Raising a Service Puppy - a New Chapter

Today my life may have changed forever – hopefully in a good way. I recently had the opportunity to meet Megan Cloudman of New Horizons Service Dogs, some of her volunteers and some of their dogs at The Family Café. I thought I was at The Family Café, a Florida state wide disabilities conference) for the purpose of presenting on one of my favorite topics, “Special People, Special Planning.” Instead, the course of the universe was shifting, introducing me to new people and new experiences that will inevitably change my life.

I love dogs. Big dogs, little dogs, it really doesn’t matter. I love dogs so much, I already have five – mostly rescues but of various sizes, shapes and breeding. I have always wondered what it would be like to be a puppy raiser for a service dog organization. I have clients who have raised puppies. I have clients who have been the recipients of these puppies. I thought this was something I might do – later, when I have more time in my life! But why wait? When I met the people at New Horizons, my heart was changed and I wanted to do this – now. Really, I’m a little obsessed. I have thought about this prospect every single day since the possibility became a probability, and now, almost a reality.

My first hurdle was my husband, Joe. As I mentioned, we already have five dogs. We also have 3 horses and 4 cats. He reminds me regularly we don’t need any more pets. But this isn’t a pet in the true sense of the word. It’s an assignment with a beginning and an end. You get the puppy at 8 weeks, and then you have to return it for further advanced training at 18 months. Actually, Joe turned out to be the easy part. His only requirement was that I find a co-puppy raiser who could take on some of responsibility of the daily care and socialization of the puppy.

Fortunately, I have my own business where I already bring a dog (Leiden) to work every day. What’s one more, small, barely noticeable puppy? What I need is a co-raiser who lives close enough to my office (or even works there) who will bring the puppy to the office every day. Then every evening, I can bring my shared puppy to the co-raiser’s home for the evening. Then, rinse and repeat until Friday when I’ll take the puppy home for the weekend. It’s the perfect plan. Surely someone will think this is a great idea and say, “yes, pick me, let’s do this!”

I have to admit, this part turned out to be harder than I thought. I had several really, really good candidates who determined (for various reasons – all acceptable) this was not a good time for them to become part of a puppy-raiser team. Now I really am obsessed. I’m constantly thinking about the perfect puppy partner. Then wham! It dawns on me – my friend, Ellie Hall is a perfect choice. She lives near my office, she’s retired, we enjoy each others' company and she and her husband love dogs (and have even talked about getting one). I call her immediately and present “the plan.” Now I have to wait – until she has a chance to talk to her husband, think about all the pros and cons, weigh all the options, etc. When I can’t stand it any longer, I call her back – “What’s the verdict?” Yahoo! She says they discussed all the possibilities and they think this is a great time for them to consider co-puppy raising! I couldn’t be happier. Did I mention, I sent my application in yesterday, pre-Ellen’s agreement as a sign to the Universe that this was a good idea?

Now Ellen’s excited and she’s busily filling out her application. I’ve contacted Megan to let her know we are on board – now eagerly awaiting approval from New Horizons! Keep your fingers crossed!!!!

Professional Caregivers - Worth the Price

Here's a perfect example of why people should not hire unlicensed caregivers to provide for their elderly or disabled loved ones. We recommend only reputable organizations that can provide screenings, including a criminal background check. Protect your loved ones who want to remain at home - it's worth the price of a professional caregiver.

If you have questions about long term care insurance, asset protection planning for long term care including Medicaid planning, or special needs trusts, please feel free to attend one of our regular educational workshops at The Law Offices of Hoyt & Bryan, LLC.

Caretaker accused of leaving woman underfed, wounded

Hoyt & Bryan Presents: 3rd Annual Special Needs Conference

This will be the third year we've offered this all-day special needs conference for families with special needs children. The program has been well-attended and well-received in earlier years. This year we have a great line up of speakers including Eric Bolves, speaking on disability law, Laura Pichardo speaking on appealing the Medwaiver tier assignment, Pam Lindemann, an IEP advocate, along with members of the Hoyt & Bryan team speaking on the basics on special needs trusts, as well as special needs trust administration.

