imgresPoor Miss Utah, Marissa Powell, is facing nothing but critics regarding her answer to the income inequality question posed on Sunday night’s Miss USA pageant. Miss Powell’s beauty failed to meet brains; rather, it met her social demise, as demonstrated by the answer to the following question:

“A recent report shows that in 40 percent of American families with children, women are the primary earners yet they continue to earn less than men. What does this say about society?”  Her answer of “we need to figure out how to make education better,” marked a painful downward spiral.

If there is a moral to this story, it is to plan ahead. Although Miss Utah’s question wasn’t exactly a curveball; life can catch us off guard with the difficult of situations. Prepare for life’s unexpected challenges in South Florida with an estate plan that answers some of the following questions (don’t worry, nothing on income inequality).

If you died today, or became incapacitated, would you have the following benefits?

  • asset protection
  • control over your assets
  • protection for your loved ones
  • preclusion of unnecessary taxes
  • creditor protection
  • limited/no transfer taxes for following generations

If the answer to any of these is “no,” you should consider seeking an estate planning attorney to assist you in planning ahead for any of life’s Wild, & unexpected challenges. This may include, but is not limited to the following documents:

  1.  Living Trust – gain control, asset protection, & preclusion of unnecessary taxes by designating a trustworthy Trustee.
  2. Assignment of Property – place all of your property into the trust, and avoid costs & headache associated with probate.
  3. Last Will & Testament – used to distribute property to beneficiaries (or a trust), specify last wishes, and name guardians for minor children.
  4. Durable Power of Attorney – gain control by designating someone to legally act on your behalf in the event that you become incapacitated.
  5. Combination Living Will & Designation of Healthcare Surrogate – gain control by making important healthcare decisions in advance.

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

 It’s a Wild world. Are you protected? SM