WHY PLAN FOR THE UNPREDICTABLE?

People typically don't prepare for much.  They have this attitude of'I'll just wing it'. However, when there is an imminent threat, all those laid back people turn into the ultimate preppers.

Fear placed inside of someone truly fuels the fire and gets the person up and in motion. With the recent passing of Hurricane Irma, everyone's life has been turned upside down for almost two weeks now.

With the unpredictability of Hurrican Irma's path, it was advised that PLANNING was the only way to get through this historical beast of a storm.  We had the news stations airing 24/7 hurricane coverage for nearly a week- that has to say something.

Once the news made it clear we were in the path of destruction, it was every man for himself to get prepared! Long lines at gas stations to fill up gas tanks for cars and generators. Long lines at the grocery store to stock up on non-perishable items (especially water and as much junk food as they can fit in their shopping cart) Long lines to pick up plywood, batteries, fans, etc.

Thankfully at the last minute, Hurricane Irma changed it's path and our city was not directly hit. However our fortune was some other town's misfortune. Sadly, that's how life tends to work out.

Although you cannot determine the exact path and overall impact of a hurricane, the fact of the matter is, that if you failed to prepare for the storm and the aftermath you would be in much worse shape once all is said and done.

Estate planning is the way we plan for the future that is unpredictable just like that of a hurricane.  Fortunately and unfortunately, we as humans are the only animals that know we are going to die, yet we do not know when or how it will happen.

We do not have a tracker that holds the potential future paths our lives might take. Therefore, you do not know if and when (or if at all) you will become incapacitated. You do not know if your 'adult children' who just went away to college will act recklessly and need their parents to step in and help them out.  (A parent can not make legal decisions for a child that is over 18, because at that time they are an adult in the eyes of the law).

Estate planning allows you to prepare for the unpredictability of what we call life. It is not fun to think about, but it is a reality. Preparing for your incapacity and passing not only will bring you peace of mind, but it will also make things easier on your loved ones who survive you and have to handle your affairs when you are gone.

Through effective estate planning, you have the ability to name who will make financial and medical decisions on your behalf if you become incapacitated.  You have the ability of naming who will or will not receive from your estate once you pass away.  Have no fear-if you chose to do nothing, the State of Florida will 'plan' for you.  There is a good chance that the State of Florida's plan will not be what you would have wished for yourself and your loved ones.

Start your estate planning today so you can have peace of mind that your wishes are known for the future.

Call The Hershey Law Firm at (954) 303-9468 today for your free consultation to learn more about being prepared for your future.

Remember: You Can't Predict The Future But You Can Plan For It.

WHEN THE SUNSHINE FADES, WHO WILL REMAIN?

When you are healthy you feel invincible, independent and less likely to feel sympathy for those that are ill. When you are healthy you go about your daily life; you work out, see your friends and family, enjoy the beautiful weather and ultimately just live.  

However when you become ill, life stops and you begin to view life through a different lens. Everything and everyone continues to move around you at their regular pace, and you are left by yourself to deal with your own misery. You might have some friends and family 'check in' on you, but the reality is, you are left to deal with the pain and the slow process of getting better all by yourself. 

It is not that your friends and family don't care about you, it's just that as humans, it is hard to put your life on hold to care for another when you yourself are healthy and have things you wish to do. Caring for another is somewhat a subconscious inconvenience. 

What if it is not simply a common cold, but something more severe where you require assistance from others on a more permanent basis. For instance, you are incapable of 2 daily acts of living and require the help of a caregiver. Or worse, you have become mentally incompetent to care for yourself. 

Don't assume that your spouse, your parents, or siblings will fill this role of caretaker for you (although you hope they would)  The reality is, just because life has stopped for you because of your illness, if they are healthy and able bodied they still have their own life to live and worry about.

This is why it is so important to make sure you have your Advanced Directives in place while you are healthy and able to make the decision for yourself. That includes your Durable Power of Attorney, Healthcare Surrogate and Living Will. You can even go so far as taking the burden away from your loved ones, by having a Long Term Care Insurance policy.

“Love me when I am healthy, but love me more when I am ill. Those that remain when the sunshine fades are the ones I want in my world”

Durable Power of Attorney: Name someone to manage your financial affairs either immediately or in the future should you become unable to do so yourself. 

