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MARCH 2025
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Because They’re Family Why a Pet Trust Is Essential for Your Furry Loved Ones
Our pets bring immense joy and love into our lives. They often greet us as soon as we walk through the door, accompany us on walks through our neighborhoods, and snuggle up close whenever we feel down. They are valued members of our families, and we want to ensure they’re as happy as they make us. I’ve always had a soft spot for dogs, and my family welcomed a precious and adorable golden retriever into our lives in 2021. In the fall of 2021, I decided it was time to add a canine companion to my family. I found a beautiful puppy born in Miami, just like me! I named him Will in honor of the Estate Planning work I regularly do, and he has been an absolute joy in our lives since day one. He’s even become the official mascot of our law firm. Will loves to take walks, swim in the pool, play with his favorite toys, and harass the lizards in the backyard. He is the most loving, friendly, kind, loyal, energetic, and intelligent pup I’ve ever been around. After a few minutes with Will, you’ll see he perfectly embodies the golden retriever breed. You’ll likely even see him in the office the next time you come in. He loves greeting everyone as soon as they walk in the door. As you can probably tell, I care deeply about my dog, and many others share the same sentiment. However, they may not think about what would happen to their pup if something unimaginable happened. If you were to pass away or become incapacitated, what would happen to your pets? We like to think someone would step in and become their guardian, but without a Pet Trust in place, that may just be a hopeful wish. A Pet Trust is a part of your Estate Plan that acts as a guide for how someone else should care for your pet. You’ll name a Trustee to take care of your pet once you’re unable to. You’ll want to think critically about whom you choose and discuss the responsibility with them to ensure they’re up to the task. You’ll also want to name a successor in case your first choice cannot fulfill the role. After determining your Trustee, you fund the Trust. These funds can
only be used to pay for the animal’s care, from food expenses to veterinary care. From here, you’ll lay out detailed directions on how to care for your pet properly, ensuring they maintain the same level of care and love throughout the rest of their lives. Our pets are valued members of our families, and we can prove our love for them by establishing a Pet Trust. This ensures they will be cared for properly if we can no longer do it ourselves.
-Barry Siegel
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Praising your child has always been a “tricky” area of parenting. You want to raise your child to be a confident human being while also embodying what it means to be humble and appreciative. So, how do you stay within the bounds of instilling self-assurance without going overboard? While every child is different, several parenting approaches allow you to praise your child’s efforts without enabling arrogance. Raise Confident Kids 4 Tips Every Parent Should Follow RECOGNIZE YOUR CHILD’S EFFORT IN ADDITION TO THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENT. As parents, it’s easy to praise your child’s accomplishments without acknowledging all their hard work to achieve them. Suppose your child won first place in their school’s spelling bee. Instead of praising them for being the best, acknowledge how all their studying paid off.
Each of us has our own unique life story. While we’d like to think everyone follows the same path of progressing through childhood, getting married, having children, and growing old with our families, not everyone wants or achieves that life. Many older Americans prefer to live alone and never started families. Since these individuals don’t have heirs, they may believe they do not need an Estate Plan, but that’s not the case. Everyone should have an Estate Plan, regardless of age, assets, and unique situations. Independent Living, Independent Planning Estate Planning for the Child-Free and Carefree
If you’re an independent older American without children, here are two Estate Planning elements you should establish.
