Planning for the Unexpected

■ LEGALLY SPEAKING

Planning for the Unexpected

By Bruce Iden, Esquire

It’s Tuesday morning. Your husband’s flight to Venezuela just departed. In the family room, 2-year-old Sophia is amusing herself while waiting for Jennifer, your new 16-year-old neighbor who has been babysitting a few mornings this summer. It’s your special time to run errands or get in some exercise. Today is the perfect day to try out a new pair of rollerblades.

Lace-up. Earbuds in. Sunscreen on. You tell Jennifer you’ll be back in about 90 minutes and off you go to the local park. It’s unusually quiet this morning. While skating along at a fast pace, you hit a rock, lose your balance and fly wildly out of control into a swale of high grass, where your phone ends up behind a bush and you hit your head. Everything goes dark…

Thankfully, a jogger finds you and calls 911. You are transported to a hospital but are unconscious. With no identification, the hospital doesn’t know who you are or whom to call.

Hours later, Jennifer becomes concerned when you don’t return home as expected. She calls your cell phone, but there’s no answer. She also tries your husband’s number which goes directly to voice mail. Afternoon arrives and Jennifer begins to really worry. She has plans of her own, and you were supposed to be home hours ago. What should she do? She calls her own mother who advises, “Call the police.”

Two uniformed officers arrive and ask questions. They check police reports and hospitals. There is an unidentified woman at a local hospital who may be the missing mom, but she is unconscious. The police evaluate the situation and determine there is no family member present to take care of Sophia. What happens next is a parent’s nightmare. Your daughter is now in the care of the Florida Department of Children and Families.

Is our story far-fetched? Probably. But while this type of scenario is not likely to happen to your family, it reminds us to make sure we plan for the unexpected. At a minimum, every family should have standard written babysitter instructions which include contact information for family members and friends who should be contacted if parents cannot be reached. In addition, an attorney can help to prepare a Power of Attorney for Childcare, authorization for the care, custody, medical care, and even travel for your minor children.

It is certainly not necessary to consult an attorney to put together babysitter instructions. This is something that parents can create on their own. However, other legal documents are best drafted by an experienced estate planning attorney who can offer counsel and ensure that documents are properly prepared and executed. You want to make sure your legal documents work when you need them.

Having a family plan for the unexpected may help keep small incidents from becoming big problems.

Life can change in an instant. What are you waiting for?

▸Bruce Iden earned his J.D. from George Washington University National Law Center and his L.L.M. in taxation from the University of

Miami School of Law. He has been practicing in the areas of estate planning, real estate and business law for over 30 years. For more information, or to schedule a consultation with Mr. Iden, contact

Iden Law Offices at 954-885-0085.

4577 Weston Rd. Weston, FL 33331 (Next to Little Hen Restaurant)

OPEN MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY (CLOSED EVERY OTHER WEDNESDAY & SATURDAY) 954-217-5070

www.westoneyecarecenter.com

SUMMER SALE 20% 0FF

ALL SUNGLASSES

GUCCI, TOM FORD, TIFFANY, YSL, SALVATORE FERRAGAMO, SILHOUETTE, RAY BAN, MAUI JIM & MANY MORE!

OptoMap Retinal Photography Available!

• Don’t have time to dilate your pupils today? • Don’t like seeing blurry after an eye exam? • Need to get back to work? • Kids have activities/home work to do afterwards? No Problem! The doctor can still get an ultra-wide view of the back of the eye even if you choose to not dilate your pupils! Retina Photography Available

RFREE INSPECTION ROOF - WATER DO YOU THINK YOUR OOF LOOKS LIKE THIS& CLAIM REVIEW - MOLD - FIRE ?