Healthcare Surrogate: Name someone to act on your behalf if you become unable to make medical decisions for yourself.

Living Will: Document that will state how and if you want to prolong your life if you fall into a vegetative state

Long Term Care Insurance: Long-term care is care that you need if you can no longer perform everyday tasks (activities of daily living) by yourself due to chronic illness, injury or the aging process.  Long-term care is not only for the elderly. A large percentage of people receiving long-term care are under the age of 65.

“Caring for another is somewhat a subconscious inconvenience ”

You need to have an open discussion with whomever you wish to fill those roles and make sure they want to take on that responsibility for you. 

If you live in Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach contact an experienced estate-planning attorney at The Hershey Law Firm, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at (954) 303-9468 to discuss your estate planning needs.

REMEMBER: You can’t predict the future, but you can plan for it.
 

I WISH I COULD RECORD MY DREAMS AND WATCH THEM LATER

Do you ever wake up in the morning and you can vividly remember the details of a crazy dream you just woke up from? Then you get out of bed, start your day, drive to work, and make a few phone calls. By the time you get to work and want to tell your best friend about your dream, you realize you can't remember what the dream was even about. 

The dream obviously had some meaning to you, but without it being written down, it just slipped through your fingers and *poof* no longer exists.

“You may not be able to record your dreams and watch them later, but you can record your wishes and your loved ones can watch them fall into place when you are gone.”

 

People always say that they are 'thinking' about the perfect estate plan. They have it written in their head but it's not quit ready to be written down on paper.  They feel that once they have  come up with the perfect plan, they will write it down. Until then, ehh, it can wait for a rainy day.

Don't delay- start today. You may have forgotten what you want to happen.

What should an estate plan consist of in South Florida?

Last Will & Testament: State your final wishes regarding who will receive or who will not receive from your estate, name guardians for your minor children, state directions regarding organ donation and burial.

Revocable Trust (Living Trust): In depth document that will state your final wishes. You are able to place stipulations and retain control of your assets during your lifetime. 

Durable Power of Attorney: Name someone to manage your financial affairs either immediately or in the future should you become unable to do so yourself. 

Healthcare Surrogate: Name someone to act on your behalf if you become unable to make medical decisions for yourself.

Living Will: Document that will state how and if you want to prolong your life if you fall into a vegetative state

REMEMBER:  Your estate plan will never be perfect. Stop using the excuse that you will start planning once you know exactly how you want it written. There are so many moving parts in your life, that your estate plan will be consistently changing.

However, if nothing is written down, your wishes will not be known to your loved ones.

You may not be able to record your dreams and watch them later, but you can record your wishes and your loved ones can watch them fall into place when you are gone.  

If you live in Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach counties it is time to start discussing with loved ones their estate planning needs. You can’t predict the future, but you can plan for it.

Contact an experienced estate-planning attorney at The Hershey Law Firm, in Plantation, Florida, at (954) 303-9468 to discuss your estate planning needs.

Adding Someone To Your Bank Account For Convenience Can Cause BIG Problems

STOP, COLLABORATE AND LISTEN- think twice before adding someone to a bank account.  

In South Florida it is common for aging parents to 'add' their children, caregiver, or trusted individual on his/her personal account. A typical reason to add someone to a bank account in Florida is so that person can have access to the funds for the original owners benefit. By setting up the account this way, it will make it more convenient during the owner's lifetime to assist in managing the bank accounts and paying bills.

“An account owner’s Last Will & Testament or Trust will not prevent this presumption from arising, and the financial institution has no duty to inform the account owner of this presumption. ”

However, adding someone to a Florida bank account becomes somewhat inconvenient upon the original owner's death. Setting up Florida bank accounts in this manner can lead to expensive litigation between the original owner's heirs to determine the survivorship rights in these joint accounts. Intent will be questioned in addition to undue influence and fraud.

Under Florida Statute Section 655.79, unless expressly stated otherwise in contract, agreement or signature card executed in connection with the relevant account, any account that is titled in the names of two or more persons creates a presumption that all ownership rights in the account automatically pass to the surviving owners upon the death of any owner.  

There are no explicit words that are required for this presumption- just the fact that there are two or more owners.  An account owner's Last Will & Testament or Trust will not prevent this presumption from arising, and the financial institution has no duty to inform the account owner of this presumption. With that said, the surviving owner can simply walk into the bank after the original owners death and withdraw all of the funds as their own!