CREATE A WILL. If you pass away without a Will, your assets will be distributed according to Florida’s intestate succession laws. Your assets will go to your parents if you don’t have a spouse or children. If your parents have passed, your assets will go to siblings or their heirs. From here, it gets tricky. Your assets could go to your grandparents, aunts, uncles, or your deceased spouse’s next of kin, but if you don’t have any of these individuals anymore, everything will go to the state. You can avoid this by creating a Will and giving your assets to friends, religious organizations, or other individuals or groups you are affiliated with. DESIGNATE MEDICAL AND FINANCIAL POWERS OF ATTORNEY. Your Estate Plan doesn’t only cover situations that arise after your death; it’s also essential to ensure your desires come to fruition if you become incapacitated. You need someone to make medical and financial decisions on your behalf, and it needs to be someone you trust completely. This is not something you want to leave to chance. It could be a friend or even a clergy member. You should also establish where you want to live if you reach a point where you’re unable to live on your own. You may wish to remain at home with a live-in caretaker or go to a
EXPRESS CONFIDENCE IN THEIR ABILITY TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS. Let your child know you’re not only proud of them but also that you know they can achieve their goals. This praise sets the stage for your child to share future goals — for example, making the basketball or cheerleading team. AVOID FORESHADOWING PRAISE WITH NEGATIVITY. This may be difficult for some parents, especially if they’ve had repeated obedience issues. If you’re proud of your child’s game- winning catch, avoid prefacing the statement with “Even though you didn’t cut the grass as I asked …” This can be considered the equivalent of a backhanded compliment, and no one responds well to those. ALIGN THE LEVEL OF PRAISE WITH THE ACCOMPLISHMENT. In other words, don’t overdo it. Parents are their children’s biggest cheerleaders, so it can be challenging to tame your emotions when they win or overcome a fear. This is, of course, at your discretion, but it’s something to be mindful of. Does winning the season’s first game warrant a big backyard party with all the bells and whistles? Everyone’s parenting styles differ, but instilling values such as believing in oneself, empathy, gratitude, and determination are qualities any parent can nurture in their children for the betterment of themselves and those around them.
long-term care facility. Whatever option you prefer, make sure it is detailed in your Estate Plan, and your powers of attorney know your wishes.
If you have any questions about creating an Estate Plan unique to your needs, please call us today!
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Listening Is Our Secret Ingredient How We Stay True to Our Core Values
TEAMWORK It’s difficult to achieve anything if the team doesn’t work toward a common goal. By improving and maintaining our listening skills, we can ensure everyone is on the same page and understands what we’re working on, whether it’s specific to a client’s needs or helping a team member.
COMPASSION We constantly seek solutions to help others and give our clients peace of mind. This requires us to put our listening skills to the test to ensure we provide solutions that fit their needs and desires. Through listening, we show empathy, provide comfort, and offer solutions to help solve any problem. PASSION We’re incredibly passionate about what we do and can foster deeper connections with our clients and team members by listening to their concerns and needs. Listening to our coworkers share their passion can boost our mood, focus, and energy as we work toward a common goal.
Whenever we engage in a conversation with someone, it’s a give-and-take situation. We speak when we have the opportunity but must also listen intently to ensure we understand what the other person is saying. However, listening is not an inherited skill; you have to work to see improvements. At The Siegel Law Group, we emphasize maintaining strong listening skills to ensure we meet our clients’ needs and desires. Listening plays a vital role in our four core values.
Here is how listening ensures we stay true to our core values.
INTEGRITY Through this core value, we can deliver the highest level of professionalism by building loyalty, trust, and confidence with our team and clients. Failing to listen is the quickest way to destroy trust and confidence, so we aim to go above and beyond to listen to what others say so we can instill trust and confidence.
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Inside This Issue
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How to Secure Your Pet’s Care After You’re Gone
Build a Positive Self-Image in Your Kids
Estate Planning for the Child-Free Retiree
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How Listening Fuels Our Core Values
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The Secrets to Perfectly Styled Shelves
Shelf Styling Made Easy Turn Your Shelves Into a Showstopper
Styling your shelves is an opportunity to let your creativity run wild! With a few thoughtful tweaks, your shelves can go from cluttered chaos to chic and cohesive. EMBRACE THE ‘LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT’ RULE. If it’s not practical, sentimental, or something you absolutely adore, it doesn’t belong on your shelf. A few well-placed pieces can be far more striking than an overcrowded display. PICK A PALETTE, NOT A PAINT SPLATTER. Stick to a cohesive palette to avoid a jumble of clashing colors. Pair whites with soft creams, metallics, and neutrals for a sophisticated look. ADD ARTWORK FOR PERSONALITY. Lean a piece of art against the back or hang it on the molding for extra flair. It doesn’t have to
be fancy — a framed kid’s drawing can add the character your shelves need to pop.
PLAY WITH TEXTURE AND HEIGHT. Mix in baskets, wooden objects, or textured vases to keep things interesting. Combine varying heights and sizes, but stay true to your palette.
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