Sheppard Law Firm - November 2021

Sheppard Law Firm - November 2021

Newsletter Title

t From Coworkers to Family

Aimee Balcer Reflects on 10 Years at Sheppard Law Firm

Hi, everyone! My name is Aimee Balcer, and I am the lead paralegal in the Sheppard Law Firm’s estate settlement department. This means I primarily work with clients’ families and their estate plans after our clients have passed away. I’ve been with the firm for 10 years (been a paralegal for more than 15), but what might surprise you is that I didn’t intend to work in the legal field!

plans for loved ones very close to me, and I know how taxing this can be following a loss. My goal is to help ease that burden for our clients’ families, ensuring the weeks and months after their passing can be focused on mourning and healing together. We want every client to know their loved one and their estate matters to us. As I continue my career at Sheppard Law Firm, I’m grateful to have found a true family to work with each day. I’ve worked at some law firms that promise a family atmosphere, but this firm is different. That was promised, and it’s truly like working with family. As I’ve married my husband and welcomed two kids into the world, I’ve watched as my coworkers have accepted them as family, too. My children even know just who to visit when they come into the office! Beyond our connections, I appreciate the collaboration at the Sheppard Law Firm. I feel as though my expertise and opinions are heard, and with my additional responsibilities as a lead paralegal, I am supported in the decisions I make. It’s been an easy decision to stay here the past 10 years. Outside of work, my life is focused on being a mom. I love being a mom. Whether it’s helping my kids — Bree, who is the oldest, and Michael, who is the youngest — with their school work or going to the beach and Busch Gardens, there are no experiences I enjoy more than the ones I have with my family.

I’m a first-generation Floridian and a third-

generation graduate of Fort Myers High School. I love this region and our Tampa Bay Buccaneers — I’m not a bandwagon fan! — and the Florida State Seminoles. (This year has been hard, Seminoles fans!) So, I stayed local for college and decided to earn a degree

in education. Luckily, a professor caught a special talent I had and steered me in another direction! They suggested that I was perhaps “too good at arguing for a career in education,” so I soon transitioned to studying paralegal work and found a career I love today. Working with families after their loved one passes can be emotionally exhausting work. Usually, by Friday evening, I need a few moments just to decompress. That works out well for my family because my husband is a construction worker. I often say that I end the day mentally drained, and he ends it physically drained; so together, we make one whole person! Yet, regardless of how difficult or emotional this work can be, I’ve learned through my experiences losing people close to me (and as a paralegal) how to navigate these moments with our clients. I’ve had to manage administrative duties of estate

It’s an honor to work at the Sheppard Law Firm and to help clients through some of the most vulnerable moments in their lives. It may not always be easy, but the work we do every day is very rewarding. And I feel extremely fortunate to do this work alongside coworkers who have become family. –Aimee Balcer

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NOVEMBER 2021

Have a Low-Stress Holiday 3 Tips for a Merrier Time

Get Started Early Holidays always arrive faster than we expect, so begin preparing early. If shopping for presents is a pain point, don’t wait until the last minute. Decorate earlier than you need to — or better yet, get the kids to do it for you. There’s only so much cooking you can do ahead of time, but ensuring you have all of the equipment and nonperishable ingredients you need a few weeks in advance will reduce both your workload and anxiety. Don’t Expect Perfection The sooner you let go of the idea of a “perfect” holiday, the sooner you’ll be able to have a happy one. Face it: Something will go wrong. Whether it’s an overcooked dish, a child throwing a temper tantrum, or your uncle talking politics at the dinner table, nothing will ever go just how you planned. So, embrace the imperfections. Whether you’re celebrating this year with a group of two or 20, holidays can be a stressful time — but they don’t have to be. With these tips, your festivities may not be picture-perfect, but they will be a lot of fun.

The holidays are right around the corner, and while many people can’t wait to eat turkey and swap presents, others only see stress on the horizon. Especially for

those hosting parties, between decorations, big dinners, excited kids, and visiting family, it can all feel overwhelming. If celebrations are happening at your house this year, here are three tips to lessen the strain and keep up the holiday cheer. Recharge First Ensure you’re rested and recharged before the holidays by taking time to relax, getting enough sleep, and engaging in activities that make you feel good. When you’re rushing to get everything done, it can be tempting to skip self-care routines, but that will cost you in the long run. Your daily exercise and other health activities keep you balanced and ready to face challenges head-on.

g i v i n g a n d F a m i l y E

Thanksgiving is one of the simplest holidays. All it asks is for us to gather with our loved ones, feast on great food, and appreciate what we have in life. It’s a poignant, powerful reminder, but it’s also a great opportunity to have necessary conversations about our estate plans. This Thanksgiving, make sure the relatives impacted by your estate plan understand your wishes and their responsibilities. Here are three ways to make those conversations easier. Take timing seriously. When the turkey is being carved, that’s probably not the best time to discuss executors of wills and durable powers of attorney. Instead, choose a time when you can speak privately with those who would be impacted by a will. This could be done over afternoon coffee and pie or even during Thanksgiving prep. You may also ask them to gather early, so you can share updates. Just make sure the timing doesn’t interfere with celebrations. Focus on the positives. Focus on “the why” and other benefits so the conversation will remain light. Remind your loved ones that you are choosing to have this conversation now because everyone is gathered and 2 floridaestateplanning.com 3 Tips for Easy Conversation

so that when something does happen, everyone understands the next steps. You should also emphasize that your decisions were made with expert guidance and are what you believe is best. This might also be a good time to remind adult siblings that certain responsibility designations are made based on personal abilities, not favoritism. Keep it quick. This conversation should be a simple status update, so encourage those with more in-depth questions to seek private conversations with you. Emphasize that this plan is something you will continue to update the group about as changes occur (because they will). This provides your family with an opportunity to learn about potential changes every year, while offering an outlet for additional conversations for those who need it. Then, you can get back to the feast! If you would like additional guidance on having these conversations with your family, check out our blog at FloridaEstatePlanning.com . Attorney Craig Hersch has multiple columns on this very topic! And remember, if any of these conversations spark changes, please contact our team.