In addition, the program will offer attendees an opportunity to interact with various vendors serving the special needs community. The only cost to attend is $20 to defray the cost of providing lunch.

We hope you'll mark your calendars, RSVP and plan to join us for this annual event.

Hoyt & Bryan Presents: 3rd Annual Special Needs Conference

Hoyt & Bryan In the News - Congratulations to Randy Bryan

Congratulations to my partner, Randy Bryan for being chosen a Super Lawyer and among Florida's Legal Elite. I appreciate all he does for our firm and our profession. He is definitely someone to be admired and appreciated - I do as he makes our practice outstanding in many, many ways. Thanks Randy for the excellent job!

Hoyt & Bryan In the News

Tradition of Excellence - Making time for what's important

This is a special thank you to Merrell Bailey, the General Practice Solo and Small Firm Section of the Florida Bar and all my friends who made Friday night's award reception at the Florida Bar convention memorable. I am so touched and honored to have the opportunity to receive this prestigious award. I can't begin to tell you what it means to me. What I can tell you is that every single person who is important to me had a hand in making this happen and I appreciate that, very much.

I have more ideas than time to implement them. For those that know me, you are probably saying - really, you have ideas? I make lists of ideas. I have big ideas, little ideas, realistic ideas, unrealistic ideas - my ideas have ideas. What I don't have more of - like everyone - is time. We all get the same amount, every day - a mere twenty four (24) hours.

How we choose to use our twenty four (24) hours is what sets us apart. I believe we all have time to do the things that are important to us. In fact, if it's important enough, we will "make" the time. That's how we get things done and prioritize what we are willing and unwilling to do. I make it a priority to spend time with my pets - my dogs, my cats and my horses. I make time to ride every week - unless I'm out of town. I make time to exercise, to read, to write in my journal, to blog. And you are the same - you make time to do the things that are important to you.

When someone says, "I don't have time," what they are really saying is, "I'm not willing to make the time for this activity. This is not a priority for me." Although I may not always like the response, it's not for me to determine someone else's priorities.

Also at the top of the list for getting things done is my favorite topic, delegation. I may not be able to do everything myself, but with help, I can leverage my time and get lots more done. How do you think Oprah gets everything done that she's accomplished? She doesn't do it all herself! She has an army of people make her look great and accomplish great things.

My best advice to anyone starting out in business is to figure out what absolutely, positively has to be done by you - and do that. What doesn't have to be done by you can probably be done by someone else, at a lower cost. One of the best pieces of advice I ever received was from Anita Coburn, one of my dad's friends. She said, "Buy off those things in life that cause you stress." Wiser words of wisdom do not exist. As a result, I get help cleaning my house, feeding my pets when I can't be home on time, and ALL of the things that help my office to run smoothly.

I have a great team - in fact, "the best team ever!" Every single person is integral to the effective operation of The Law Offices of Hoyt & Bryan, LLC. It has taken years to develop our team - and we are constantly adding new team members, improving our level of service. It is primarily to my team that I owe a debt of gratitude. They help me accomplish so much - really leverage every minute we have of the business week. I really appreciate them and what they allow me to accomplish.

So, thanks to the team. The team at my office, the team at my home, the team at the Florida Bar, the team that is the General Practice Solo and Small Firm Section, the team that consists of my friends and supporters, the team that comprise my clients. Thanks for everything!

Women and Money

This newsletter is put out by a friend and colleague, Walt Dallas. It contains great information for women regarding the law and their money. Take a look. Women have to be proactive in the financial and legal arenas. I look at my mother's generation and it seems the men were in charge of all the important financial and legal details. As a result, if the husband died or became disabled, the women were rarely equipped to feel confident making these decisions. For young women, there's no time like the present to learn all you can. I was fortunate working in the financial services industry as a young career person and then going on to law school knowing estate planning was my chosen field.

Yet, I'm never amazed to learn that even the most accomplished of us have neglected this very important area of our lives. There are stories of successful executives and even Supreme Court justices that didn't have their financial and estate planning houses in order. It's the typical, "cobbler kids have no shoes" scenario.