Good news, there are alternatives available to making an account a joint account. They allow flexibility and also allow the owner to revoke these designations within his/her lifetime:

Alternative #1- "DPOA"

Appoint someone to act as his/her agent under a Durable Power of Attorney

Alternative #2- "POD"

Create a 'pay on death account' where the owner can designate a beneficiary to receive the account upon his/her death

Alternative #3- "ITF"

Create a Totten Trust where the owner maintains complete control over the account during their lifetime, but all rights pass to a beneficiary who is designated 'in trust for'

If you live in Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach county contact an experienced estate-planning attorney at The Hershey Law Firm, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at (954) 303-9468 to discuss your estate planning needs.

You Can’t Predict The Future, But You Can Plan For It.

A Verbal Contract Isn't Worth The Paper It's Written On

Before smartphones and email, a phone call to speak with someone directly was the fastest form of communication. It was much faster then writing a letter, mailing the letter, and then impatiently waiting for the response. By the time you got a response, you might have forgotten the question asked or the question was no longer relevant.

Life moves so fast that our generation expects an immediate response to an email and text. If we don't respond immediately, we might cause a boyfriend/girlfriend to start 'wondering' why you didn't respond (which is grounds for a lot of pointless arguments).  You might lose a potential client if you don't respond immediately. They might assume you are not interested in their business or that you are too busy. The potential client will quickly move onto the next person hoping to gain the immediate attention they are seeking. 

Luckily, people still enjoy face-to-face communication. A lot of business takes place after hours over happy hour drinks and dinner.  If you verbally agree to working with someone over drinks, what are the chances one person might back out of the agreement the next day? With drinks flowing, people are more willing to enter into agreements.  Once they are sober, they might question that agreement and pretend it never existed. In the words of Jaime Foxx,  " blame it on the a a a a a alcohol"

“You should never leave your affairs up to chance. Leaving specific and detailed instructions in your will or trust can help solve complications down the line”

Well, the good thing is, it was only a verbal agreement. The bad thing is, it was only a verbal agreement.

When it comes to estate planning, many people make the common mistake of assuming their loved ones will honor their true wishes, as expressed verbally.  You should never leave your affairs up to chance. Leaving specific and detailed instructions in your will or trust can help solve complications down the line. There will be no question as to what your wishes are if they are clearly stated on paper.

In South Florida, there are a number of vehicles used with estate planning to protect both your assets and your wishes at your time of death. These documents will take away the possible 'he-said-she said' verbal agreements prior to your passing.

Revocable Trust(living trust): Allows you to control and manage assets in your trust while you are alive.

Living Will and Healthcare Surrogate- Will allow you to designate who will make medical decisions when you are unable to do so yourself.

Assignment of Property: Assign your property into your trust (real and personal property) to protect your assets.

Durable Power of Attorney: Designate and authorize someone to legally act on your behalf in the event you become incapacitated.

Last Will and Testament: Used upon death to distribute property to beneficiaries, specify last wishes, and name guardians for minor children.

If you live in Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach county contact an experienced estate-planning attorney at The Hershey Law Firm, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at (954) 303-9468 to discuss your estate planning needs.

You can’t predict the future, but you can plan for it.

Let's Talk About Wills Baby

Let's Talk About Wills Baby. Let's Talk About Your Money. Let's Talk About All The Good Things and The Bad Things That Could Be. Let's Talk About Wills.

Ok, now stop singing and let's get serious.

What are the benefits of a will?

·      Easy to establish

·      Less expensive to establish

·      Governs the distribution of your assets upon your death

·      States who will be the guardian of your minor children or special needs children

·      States your wishes to be buried or cremated

·      Ability to be updated/amended at any time

“It does not govern assets held jointly or those that you designate a beneficiary”

What are things to consider with a will? 

·      Must go through probate

·      Does not address incapacity

A will is your strategy for distributing your assets upon your death. It applies only to assets that are held in your individual name. It does not govern assets held jointly or those that you designate a beneficiary. A will does not prevent probate. When you die,  the Judge reviews the will to determine if it is valid. Once the will is validated, the Judge will grant powers to the executor to collect and manage your assets and distribute your property to beneficiaries after creditors and taxes are paid. Make sure you pick someone you trust to carry out your final wishes.