OU NEED A PUBLIC ADJUSTER? an insurance claim, your insurance company employs a ster who evaluates the situation and recommends an uster has the best interest of the insurance company in

It is crucial that you contact Five Star, a licensed Broken Tiles or Missing Shingles

Commercial Public Insurance Claims Adjuster, who will homeowner throughout the entire claim process. u y re a amo smo unts oth for tran your saction fro damages. m start to TI finish, W M includ e've recovered E ing IS RUNNING OUT!DO YOU THINK YOUR ROOF LOOKS LIKE THIS?out to make a property CLAIM? more than sure if CLAIM a compl you should make a CLAI denied or underpaid? imentary 11-Point Inspection & M? Claim Re TR view! MILLION OPICAL STORM "ETA" ROOF DAMAGE? MoldWater Leaks UNDERPAID

Public adjusters have up to 3 years from the date of loss to file a claim on your behalf. If you have experienced any of the issues listed below in the last 3 years, Five Star may still be able to recover money for the damages you sustained.

DELAYED OR DENIED NEW PATIENT SPECIAL 50% 0FF

COMPLETE EYE EXAM

• GLASSES PRESCRIPTION • SINGLE VISION CONTACT LENSES EXAM • ASTIGMATISM/TORIC CONTACT LENSES EXAM • MULTIFOCAL OR MONOVISION CONTACT LENSES EXAM

BUT ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE THIS?

OFFER EXPIRES 7/31/22

BUT ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE THIS? GOT LEAKS? CRACKED OR MISSING TILES? REPAIRS?

We are licensed Public Claims Adjusters who help homeowners with insurance claims. We level the playing field and maxOVER imize the recovery for your claim. torm ETA issues. ge to walls Not Filed Not sure $650 MILLION RECOVERED damage. or floors. i Underpaid - Denied f you're owed for a DOV OHAYON, PCA Public Claims Adjuster / AC unit leaks. r/Dishwasher leaks. new roof? ence of mold. e damage. Call TODA dovo@fsclaims.com • LIC#W458781 Y to perform a complimentary 11-point inspection of your property (interior 1640 West Oakland Park Blvd and exterior). Suite 202 | Oakland Park, FL 33311

Plumbing Leaks TIME FireIS RUNNING OUT! FREE INSPECTION & CLAIM REVIEW ROOF - WATER - MOLD - FIRE TROPICAL STORM "ETA" ROOF DAMAGE? GO MI T LEAKS? CRACKED OR SSING TILES? REPAIRS? WHY DO YOU NEED AWe PUBLI are lic C en ADJ sed USTERPublic ? Claims Adjusters When you submit an insurance claim, who your insu help rance company homeown empl ers oys a with insuranceprofessional adjuster who evaluates the situation and recommends an estimate. This adjuster has the best clai interems. st of tWe hel insuraevelnce cothempanypla in ying field and mind, not yours! It is crucial that ma you xim cont ize act th F e ive re Star, a cover li y cense for d your clai Brokenm. Tiles or Missing ShinglesResidential and Commercial Public Insurance Claims Adjuster, who will repr Five es S ent tar you will , t e h n e ho sure me a owner t smooth hroughout the entire claim process. transaction from start to finish, includinNot Filed - Underpag id - Denied 5 - S T A R G O O G L E R E V I E W S Are you about to make a property CLAIM? Are you unsure if you should make a CLAIM? Was your CLAIM denied or underpaid? maximum recovery amounts for your damages. Call to schedule a complimentary 11-Point Inspection & Claim Review! We've recovered more than MILLION MoldWater Leaks Not sure? Call Dov Today to Schedule Your Complimentary Inspection/Claim Review! ROOF • WATER • MOLD • FIRE Call TODAY to perform a complimentary 11-point inspection of your Not sure if you're owed for a new roof? ATTENTION! Public adjusters have up to 3 years from the date of loss to file a claim on your behalf. If you have experienced any of the issues listed below in the last 3 years, Five Star may still be able to recover money for the damages you sustained. proper Call Plumbing Leaks ty (interio Luciano! r (954) 261-3911 Fire and exterior). (954) 483-4688

BEST OF PLANTATION 2022 2022

www.FiveStarClaimsAdjusting.com/southflorida/ This is a solicitation for business. If you have a claim for an insured property loss or damage and are satisfied with the payment by your insurer, you may disregard this advertisement.