The busiest day of the week is always tomorrow. Make a commitment to get your financial and legal house in order today!

0611WomenLawMoney / 0

The Happy Trustee

It is not unusual to name a family member as the initial or successor Trustee of a revocable living trust, charitable trust, irrevocable life insurance trust or special needs trust. The challenge comes when the Trustee is required to carry out their duties. Do they know what to do? Do they know how to do it? What is their tolerance for risk? Their attention to detail? Their willingness to engage the services of a legal professional to ensure they are compliant with the law?

Many believe the role of Trustee is simple, that somehow all of the real work gets done by the document itself. There could be nothing further from the truth. Taking on the responsibility of Trustee is huge and it does have risks. We routinely discourage family member trustees when it appears no one will take the job seriously. I met with clients recently who have a special needs daughter. The daughter was left assets in a special needs trust by a deceased relative. However, when the distribution was made, it was made as an outright distribution and not in trust. The result - these assets are now considered an available resource to the disabled individual and will impact her ability to qualify for SSI or Medicaid.

Lots of war stories abound. How about the son named as successor Trustee when his dad died? Neither the son, nor the mother (nor the financial advisor who was providing the financial and legal guidance) understood the benefits of mom receiving the assets as part of a credit shelter trust. As a result, mom intimidated the son into making an outright distribution of the trust assets. The credit shelter estate tax exemption was lost along with other asset protection benefits afforded by the trust.

These are just the tip of the iceberg. These individuals didn't do anything wrong - they just didn't understand what they were supposed to do and what their obligation as Trustee imposed upon them. How about the Trustee who ends up utilizing all of the trust funds for his own benefit and not for the benefit of the beneficiary? I've seen more than my share of these egregious cases. The beneficiaries then end up spending thousands of dollars on litigation or worse, say nothing and accept the financial abuse imposed upon them for fear of causing family disharmony.

The selection of a Trustee is one of the most important estate planning decisions that can be made. If you have questions, feel free to attend one of our educational workshops at The Law Offices of Hoyt & Bryan, LLC, or call us at 407-977-8080 for a complimentary phone consultation.

The Happy Trustee

EXCITING NEWS FROM NATHANIEL'S HOPE!

This is the event The Law Offices of Hoyt & Bryan attended at Lake Eola. Another special thanks to all friends of Hoyt & Bryan who participated in this year's stuffed animal drive. We'll be doing it again next year - really makes the kids happy. And, it's a good excuse to clear out those gently loved stuffed pets. Thanks to the Kucks for their hard work on this event. It gets bigger and bigger every year, serving the needs of Central Florida's disabled community. Mark your calendars for next year - Saturday June 2, 2012. We'll be there!

EXCITING NEWS FROM NATHANIEL'S HOPE!

Seven Silly Superstitions About Cryonics Trusts

Maybe you've never heard of cryonics? If you have, you may not have considered cryonic preservation for yourself or loved ones. Cryonic preservation is generally defined as being preserved in a frozen state until such time as technology would permit a person's revival to a fully functioning state - memories and all. Although this might sound like the stuff of a science fiction move, truth can be odder than fiction.

Rudi Hoffman, CFP presents a straight forward (if not blunt) approach to some superstitions (myths, if you will) about cryonics trusts. A cryonics trust or as I call them, Personal Revival Trusts are used for the purpose of preserving assets well into an unknown future. Medical technology is progressing (and pretty rapidly in my opinion) in this area. The medical community can do things today they only recently dreamed about. The legal community (particularly those interested in the idea of cryonics) is working hard to try and anticipate and understand all the interesting nuances preservation and revival will ultimately generate. I'm fascinated by the unique legal issues cryonics trusts present. We don't currently have all the answers but we are creating trusts today for the purpose of meeting the needs of our clients in the future.

Seven Silly Superstitions About Cryonics Trusts

Training Employees into a Dream Team! » You won’t believe what your receptionist just did to your biggest client!

Here's an article by Molly Hall and Laney Chavis, the "Don't be a Yes Chick!" girls and personal friends about the importance of training your team. As you may recall, we have been on a journey for almost a year now to find a new receptionist. We promoted Tiffany Metz, our former receptionist, to assist with office administration and marketing when team member, Kendra Ferreri left to begin her life as full-time mom. We should have known this would be no easy task - seemed like it took forever to find Tiffany.