One thing to keep in mind, a will is the only documents that can designate guardians whether it’s for a minor child or a special needs child.

A will does not address incapacity issues. In addition to having a will, everyone should have his or her advanced directives. That includes your Durable Power of Attorney, Healthcare Surrogate and Living Will. Those 3 documents specifically address incapacity.

If you live in Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach county contact an experienced estate-planning attorney at The Hershey Law Firm, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at (954) 303-9468 to discuss your estate planning needs. You can’t predict the future, but you can plan for it!

Does a Durable Power of Attorney Last Forever?

Does a Durable Power of Attorney Last Forever?

Simply stated: Nothing Lasts Forever

What is a Durable Power of Attorney?

A Durable Power of Attorney is a document that grants a designated person to manage your financial affairs either immediately or in the future should you become unable to do so yourself. The designated person will have the power to buy and sell real estate, open and close bank accounts, file tax returns, etc. The word 'durable' allows the power to continue even after you become incapacitated.

Beware: A durable power of attorney is only effective while the principal is alive. Once that person dies, the durable power of attorney dies with them.  Therefore, you will not be able to use a Durable Power of Attorney to sell the home of a deceased person nor are you able to close financial accounts owned by the decedent.

What document is used once you die?

Once someone dies, it is important to have a Last Will & Testament. The Will names someone who can act as the personal representative/executor of the decedent's estate who will be responsible for administering the estate. After debts are paid, the personal representative is also responsible for distributing assets to the beneficiaries listed in the will.

“Therefore, you will not be able to use a Durable Power of Attorney to sell the home of a deceased person nor are you able to close financial accounts owned by the decedent.”

So if you are thinking of planning ahead and preparing your estate planning portfolio, make sure it includes documents that will be used while you are alive as well as when you are gone. Everyone should have a Durable Power of Attorney as well as a Last Will & Testament.

If you live in Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach contact an experienced estate-planning attorney at The Hershey Law Firm, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at (954) 303-9468 to discuss your estate planning needs. You can’t predict the future, but you can plan for it.

Schools Out For Summer

Schools Out For Summer. If you are able to say that without singing Alice Cooper's version, you are a better man than I.

It is the three (3) months of the year that college kids get into a little (or a lot) of trouble. No real responsibilities, young summer love, and lots of traveling.

Since you can't stop your 'children' from making bad decisions, make sure they are prepared in case they do.

If you have 'children' between the ages of 18 and 24 make sure they have a Durable Power of Attorney, Healthcare Surrogate and Living Will prepared in case of an emergency. Without these documents, parents and loved ones are helpless.

Durable Power of Attorney:

Name someone to manage your financial affairs either immediately or in the future should you lack the capacity to do so yourself.

Healthcare Surrogate:

Name someone to make medical decisions on your behalf if you are unable to make them yourself.

“Since you can’t stop your ‘children’ from making bad decisions, make sure they are prepared in case they do.”

Living Will:

Document that will state how and if you want to prolong your life if you fall into a vegetative state. 

If you live in Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach contact an experienced estate-planning attorney at The Hershey Law Firm, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at (954) 303-9468 to discuss your estate planning needs. You can’t predict the future, but you can plan for it.

Digital Assets: Why They Need to Be Part of Your Estate Plan

What’s going to happen to your Facebook account when you die? Or all the songs you’ve downloaded from iTunes? 

As digital assets become more common for all of us, it is important to incorporate them into estate plans. Unfortunately, that is not always easy to do.

The average person has roughly $35,000 worth of assets stored on digital devices. That value includes purchased movies, books, music and games as well as personal memories, communications, personal records, hobbies and career information. More than 1/2 of the digital assets stored would be impossible to recreate, re-download or repurchase.

Unfortunately, those assets are increasingly at risk of being lost when the account owner dies. Many digital accounts are subject to complicated terms of service agreements, which can often make it difficult or impossible for surviving loved ones to access them. Additionally, state and federal laws could put friends and relatives who try to log on to your accounts at risk of violating anti-hacking and privacy statutes.

“The average person has roughly $35,000 worth of assets stored on digital devices.”

