Minimizing Beneficiary Squabbling

We have all seen it. The media likes to pass along juicy stories of actors that either had no wills or their heirs are fighting tooth and nail over the inheritance. But how do we stop any infighting among our own beneficiaries when we pass? Most families get along great… Read More

Large Personal Injury Settlements

As many of you know, we handle important personal injury cases that frequently have large settlements for the clients. Being an estate planning and estate administration firm helps those that receive these settlements in several ways. Let me briefly touch on a few matters faced by these clients upon receipt… Read More

Now What? The problem with having an A/B trust

Nothing is worse than having your estate planning attorney advise you one way then change their mind the next. Well, we are doing it again. Before when the estate tax applied to many more people, it was important to create an A/B trust. Essentially this meant that a married couples’… Read More

Business Succession Planning

Business succession planning is the process through which new owners are identified to replace the current owners when they leave, retire or pass away. New owners often include internal people, either employees or family members, to fill the important positions in the company. Transferring A Business To Heirs A revocable… Read More

Do ERISA Retirement Plans Bar A Creditor From Garnishing The Account Even If The Transfer Was Fraudulent?

Believe it or not the answer is yes. Okay, some very brief background. ERISA, i.e. 401(k) plans, are known to be pretty solid creditor protections for anyone that has such a plan. IRAs as well but not quite as strong as ERISA plans. Anytime a financial adviser is discussing the… Read More

Is My Estate Taxable When I Die?

This is a pretty common question. I think there is a lot of misconceptions that an inheritance is taxable. For the most part it is not. Arizona doesn’t have an inheritance or death tax. There is a federal estate and gift tax but unless your estate exceeds 11 million dollars… Read More

The Necessity Of Probate In Arizona

Having assets in your name above a certain financial limit at the time of death leads to the estate going through probate in Arizona. Revocable trusts are usually recommended as a vehicle to avoid probate. Assets that do not pass automatically at the time of death such as joint tenancy… Read More

Digital Assets Part Of An Estate Plan

Recently Arizona passed a law that greatly increases individuals’ ability to control what happens to their digital assets after they die.  This has been passed in many states but in Arizona it can be found in Arizona Revised Statutes §14-131111, 14-131112 and 14-131113. We can’t tell you how many times the… Read More