Meanwhile, Tiffany has been holding down two jobs - receptionist and her new position. She's done very well, but that's not the point. We really need a receptionist. Tough part is, this person becomes the voice and face of the Law Offices of Hoyt & Bryan, LLC and this is not a position we take lightly. Like the title of this blog, your receptionist can help you attract and retain clients OR they can just as easily scare them away. We, like you, work very hard at our marketing efforts. We don't need one person, poorly trained or with a bad attitude, to undo all of our efforts.

I'm happy to report we extended an offer last Tuesday to Jackie Woods and she accepted. She's been with us a whole three days, and I hate to be overly optimistic, but so far, so good. She seems bright, energetic and eager to learn and to please. All excellent qualities for a new team member. We are keeping our fingers crossed and training her slowly, at least as slowly as she'll let us.

Molly posted this article just about the time we found Jackie. I actually printed it for both Tiffany and Jackie and I'm re-enforcing it's message. Fortunately for us, voice mail is only an option if all lines are busy or we aren't there. All calls in our office are answered personally. I'm still old school enough I like to talk to a person when I call. Although I don't usually mind leaving a voice mail message for someone - I can actually tell them more of what I want, I still appreciate companies that have a live person to talk to.

Stay tuned. I'm hoping there is nothing but good news to report.

Oh, forgot to mention. We found Jackie and also another new hire - hasn't actually started yet, on Craigslist. We were actually warned not to post a job offer there and we hesitated for a long time. We just weren't getting enough and enough quality applicants from our other sources - mostly the local college resource centers. So, we hoped we could outsmart the typical Craigslist job seeker. We designed a quiz for the candidates - they had to go to our website, they had to answer 5 specific questions whose answers could only be found on the website, and they had to send their resume and answers to a specific email address. Anyone who could accomplish this task - and they had a resume that was grammatically correct without typos and misspellings would be offered an interview. Easy right? Wrong! You would not believe the number of people who could not do the easy things we were asking them to do. Fortunately this exercise saved our team hundreds of what would have been wasted hours talking to people we wouldn't even consider. Amazing how many hours were spent doing that anyway. I was starting to think that the bulk of the unemployed population was unemployed because they needed to be - at least that was representative of what we saw - and that was the best of the best.

As you may know, our team hires the team. We've discovered over the years this is the most cost effective, efficient, and ultimately best way to hire team members. Our team is much harder on a potential new hire than we are - they realize they have to train and work with this person every single day. They want to make sure this is someone who makes the whole team look good - someone who will do their fair share and not bring a lot of drama or unnecessary stress to our work environment. It's only when the team says "yes" that Randy and I meet with a candidate. Easy for us, as we are generally in agreement. When they make a hiring mistake, they tell us and we move on. Sometimes the team will actually do the firing - depending on the circumstances.

Right now, life at works feels good. All positions are filled, everyone is working hard. Have a great week!

Training Employees into a Dream Team! » You won’t believe what your receptionist just did to your biggest client

Eldercare: How to hire your kids to take care of you | Reuters Wealth

A personal service or personal care contract is one way parents can employ their children for providing the daily care they currently provide out of the goodness of their hearts. Personal service contracts are also a valuable Medicaid planning tool for families faced with a long term care crisis and insufficient assets to provide for an aging parent indefinitely.

For more information on how to protect family assets from the ravages of long term care costs, check out this article or attend one of our complimentary "Truth About Estate Planning" workshops. You can find more information our website - The Law Offices of Hoyt & Bryan, LLC. . Both Randy Bryan and I are dual board certified by the Florida Bar in Wills, Trusts and Estates along with Elder Law.

Eldercare: How to hire your kids to take care of you | Reuters Wealth

How Do I Find An Estate Planning Attorney?

