Have you heard the story of the 81-year- old grandmother from Norfolk, England who has the words “Do Not Resuscitate” tattooed across her chest in big blue capital letters? She may have fared better visiting a South Florida Estate Planning Attorney but to make sure her wishes are fulfilled in the event paramedics find her face down, she even has “PTO” and an arrow inked on her back.  Joy Tomkins claims, “I don’t want to lie for hours, months or even years before dying. I do not want to end up as a vegetable. I don’t want my family to remember me as a lump. That is why I got the tattoo.” She emphasizes that, “I don’t have a death wish I just don’t want to be kept alive in pain.” However, a General Medical Council spokesman maintains that most doctors would ignore her tattoo. Writing on your body is not the same as a legally enforceable writing on paper to justify a doctor making such a decision during an emergency.  Such wishes need to be put in writing and witnessed. Otherwise, a health surrogate needs to be designated.

Our Florida elders are not the only ones who should be concerned about one of the most important decisions in life, healthcare. We all do. To iron out any possible confusion, it’s important to have a Living Will prepared. This legally enforceable document ensures that a person’s wishes surrounding life-prolonging procedures are fulfilled. You are the pilot of your own destiny. There is nothing more set in stone then seeking a well-qualified attorney to bind your wishes onto paper to guarantee they will be fully executed.

Whether you are seeking to draft a Living Will, HIPAA Release, Designation of Health Care Surrogate, or Durable Power of Attorney, it’s important to do it today. You never know when life might throw you in a situation where you actually undergo resuscitation. You might become incapacitated and unable to make decisions for yourself. Since your fate lies in your own hands you want to decide who can make medical decisions for you, who can view your medical records, and if you must be kept alive artificially.

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?

Did you know that U.S. Chief Justice Warren Burger typed up his own will with a total of about 175 words? His estate was forced to pay in federal estate tax, 25% of his $2 million assets. Leona Helmsley, “Queen of Mean” left her $12 million trust to care for Trouble, her beloved Maltese. Marlon Brando changed his will just 13 days before dying. Jimi Hendrix left an estate that was fought over more than thirty years after his death. Martin Luther King, Jr. never drafted a will.  You don’t need to join the ranks of the rich and famous to consider estate planning. What you do want to do is prevent leaving your legacy behind subject to estate battles. The great thing about public figures is that you can learn from their mistakes, especially when it comes to the intricate processes of planning your estate.

For one thing, don’t skip out on a will. A will grants you the right to appoint an executor, or personal representative to pass on your assets to the people you want your assets to go to. You can designate the right person to care for your minor children in the event you die. If you do not take the time to have a will drafted, state law, through the process of probate, will determine who gets your assets and who will be appointed guardian of your children. Rest assured, your wishes will never be fulfilled.

Save yourself the mistake in not seeking professional and valuable legal advice. You run the risk of encountering many problems in the legal system with do-it yourself wills that you may find online or from a print source. Don’t be the victim of bad advice that a stranger or even your best friend might give you.

When should you create your will and trust? The answer is now.  Don’t be your own worst enemy when it comes to time. Worst yet, don’t be your family’s own worst enemy. In the words of James Taylor, “Time will take your money, but money won’t buy time.” You want to be sure your assets are in the hands of a knowledgeable, well-experienced attorney you know you can trust to help you adequately prepare for your estate.

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?

Believe it or not, webcasting funerals is an emerging practice among Americans. The purpose is to unite aggrieved family members and friends during such tragic times. Those unable to attend or living abroad are enabled to participate in the process while watching a streaming video online while their loved ones are being memorialized . Technology even allows us to plot grave sites with GPS coordinates, embed videos into headstones, and show digital slideshows at funerals. While some may find this new wave of formalities as an excuse not to attend, it can not be disputed that our lives revolve around computers.

Technology not only affects how we react to death but also how we plan for it.  About 750 million people use facebook, more than 100 milion people have  paypal accounts, and 92 million households engage in online banking.  But what happens to these accounts when these owners die.  With the advent of digital estate planning, it is not unusual to consider digital assets when planning for your estate. It is important to make sure loved ones have access to your assets stored in some form of computer or electronic technology. For example, the tangible assets like your money stored in paypal, amazon, and ebay accounts.  Even assets not widely considered such as computer passwords, website domain names, and published ebooks. All this just reinforces how crucial it is to plan ahead.  Estate planning requires careful consideration, detail, and expertise to make sure all your assets get into the right hands- your loved ones. Digital or non-digital assets, you want to protect your family. Who knows, maybe one day you’ll be the star of your own digital slideshow and movie!

For more information on successful Florida estate planning and probate, please contact the South Florida law firm ofWild 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?

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?

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?