‘You Can’t Get Everything Online’ We’re proud to have a few specialists at The Sheppard Law Firm — but what does that mean, exactly? In his 2021 Sanibel Island Sun column, “You Can’t Get Everything Online,” Attorney Craig Hersch explains how it works. You can read the full version of Craig’s column and others at FloridaEstatePlanning.com. Certified Specialists Have the Education to Back Their Advice
Generally speaking, board certification recognizes attorneys who must display the highest degree of professionalism and ethics. Additionally, one must have a minimum of five years of law practice and substantial involvement in the field of law. We must also obtain a satisfactory peer review assessment of competence in the specialty field, including character and ethics assessments. Board-certified wills, trusts, and estates attorneys must also meet stringent continuing legal education requirements (90 hours in advanced estate planning topics in the three years leading up to initial certification alone, then similar amounts every reporting period) and be recertified every five years after passing an initial rigorous board certification examination. That’s why there may be a difference between what your northern attorney may have told you about updating your will and trust to Florida law and what a board-certified specialist here in Florida tells you. It’s kind of like asking your primary care physician a cardiac question that you should actually ask your cardiologist.
When choosing a doctor, lawyer, or other professional, the right certification can mean all the difference in the quality of care or service. To differentiate between those who may have superior skills, many professional regulatory agencies offer board certification credentials. The Florida Bar offers such a program. Estate planning, for example, has become so complicated through myriad laws, rules, and regulations that there could be a big difference in skills between a “generalist” — someone who might do a little divorce work as well as prepare wills and trusts — and those skills of a “specialist” who works solely in estate planning. A Florida lawyer is not a “specialist” without becoming board certified in his or her respective field. I happen to be board certified by The Florida Bar in wills, trusts, and estates, earning my certification back in 1996. John Sheppard, one of my law partners who retired some time ago, was one of the first to do so in Florida, and Michael Hill, one of my current law partners, became board certified in 2008. Today, Mike and I are two of about 315 attorneys throughout the entire state with such a distinction.
You can look up The Florida Bar board-certified attorney specialists in various fields at FloridaBar.org/certification.
Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Inspired by DreenaBurton.com
Set out these vegan cookies for Santa!
INGREDIENTS
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1/4 tsp salt
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1 cup whole wheat pastry flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup maple syrup 1/4 tsp molasses 1 tsp vanilla extract
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1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
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1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips
DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 350 F. 2. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt. 3. In a smaller bowl, combine maple syrup, molasses, vanilla, and oil. 4. Mix the wet ingredients with the dry mixture. Mix in chocolate chips. 5. Place large spoonfuls of dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 11 minutes.
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