The Giants Bask In Victory! NY Feels Invincible! How’s Your Estate Plan By The Way?

Posted by on Feb 6, 2012 in asset protection, estate planning, Legal News, Probate, tax, Trusts |

So, the NY Giants defeated the Patriots last night in Super Bowl XLVI becoming champions of the NFL. Eli Manning and the Giants pulled off a last-minute touchdown drive to beat the Patriots 21-17 for their second Super Bowl Victory. The jokes are over. The questions are answered. Eli and his Giants are kings once again.

Football aside, one of the most important life questions might still remain unanswered. When are you going to get your estate plan in place? The natural inclination is to respond, “Oh, I’m never going to die” or “I’m too young to worry about that” or “I’m not a millionaire yet. I will worry about preserving my assets when I become rich.”

The death rate in Florida is 100%.  Shocking, I know. We might feel invincible and immortal at times but the sad truth is, we were born to die. And the best part is we really will never know when. It’s a surprise. When it comes to South Florida estate planning, wealth is not the primary factor to consider when deciding whether to structure a trust-based estate.

Estate planning and asset protection is really all about protecting your loved ones. Do you really want to subject your children, spouse, or family members to unnecessary and avoidable estate taxes? Do you want to let your family drown in a sea of probate perils?

If your answer is NO then call your South Florida Estate Planning attorney today. Don’t pull a Manning and try to score a trust at the last-minute.  Considerable care and planning is necessary for your attorney to be able to tailor the optimal plan to meet your objectives and ensure that your loved ones are protected once you are gone.  Nothing screams touchdown better than a secure and solid estate plan!

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 or via email at info@wfplaw.com to schedule your free consultation.

It’s a Wild world.  Are you protected?

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Celebration of Life Day

Posted by on Jan 23, 2012 in asset protection, estate planning, Probate, tax, Trusts, Wills |

This week is welcomed by the holiday known as Celebration of Life Day.  Every January, it is a day to take the time to honor children and grandchildren in America. Each life is held to be a precious gift. However, sometimes we are too busy existing in life that we forget to actually live it, let alone stop to appreciate the people we love most. Hardly do we ever contemplate life after death and rarely do we stop to consider what will happen to our children after we pass away.  There can be no better way to show love and honor to our progeny than to protect them from future legal distress and financial insecurity after we are gone. Ensuring a brighter future for our children and grandchildren starts with estate planning and asset protection. The attorneys at Wild Felice & Partners are well-equipped with the necessary tools, legal knowledge, and expertise of South Florida estate planning strategies and asset structuring to ensure the financial stability of society’s most vulnerable individuals in order to guarantee the quality of life they deserve. Whether it’s a drafting a will or forming a trust, there are countless benefits to strategic estate planning. You can protect your children and grandchildren from potential lawsuits and creditor claims to your family life savings. You can protect your children against inadequate insurance coverage. You can eliminate the need for probate and reduce the burden of estate taxes. It is difficult to think of a better way to celebrate the life of your offspring and acknowledge them as precious gifts of life than to ensure their financial protection and shield them from unnecessary legal hassles after we are gone. In return, our children will be honoring us …on Remembrance of Death Day.

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 or via email at info@wfplaw.com to schedule your free consultation.

It’s a Wild world.  Are you protected?

 

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Right to Life v Estate Tax

Posted by on Jan 19, 2012 in estate planning, Legal News, Probate, tax, Trusts, Wills |

I am trying to come up with a topic related to South Florida estate planning and asset protection as I watch this South Carolina Republican debate and the candidates are currently stuck on the topic of the right to life and debating which of them are pro life.  If anyone took a look at what’s going on with the estate tax and how difficult and costly the South Florida probate process is, theyd surely be pro life.  With a 55 percent estate tax, there’s no way a person would be pro death.

I hope that was what they were talking about.

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 or via email at info@wfplaw.com to schedule your free consultation.

It’s a Wild world.  Are you protected?

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What is an AV Rating?

Posted by on Jan 15, 2012 in asset protection, estate planning, Legal News, Probate, Trusts, Wills |

The South Florida estate planning and wealth protection firm of Wild Felice & Partners, PA is proud to announce that managing partner Michael D. Wild has recently received an “AV® Preeminent Rating” by Martindale Hubbell.

An AV® certification rating is the highest rating provided by Martindale-Hubbell – a testament to the fact that a lawyer’s peers rank him/her at the highest level of ethical standards and legal ability, based on legal knowledge, analytical capabilities, jud…gment, communication ability, and legal experience.