This article written by colleague David Meredith illustrates perfectly the issues related to finding and selecting an estate planning attorney. The Law Offices of Hoyt & Bryan have been members of WealthCounsel for a number of years. We will be attending their annual conference in July in Chicago for the purpose of continuing to improve our knowledge and skills as well as interacting with other like-minded attorneys. If you have questions about our qualifications or want more information, don't hesitate to contact me at Peggy@HoytBryan.com or call us at 407-977-8080.

How Do I Find An Estate Planning Attorney? | Meredith Law Firm, PC - Principal office located in The Woodlands, TX 77381

Fulfilling Your Aging Parent’s “Living Wishes” | Business Wire

I love the idea of fulfilling a living wish. Far too often we wait until it's too late to honor the people we love. Today is the day to make a wish come true, to consider the needs of a parent, family member or friend.

My dad, John A. Hoyt, is currently residing in a nursing home. Sadly, his primary living wish is to go home. Currently, that is not a wish we can honor as his daily care needs require twenty-four hour round the clock care. We have promised him we will bring him home for his final days. It's a really sad statement, one we struggle with. As a family we would love to honor his current wish and have him at home. Practically, and for his health and my mother's health - both physical and mental, we have to provide him with the best care possible at a facility located close to home. He is visited frequently by friends and family from all stages of his life. He is loved well.

Another way we honored a living wish for our dad was to create a book in his memory. He always told us he was going to write a book called, Letters to my Children. It would have been fantastic! As the oldest, I figured there might be more about me than anyone else. When it became clear he was never going to write the book, my sister, Julie Hoyt Dorman and I gathered a collection of things my dad had written throughout his lifetime - speeches, sermons, poems and letters. Julie designed the book and its cover. I edited and compiled the written selections. The end result was a book called, I Live but Once. The book was titled after a poem of the same name. My dad could not be prouder of that book - you'd think he was a New York Times best selling author! We are happy we could honor him in this way.

If you have a loved one you want to honor, there are an unlimited number of ways to do that. For suggestions, check out a book I co-authored with Scott Farnsworth, Like a Library Burning - Sharing and Saving Stories of a Lifetime.


Fulfilling Your Aging Parent’s “Living Wishes” | Business Wire

Who Should Be The Beneficiary Of Your IRA?

This is a very common question - who should be the beneficiary of your IRA? Sometimes, it depends on who you ask. If you ask a financial advisor, they may say to name your spouse. They will usually say, you should never name your revocable living trust. If you ask me, Randy Bryan or one of our associates or colleagues at WealthCounsel, you'll usually get a completely different answer. Sometimes the correct answer is, "it depends." The answer to this question may depend on a number of factors, including whether this is a first or second marriage, whether you have sufficient other assets to take advantage of your full estate tax exemption, and whether you have charitable interests, just to name a few. If you have a child with special needs and a special needs trust, again, the answer could be astonishingly different. There is no one size fits all answer to this question. Discuss your concerns with a board certified attorney in wills, trusts and estates before making your final decision.

Who Should Be The Beneficiary Of Your IRA?

Breaking News On Tax Breaks For the Animal Rescuers Among Us | petMD

This is just the kind of animal lover, tax deduction story I love to hear! Congratulations to all those people committed to animal rescue that now have their efforts legitimized by the tax court! Go ahead and deduct those expenses. While you are at it, why not consider naming an animal rescue organization as a deserving recipient in your estate plan? Retirement plans make the perfect gifting vehicle - avoid both the income tax and any potential estate tax that would result. You can also consider charitable gift annuities that would provide for a friend or loved one for a lifetime and provide the charity of your choice with a remainder interest gift. There are lots of ways we can do well by doing good. For more information, I cover the charitable giving topic in some detail in "All My Children Wear Fur Coats - How to Leave a Legacy for your Pet."

Breaking News On Tax Breaks For the Animal Rescuers Among Us | petMD

Missouri! The state that showed me!

Ever been to Missouri? I didn't think I had, not realizing that Kansas City is in Missouri and not in Kansas - duh. Anyway, I've been here for a few days with friends Teresa Morgan, Barb and Frank Maloney of McClenny, Florida and Terry Hill of the Florida Bar. We were here on a scouting trip on behalf of the General Practice Solo and Small Firm Section in order to figure out what the MO Bar is doing so right to get so many people to attend their Solo Small Firm Conference. We arrived here on Wednesday after several flight delays - getting in and out of MO is harder than you think but more on that later.