Initiatives are under way to put more consumer-friendly laws in place regarding digital assets. Until then, though, it’s important to incorporate detailed directions and information surrounding your digital assets into your estate plan. Here are four steps to take now: 

STEP 1: TAKE A DIGITIAL INVENTORY

Complete an annual review of all your online accounts and subscriptions and then prepare a list.

·       Examples: Computing hardware: computers, external hard drives or flash drives, tablets, smartphones, digital music players, e-readers, digital cameras, and other digital devices.

·       Any information or data that is stored electronically, whether stored online, in the cloud, or on a physical device.

·       Any online accounts, such as email and communications accounts, social media accounts, shopping accounts, photo and video sharing accounts, video gaming accounts, online storage accounts, and website blogs that you may manage. 

·       Domain Names 

·       Intellectual property, including copyrighted materials, trademarks, and any code you may have written and own.

STEP 2: DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT DONE WITH YOUR DIGITAL ASSETS

What do you want to happen to these assets? You might want some to be archived and saved, others you may want deleted or erased. Possibly you may want to transfer accounts to family members or friends.

STEP 3: GATHER YOUR PASSWORDS AND STORE IN SECURE BUT ACCESSIBLE LOCATION:

Make a list of all your passwords and keep it in a safe place. Include a copy in your estate-planning portfolio. Make sure your spouse and children are aware or your plan and how to access it.

STEP 4: BE SPECIFIC:

Make sure your durable power of attorney includes specific provisions authorizing someone you trust to deal with your digital assets and online accounts. Your will or trust will have similar provisions to allow loved ones to deal with those assets after your death.

If you live in Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach county contact an experienced estate-planning attorney at The Hershey Law Firm, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at (954) 303-9468 to discuss your estate planning needs. You can't predict the future, but you can plan for it.

You Don’t Have to Be A Millionaire to Be Able To Leave Something For Your Children After You Die

Regardless of how much wealth you have, having some type of estate plan and financial power of attorney are the financial building blocks to make sure your assets go where you want them to go.

Between life insurance, wills and other financial tools, many parents of average income can also take steps to make sure their children will be okay financially after they’re gone.

Prepare a Will

The will states your final wishes regarding who will or will not receive from your estate, name guardians for your minor children, state directions regarding organ donation and burial.

Your estate consists of everything you own. This includes but is not limited to: home, investments, and family heirlooms.

The will will be used to name an executor, or the person responsible for paying final bills and dividing up the estate.

The downside to a will is that it has to go through probate, a court process that is both lengthy and costly. Creditors will be paid out prior to those beneficiaries named in the will.

Create a Trust

The trust will allow a parent to control from the grave. The assets will be owned by the trust, which will be controlled by the person who created it until they die or become incapacitated (the parents). Once the person dies, the trust would be handed to a successor trustee who can control the trust and use the funds to pay bills and later to divide the assets among family members.

A trust does not have to go through probate. The assets will be distributed based on the document and will not have to go through court proceedings. It is more expensive to form than a will, but there are many advantages.

Leave children your retirement accounts

Easiest way to ensure that your children will receive your retirement savings is to name them as the beneficiaries to your accounts such as 401(k), traditional IRA and Roth IRA.

Make sure beneficiary forms are kept up to date, since those designations would trump whatever is in the will.

People inheriting traditional IRAs will also have to take minimum required distributions, based on their age and life expectancy. Like the original owner, they’ll owe taxes on the money when they take distributions.

Beneficiaries inheriting a Roth IRA, which is funded with after-tax dollars, do not have to pay taxes on the savings as long as the account has been open for at least five years.

Buy life Insurance 

The purpose of life insurance is to make sure people who rely on you financially will be protected.  Many parents don’t purchase the correct policy, causing the money to run out sooner than they expected.

When purchasing life insurance, couples should factor in mortgage payments, college costs, food and other expenses and estimate how much their children would need to cover those expenses until they reach adulthood.

Parents might want to save on taxes by placing the life insurance policy into an “irrevocable life insurance trust”. Proceeds of the insurance would go into the trust and not be counted as part of parents’ estate.

If the child is named as co-trustee after reaching a certain age, the money will be protected from creditors and will not have to be shared with a spouse if the beneficiary gets divorced

529 Account

A 529 account, allows money to grow tax-free until it is used to pay for qualifying college expenses. Parents or grandparents can contribute up to $14,000 a year per child (or $28,000 a year for a couple) before having to pay gift taxes.