We thank everyone who rated Michael with such a high distinction and we especially thank all of our clients and referral sources for the continued trust they place in Michael and in our firm for something as important as estate planning and asset protection.

WHAT ARE MARTINDALE-HUBBELL® PEER REVIEW RATINGS™?
The Martindale-Hubbell® PEER REVIEW RATINGS™ are an objective indicator of a lawyer’s high ethical standards and professional ability,  generated from evaluations of lawyers by other members of the bar and the judiciary in the United States and Canada. The first review to establish a lawyer’s rating usually occurs three years after his/her first admission to the bar.
LexisNexis facilitates secure online Martindale-Hubbell® PEER REVIEW RATINGS™ surveys of lawyers across multiple jurisdictions and geographic locations, in similar areas of practice as the lawyer being rated. Reviewers are asked to assess their colleagues’ general ethical standards and legal ability in a specific area of practice.
The Ratings Explanation
Martindale-Hubbell® PEER REVIEW RATINGS™ reflect a combination of achieving a Very High General Ethical Standards rating and a Legal Ability numerical rating. A threshold number of responses is required to achieve a rating.
The General Ethical Standards rating denotes adherence to professional standards of conduct and ethics, reliability, diligence and other criteria relevant to the discharge of professional responsibilities. Those lawyers who meet the “Very High” criteria of General Ethical Standards can proceed to the next step in the ratings process – Legal Ability.
Legal Ability ratings are based on performance in five key areas, rated on a scale of 1 to 5 (with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest). These areas are:

  • Legal Knowledge – Lawyer’s familiarity with the laws governing his/her specific area of practice(s)
  • Analytical Capabilities – Lawyer’s creativity in analyzing legal issues and applying technical knowledge
  • Judgment – Lawyer’s demonstration of the salient factors that drive the outcome of a given case or issue.
  • Communication Ability – Lawyer’s capability to communicate persuasively and credibly
  • Legal Experience – Lawyer’s degree of experience in his/her specific area of practice(s)

AV Preeminent (4.5-5.0)– AV Preeminent is a significant rating accomplishment – a testament to the fact that a lawyer’s peers rank him or her at the highest level of professional excellence.

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 or via email at info@wfplaw.com to schedule your free consultation.

It’s a Wild world.  Are you protected?

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If You Do Estate Planning Yourself, You’re Hurting Your Family

Posted by on Jan 5, 2012 in asset protection, estate planning, Legal News, Probate, tax, Trusts, Wills |

All too often, even after realizing the indispensability of a comprehensive South Florida estate plan – people try to cut corners.  When it comes to preserving hard-earned assets for posterity, being penny wise is not only pound-foolish. It may even be fatal to all your hard work, hopes, and dreams of perpetual prosperity for future progeny.

Why Not Do Estate Planning Yourself?

A plethora of workbooks full of fill-in-the-blank forms is available online and at local retailers. Some subscription-based websites offer downloadable standardized materials with audio or video instruction.

Although helpful, such resources are woefully ineffective estate planning tools. In the “game” of planning estates, what is good for the goose will not always work for the gander. Everyone has different needs and objectives. No two situations are exactly alike.

There is simply no substitute for the specialized expertise of a Florida estate planning attorney. As your legal representative, an attorney is legally and ethically bound to represent only your interests and desires when devising any estate plan on your behalf. The availability of free initial consultations gives you nothing to lose and everything to gain by consulting a qualified estate lawyer in Florida.

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 or via email at info@wfplaw.com to schedule your free consultation.

It’s a Wild world.  Are you protected?

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All is Quiet on New Year’s Day

Posted by on Jan 2, 2012 in estate planning, Legal News, Probate, tax, Trusts, Wills |

What does Bono have to do with South Florida estate planning?  Probably not much.  After all, most of Bono’s assets probably lie overseas and are governed by that country’s specific estate planning and probate laws.  However, as a non-US citizen, his estate tax exemption amount for all property held in the United States will be a measly $60,000.  He may want to become a resident of Florida so that he can avoid the state estate tax shouldered by the residents of many of the other 50 states.  He should also consider some agressive estate tax planning and probate avoidance techniques to assure that his family or his charities end up with more of his assets than the IRS does.  After all, they say that this is the Golden age and nothing changes on New Year’s Day.

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 or via email at info@wfplaw.com to schedule your free consultation.

It’s a Wild world.  Are you protected?

 

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