Is This File Important or Trash? Attorney Craig Hersch’s Timeline for Tossing Old Documents

To toss or to keep — that is the question many people struggle to answer when it comes to their estate planning documents. In his 2021 Sanibel Island Sun column, “When to Dispose of Old Estate Planning Documents,” attorney Craig Hersch offers insight. You can read the full version of Craig’s column — and others — at FloridaEstatePlanning.com. Let’s address ancillary documents first. Generally speaking, you can get rid of most old durable powers of attorney, health care surrogates, and living wills if they have been updated. Where this general rule doesn’t apply — and you need to take other action — is when one of three things has happened with your durable powers of attorney: the power holder has a copy of it, it has been used, or a copy of the power of attorney is on file with a bank or financial institution. If any of those three things are true, ask your attorney to take legal steps to revoke the power of attorney. Failure to legally revoke this could result in its continued use — and unintended and possibly adverse consequences. Next, let’s talk about wills. When you update your will, you might add an amendment — called a “codicil” — or you may create a whole new will. When you amend your will with a codicil, you

should retain the old one, since it (or parts of it) remains valid. When you update a will by restating it in its entirety, then it is usually okay to throw out the old one. The only reason you may wish to keep an old will (or a copy) is when you want to show a history of some act. If you have a revocable living trust, you usually want to retain the old trusts, even if they have been revised completely because new trusts usually build on old ones. As an example, let’s say that I have a trust dated Jan. 1, 1996, and I revisited that trust in its entirety on July 1, 2011. Maybe I kept the old trust because it had a provision in it that allowed me to amend it. Then, the new trust would keep the date of the old trust so I don’t have to re-title all of the assets that have been transferred to it. This illustrates why it’s a good idea to have that old trust around for proof! Finally, never toss Form 706 Estate Tax Returns of anyone you inherited from, including your spouse, parents, and grandparents. Also don’t throw away Form 709 Gift Tax Returns that you and your spouse have filed. In fact, it’s always best to give copies of those to your estate planning attorney.

Easy Cranberry-Apple Salad

Inspired by CookieAndKate.com

Take a Break

Want the taste of fall without the calories? Try this quick and easy salad, topped with homemade apple cider vinaigrette.

INGREDIENTS

For the dressing: •

For the salad: •

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup dried pumpkin seeds

• • • •

1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• •

5 cups salad mix

1 1/2 tsp honey

2 Granny Smith apples, chopped into bite-size pieces

1 tsp Dijon mustard

• •

1/3 cup dried cranberries

Salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup goat cheese, crumbled

DIRECTIONS 1. In a skillet over medium heat, toast the pumpkin seeds until fragrant, then set aside. 2. In a small jar or bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients, then set aside. 3. Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing until lightly coated, then toss and serve!

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INSIDE this issue

Lead Paralegal Reflects on 10 Years ............................................... 1

Lowering Holiday Stress. ........................... 2

Easily Discuss Your Estate Plans at Thanksgiving. ............................................ 2

When to Toss Old Documents..................... 3

Easy Cranberry-Apple Salad....................... 3

The Benefits of Positive Relationships....... 4

The best compliments we receive are your referrals. When you refer us to your loved ones, we do all we can to exceed expectations.

T h e B

Good for Mind and Health

Connecting with other humans in a positive way is one of the most profound experiences we have. That positivity is one of the greatest virtues — it’s contagious, and engaging in happy relationships with others is extremely important not only for our minds but also for our health. Longer Lives Studies have actually shown that when people are involved in positive relationships, they live longer. This is likely attributed to decreased stress, as stress can exact a toll on the entire body. Positive relationships can also encourage us to give up negative habits such as drinking or smoking, which cause many health problems and concerns. Healthy habits can help people live longer lives. Quicker Healing Positive people in our lives can distract us from pain, remind us to take medication, be our advocates, and simply reduce stress. And less stress means healing takes place faster. Those who have a support person feel more confident and prepared to undergo surgeries and fight illnesses as well.

Boosted Immune Systems It makes sense — people who have less

stress have stronger immune systems. During times of high stress, our bodies are more susceptible to illnesses because our immune system’s ability to fight off antigens is reduced. The stress hormone corticosteroid can also lower the number of lymphocytes available to fight infection. However, when we are in a happy and loving relationship, our bodies produce oxytocin, and we are less likely to get sick. Better Physical Shape Being in a positive relationship, especially a romantic one, can provide the motivation to be the best version of ourselves. This includes our physical condition, too! Having a friend or workout partner to encourage accountability and even push us out of our comfort zone a bit at the gym can keep us motivated. Being in a positive, healthy, and happy relationship means we listen to each other, offer advice, openly communicate without judgment, practice respect and trust, and engage in healthy activities together. So, it’s no surprise that positive relationships work wonders for our health and happiness.

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