There is an exception that allows people to front-load up to five years worth on contributions for the next five years. The children may not have much left after paying for college expenses, but if they do, they can choose to pass on funds to pay for higher education costs for their own children.

If you live in Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach counties it is time to start preparing your estate-planning portfolio. Make sure your children are taken care of when you are gone. You can’t predict the future, but you can plan for it.

Contact an experienced estate-planning attorney at The Hershey Law Firm, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at (954) 303-9468 to discuss your estate planning needs.

Pass the Turkey, Pass The Gravy, Pass the Durable Power of Attorney

It is that time of year again to sit down with your loved ones, over eat, and go around the table and say what you are thankful for. The reality of the situation is that you sit down to eat an overabundance of food with extended family members you sometimes wish were strangers. You hope you don’t come across as rude when you would rather pay attention to the football game on the television as opposed to listening their mundane stories. After all, if you really wanted to hear their stories throughout the year, you could have called them, texted or even sent a Facebook message.  

It is the start of the holiday season in South Florida and the last thing on your mind is planning your estate for when you pass away or preparing documents in case you become incapacitated. But in reality, this time of year makes you realize that if you do not properly plan your estate, family members that you are not too fond of might fight over your estate (and win). Is that really something you want to happen when you pass away?  I think not!

Start thinking about who you would like to make medical and financial decisions for you in case you are unable to make those decisions for yourself. Remember, if you are married, your spouse is not legally given the right to make medical and financial decisions for you.  That right must be placed in writing. Also, if you have “children” in college, you will need their written permission to make decisions for them. “Because I said so”, is no longer a valid answer as a parent once your child reaches the age of eighteen! 

“But in reality, this time of year makes you realize that if you do not properly plan your estate, family members that you are not too fond of might fight over your estate (and win)”

It is the perfect time for South Florida residents to think about building (or updating) their estate-planning portfolio:

Will: State your final wishes regarding who will receive or who will not receive from your estate, name guardians for your minor children, state directions regarding organ donation and burial

 Revocable Trust(living trust): In depth document that will state your final wishes. You are able to place stipulations and retain control of your assets during your lifetime. 

Supplemental Documents 

Durable Power of Attorney: Name someone to manage your financial affairs either immediately or in the future should you become unable to do so yourself. 

Living Will: Document that will state how and if you want to prolong your life if you fall into a vegetative state.

 Healthcare Surrogate: Name someone to act on your behalf if you become unable to make medical decisions for yourself.

If you live in Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach counties it is time to start discussing with loved ones their estate planning needs. You can’t predict the future, but you can plan for it.

Contact an experienced estate-planning attorney at The Hershey Law Firm, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at (954) 303-9468 to discuss your estate planning needs.

We Are Husband And Wife Joined In Holy Matrimony As One (Sort Of )

Couples are under the impression that when they get married, they are joining together as husband and wife creating a unity. This is sort of true, but legally, it’s not the case.

What if you wanted to access your spouse’s IRA accounts? You would need to gain permission from your spouse, which is simple enough if your spouse is competent and able to give verbal or written permission.

What happens if your spouse is incapacitated and unable to properly give their permission? Martial rights do not give you the legal right to handle your spouse’s financial affairs. Simply stated, you cannot show up and say “I am his wife”. That does not give you the permission necessary to handle your spouse’s financial affairs.

What does give you that permission though, is a durable power of attorney, which is effective as soon as it’s signed. This legal document will give your spouse (or whom ever you choose to designate) the authority to handle your financial affairs and many other specific matters.

“Martial rights do not give you the legal right to handle your spouse’s financial affairs. ”

In Florida, whether you are married or single, it is important to prepare a Durable Power of Attorney to give someone else the authority to handle your affairs if you are no longer capable. Please keep in mind, that this document needs to be prepared before you are unable to make your own decisions. Otherwise, a guardianship (legal process) would have to be opened in order to allow someone else to make decisions for you.

If you live in Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach counties it is time to start discussing with loved ones their estate planning needs. You can’t predict the future, but you can plan for it.

Contact an experienced estate-planning attorney at The Hershey Law Firm, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at (954) 303-9468 to discuss your estate planning needs.