The conference was really great. We met a ton of really nice people. We learned a lot of take back to Florida and to the Florida Bar. We think we can now do a better job than ever putting together a super conference for our membership. We got to experience the Lake of the Ozarks. It was actually really, really nice.

So after a few days of hard work, we were ready to head home. Only problem was the airport is about 1.5 hours from the Tan-Tar-A resort, the luncheon meeting ran long - until 2:30 ish and our plane was at 4:30. Still seemed like we had plenty of time. Did I mention when we flew in there was one airline - Delta (not my favorite before this and even more so now), two car rental agencies and a baggage claim area the size of my living room? At any rate, we arrived 27 minutes before our flight only to discover that we were locked out (by Delta's computer) from getting on our flight. Now mind you, it's the only airline and there are about 10 people on this flight. They are still in the boarding area, haven't boarded and we still can't get on the plane. I even talked to the pilot who had absolutely no sympathy for our situation. So now I'm stranded in Columbia, MO without a prayer of getting home tonight. The closest alternate airports are about 2 hours away and I can't make another flight tonight without trying to kill myself, get multiple speeding tickets, etc.

The interesting part is there is a young reporter at the airport. He's both the reporter and the camera man. He observes out whole predicament. I'm practically in tears and fuming. Teresa is handling this much better than me. I really wanted to go home! I miss my animals and planned on riding in the morning. This reporter decides to interview Teresa. Much better idea than interviewing me - especially if Delta doesn't want their name all over the MO airways. Now she's on at 6 and 10p.m. in Columbia
We are trying to make the best of a bad situation. We sit here at Bennigan's enjoying a martini, some quesadillas and looking forward to the movie, Bridesmaids The local Marriott took pity on us and gave us a room with a hot tub. Looks like things are looking up....stay tuned.

Life in Transition

This is an article I wrote for WealthCounsel. Talks about life and all its interesting transitions. Enjoy!

Life in Transition

Take a Tour of SendOutCards

Ever wonder what happens when you hit send after creating a SendOutCards? I did and was fortunate enough to be able to visit the home office in Salt Lake City, Utah. Here's a short video on what happens when you send a card. It is really fascinating and amazing.

If you want to know more about SendOutCards, send a free card on me at CardDivas.com. You can even send gifts, videos and big cards!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2ZLBrXSMgw

Wanna go on a High Heel Hike to promote autism awareness ? Saturday, June 25 from 9 - noon, Central Park

I just learned about an upcoming High Heel Hike in Orlando. This event is scheduled for June 25, 9 a.m. - noon at Central Park in Winter Park, Florida. The Law Offices of Hoyt & Bryan works with families with special needs. By far, we see more families living with autism than any other disability. 1 out of 110 children and their families are affected by autism - and the number seems to be growing.

I want to invite you to join our team and become part of this effort to build awareness about autism. I've made a team goal to raise $1,000. If you can't walk, then maybe you can give? Even if its only a dollar. Every little bit helps.

Visit our team page to donate or register: http://bit.ly/ikAGOS

High Heel Hike™ History…
Ever had a light bulb moment? That is exactly what happened to internationally known Pop Art Diva, Jules Burt. Somewhere in the midst of paperwork and Jimmy Choo's the light bulb went off! Combine Sassy Stiletto Strutting Sisters and a worthy cause...."High Heel Hike™" Burt exclaimed!" Hmmm...that sounded pretty good, Burt thought to herself and then professed "I, Jules Burt, will hold the FIRST annual 1K High Heel Hike™."

With visions of Divas donned in wild wigs, red lipstick, and high heels dancing in her head, Burt grabbed her Muse and they trademarked the event. With all the I's dotted and T's crossed, Burt assembled her B.O.D. (Board of Divas) and sent them out with mission in hand and a mantra in mind "Put on your lipstick, and conquer the day!"

