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?

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?

June is a month with a lot of important holidays.  The longest day of the year is in the month of June but I’m not using that fact to point out that
life is short and estate planning can’t wait. June also gives us Father’s Day but I’m not going to ask you if your father has his estate plan in order or even if you’ve done your part as a father or mother to assure that your children are protected. June is Gay Pride Month but the theme of this newsletter is not protecting your partner or avoiding will contests in a state that doesn’t recognize same sex partnerships.  Instead, I’d like to point out that I was born on June 22, which turns out to be National Chocolate Eclair Day.

I find it very upsetting that Donald Duck Day (June 9) is sandwiched between Name Your Poison Day and Iced Tea Day.  If you are planning on celebrating Insurance Awareness Day on June 28, be certain that all of your insurance is placed in an Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust.  Whatever holidays you celebrate, please remember to take some time and assure that your family is taken care of with some foundational estate planning.

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?

Congratulations! You’re the proud parent of a college bound teenager. This is an exciting time in your life; however, it can also be a time of concern for your family. You need a plan that includes safeguards for the unexpected events in life that always seem to come at the most unwelcome times. Once this plan is in place, you can relax with the knowledge that you have a sound financial and medical back-up plan that will protect your child from the unexpected times in life that could derail his or her educational future.  There are certain standard legal documents that should be prepared by a professional estate planning attorney who is familiar with the goals you wish to accomplish for your family.

The designation of a healthcare surrogate authorizes you to get information from a hospital or a doctor about your child. You will not be able to get this information once your child is 18 years old unless you have a document giving you permission to access the information. Additionally, your child may be unconscious and unable to give permission. Florida’s HIPPA laws prevent the dissemination of medical information to others unless there are written directives authorizing the permission.

You will also want to prepare a durable power of attorney. This agreement will allow you to control your child’s financial needs. A power of attorney will allow you to handle your child’s affairs even though he or she is considered to be a legal adult. Most importantly, a durable power of attorney can be drafted to allow you to access your child’s bank account in case you need to pay your child’s bills, restrict her spending, or add to her account.

A living will is a document that a person uses to make known her desires regarding life sustaining treatments. Even though this may be an unpleasant conversation to have during this joyous time in life, it is important to complete this document. Once this agreement is prepared, you will have peace of mind with medical decisions you may have to make for your child in the event of an untimely illness or accident.  Without a living will, the law requires the hospital to keep a person alive artificially permanently.

Needless to say, sending a child to college is one of the biggest emotional and financial events of your life. However, if you plan ahead, this can be a much less stressful situation.

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?