you had better erase him from your financial life as well.  Aside from removing him from the above mentioned documents and drafting an entirely new estate plan, you’ll definitely want to have a trust put in place, if you haven’t already.  If you die before your ex, he will be the guardian of any minor children that you had together.  However, by using a trust to manage your assets instead of leaving them outright to your minor children, at least he wont inherit your stuff.

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?