Within one month of Burt's profession The High Heel Hike™ was born!! The Inaugural Hike was held in Tampa in 2004, benefiting Children's Pediatric Cancer. Since its birth The High Heel Hike™ has raised substantial amounts of funds for various worthy causes; Moffitt Cancer Center, Easter Seals, Breast Cancer, and The National Music Foundation where the Hike generated monies to put the "music” back into schools are just a few to mention. As well as growth in funds the Hike has also grown in attendance. Burt wanted an event that EVERYONE could be a part of for that reason she insisted on getting the teens and kids involved, she felt it was a great way to make our young people aware of charities, give them a way to participate, and to be a part of their community.

Success! It's a Hit! Everyone loved the event, especially the media. Its a fun and colorful event, the first of its kind, where Burt said, "It is a sassy strut that only takes about 20 minutes, or a trip around the mall." Divas of all ages, from strollers to walkers on parade raising funds and awareness for a cause. Many have asked "What if I can't wear heels?" Burt said "You can wear flip flops or tennis shoes if you want....its ALL about the cause."

Burt incorporated a "Crowning Ceremony" complete with sash and crown in each age group Queen, Teen Queen and Princess, as a fun incentive for the kids and adults to be the highest fundraiser. Burt laughs "These Crowns ARE for SALE!!! The most monies raised wins!!!; We encourage teams to pool their donations together and pick one captain who could be eligible for the "High Heel Hike™" title." After all "Once a Queen Always a Queen."

What is a Queen without a Ball? That’s where the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino comes in....They sponsor the "Jules Glam Ball." The Hard Rock graciously opens their doors for the divas and dudes who make the "Hike" happen. Auction items are collected to be sold to the highest bidder. "Its truly a night fit for a Queen" Burt raves.

The High Heel Hike™ is Burt's baby, just like a mother, she glows with pride when talking about the event. Like her Art, Burt has taken the "Hike" from a light bulb moment to a full IN COLOR LIVE production as only she can. Burt and her divas are ready to strap on their stilettos and take the "show" on the road. As the "Hike" grows so does its demand, initially Tampa based but has branched to other Florida cities, and READY to go GLOBAL!

Jules Burt is EXCITED and PROUD to announce she has teamed up with CARD, The Center for Autism and Related Disabilities to help raise awareness for Autism. Burt is confident "The sky is the limit, I am looking forward to another successful "High Heel Hike™" to bring to life the awareness needed to combat Autism."

Who is Jules Burt?

Jules Burt has been keeping the world in full color for over a decade. Tagged as Pop Art diva, much of her inspiration comes from an addiction to glamour and color.
Teaming with 20th Century Fox, Jules provided set designs for the NBC Series “Friends”. “Fun Flower” paintings, “Glamour Queen” paintings, the popular “Eight Cups of Coffee” painting along with other Jules originals adorned Americas favorite coffee house “Central Perk” on the hit series “Friends” for the last 7 seasons of the show. Jules’ work has also appeared on NBC’s Today Show, Dateline NBC, Access Hollywood, Oxygen Network’s – She Commerce, CNN-FN’s “Business Unusual” as well as a national television commercial for “Wendy’s”. Jules painted 3 cows for CowParade Las Vegas, 2002. Jules Burt also has Queen Divas a ceramic line, which is sold worldwide in Hallmark stores and high end gift stores. Jules has a recurring segment on Tampa’s NBC affiliate WFLA on “Daytime” – “She’s Artrageous”. Jules was chosen Pop Artist of Tampa by the Tampa Bay Visitors and Convention Center to create Sassy City and Created the Merchandise to brand Tampa a fun a sassy City. Honoring Jules’ artwork, Tampa officially named April 20th “Sassy City Day.” Jules Burt is also the founder of the charitable High Heel Hike™ and Glam Ball events. She currently has a segment on demand with Nancy Alexander on Brighthouse. Other outdoor and touring art projects include Mango Dog Park, painted fire hydrants, a manatee in the Tampa International Airport, High Heels at Stumps Supper Club and Splitsville in Channelside. Burt was the 2008 Winterfest Boat Parade artist. In April Burt was given the Key to the City of Tampa by Mayor Pam Iorio in recognition for all her charitable and community accomplishments.

Collectors of Jules Burt's POP ART include: Elton John, Madonna, Fran Drescher, Katie Couric, Renee Taylor, Joan Collins, Uma Thurman, Wynonna, Richard Simmons, Alyssa Milano, and many others.

Arnold’s Riches Likely to Take a Big Hit

This is an interesting case. The assumption is that all wealthy people have done proper estate planning, as well as pre-marital planning. This is not always the case. They have access to lots of lawyers, but don't necessarily take advantage of professional advice in matters of the heart. I'd be interested to know what shape their estate planning is in, just as an aside. Anytime a person contemplates a second marriage, it makes sense to get advice regarding the future disposition of assets in the event the relationship doesn't last. There might just be too much at stake not to consider all your options. After fully educating yourself about the pros and cons of planning, then make an informed decision. We advise clients to "plan for the worst and hope for the best - anything else is wishful thinking." Too much does and will happen that we don't expect in life. It only makes sense to prepare for the worst. Then if you get the best, no harm was done.

Arnold’s Riches Likely to Take a Big Hit

Encourage Governor Scott to recognize the needs of disabled citizens

Gov. Scott apparently doesn't recognize the magnitude of the needs of our disabled community. You can't balance a State budget on the backs of the elderly and disabled or their caregivers. Their needs exist 24/7, 365 days per year and it never ends. It is not possible to tell these folks to find another source of funding. The Medwaiver program has had a waiting list in the thousands for far too long.

Here's a clip that will pull at your heart strings. Let's encourage all of our legislators to spend more money at home and less overseas.

http://www.wftv.com/video/27549759/index.html

Planning for Special Needs - Central Florida supports families with disabilities

Both Friday and Saturday were spent serving Central Florida's families with disabilities. On Friday Sarah AuMiller and I attended The Family Cafe, a state-wide disabilities conference. The program occurs annually at the Coronado Springs Resort at Disney. This three day program offers educational workshops, entertainment and an exhibit hall - all geared to provide information and resources not otherwise available in one place. The conference is free to families with disabilities. I presented Special People,Special Planning discussing special needs trusts and guardian advocacy for kids who have attained the age of 18.

On Saturday Sarah AuMiller, Tiffany Metz and I manned a booth waterside at Lake Eola for Make 'em Smile sponsored annually by Nathaniel's Hope. Records crowds were expected and I suspect there were more than 5,000 people in attendance. The Law Offices of Hoyt & Bryan held a stuffed animal drive for several months prior to the event so we could provide the children with a stuffed animal of their choice. It was a big hit. Thanks to all who participated in the drive and donated those much needed and appreciated stuffed animals They actually lasted more than 4 hours!
We visited with lots of new friends and existing clients.

On June 16th, The Law Offices of Hoyt & Bryan will present their quarterly workshop called Special People, Special Planning and all families interested in learning more about estate planning for special needs are invited. You can register by calling our office at 407-977-8080. This informal, yet educational program will give participants the information they need to make some informed decisions about special needs trusts, guardianship or guardian advocacy, and estate planning. We hope to see you there!

What to Do When Someone Dies - The Law Offices of Hoyt & Bryan, LLC

Do you know what to do when someone dies? This workshop is designed to answer your questions. We have been presenting this valuable information for a couple of years in connection with Baldwin Fairchild Funeral Homes. Get all your questions answered by Paul Demos, funeral director of the Oviedo, Florida Chapel. We look forward to seeing you there!

The Law Offices of Hoyt & Bryan, LLC

June, 2011 - Guardian Care Newsletter - Secrets From a Professional Guardian

This is a newsletter generated by our friends at Guardian Care, professional guardians in Central Florida. There is lots of helpful information here. Professional guardians fill a needed role - they can advocate for disabled individuals who cannot advocate for themselves and do not have family able to advocate on their behalf. Theresa Barton and her team at Guardian Care have lots of experience in providing guardian services. If someone you know needs the services of a professional guardian, please contact Guardian Care for more information.

June, 2011 - Guardian Care Newsletter - Secrets From a Professional Guardian