Mesa Estate Planning Lawyer

Mesa Estate Planning Services Help You Protect Your Family’s Future

If you own property or have loved ones to care for, you should have an estate plan. This often comes as a surprise to people, who think estate planning is only for the extremely wealthy.

Mesa Estate Planning Lawyers at Gunderson Law Group

While wealthy families often have unique estate planning needs, the truth is you don’t need to own a mansion and several businesses to have an “estate” or to need an estate plan. Your “estate” simply refers to the assets that you leave behind to your family or other beneficiaries.

You have an estate even if all you have is a modest, single-family home in Mesa or a retirement savings plan. Your estate plan can be as simple or as sophisticated as you would like, but this plan can help you to ensure that you have control of your assets while you are alive and well, that you can provide for yourself and your loved ones if you ever become incapacitated, and that you can give or pass on these assets to whomever you want, when you want, in the way that you want.

Without an estate plan, your assets could go to people or be administered in ways that you don’t want. In some cases, your family could be left without what they need to maintain their lifestyle after you are gone.

Gunderson Law Group can help you put together a solid estate plan that minimizes the risk of any dispute over your assets and ensures that your family’s future is protected.

What Is Included in an Estate?

A person’s estate consists of both tangible and intangible property, including:

  • Homes
  • Cars
  • Bank accounts
  • Retirement accounts
  • Valuable jewelry
  • Furniture
  • Business interests
  • Stocks and bonds

Financial or Sentimental Value Items

More specific legal definitions of an estate can also apply. For example, a probate estate is distributed under the discretion of the probate court, usually to first satisfy debts. A taxable estate refers to property that is subject to estate taxes, which can be quite substantial depending on the value of the estate.

An Arizona estate planning lawyer from our team can help you put together an estate plan that considers taxes and other issues to ensure that your assets go to the people you want without risk of dispute. You don’t want your property to end up in a contested probate, which can whittle away at the value and tie up assets for years.

For example, a living will tells your relatives what you want to happen if you become seriously ill or injured, such as if you want to be kept on artificial life support. A durable power of attorney gives someone the right to make legal decisions on your behalf if you become unable to do so for yourself.

A trust often serves as the foundational part of an estate plan. When creating a trust, you prepare a trust agreement that lays out very specific instructions on how your assets should be administered and distributed to your loved ones. This agreement often contains instructions on how to manage your assets if you become disabled, as well as how to manage or distribute your assets upon your death. In many cases, careful trust planning can be a useful tool in obtaining protection from creditors and unnecessary taxes.

Having the right documents in place will ensure that your final wishes are honored and that your assets go to the people you want. Without the right estate plan, your assets could become tied up in legal disputes or people you don’t want making decisions for you could wind up in charge.

What Is Included in an Estate Plan?

An estate plan is often much more than a simple will. Though a last will and testament should be part of your estate plan, you may also need:

  • Living will
  • Durable power of attorney
  • Health care power of attorney
  • Revocable trusts
  • Irrevocable trusts
  • Special needs trusts
  • Business entities

Contact Us

Call the estate planning lawyers at Gunderson Law Group to start working on your Mesa estate plan. If you already have an estate plan that hasn’t been reviewed in several years, we can help you ensure that your plan still meets your goals and objectives. You can rest easy knowing that your wishes are protected.

    DISCLAIMER: Do not send any confidential or sensitive information without first speaking to one of our attorneys and receiving confirmation that the appropriate conflict checks have been cleared and the firm determines that it is otherwise able to accept the engagement. Any information or documents sent prior to receiving such confirmation cannot be treated as confidences, secrets, or protected information. Submitting information through this website does NOT automatically create an attorney-client relationship.

    Arizona Location

    1400 E. Southern Ave. Suite 850
    Tempe, AZ 85282
    Office: (480) 750-7337
    Email: Contact@GundersonLawGroup.com

    Nevada Location

    3960 Howard Hughes Parkway #500-A
    Las Vegas, NV 89169
    Office: 702-990-3515
    Email: Contact@GundersonLawGroup.com

    Related Estate Planning Posts By Gunderson Law Group

    • What Happens to Real Estate With a Mortgage When I Die?

    What Happens to Real Estate With a Mortgage When I Die?

    February 6th, 2024|Comments Off on What Happens to Real Estate With a Mortgage When I Die?

    What Happens to Real Estate With a Mortgage When I Die? Estate Planning for Your Home: Mortgages & Inheritance Explained Your mortgage, like the rest of your debt, does not simply disappear when you die. [...]

    • What Is the Difference Between a Probate & Trust Administration Attorney & an Estate Planning Attorney?

    What Is the Difference Between a Probate & Trust Administration Attorney & an Estate Planning Attorney?

    February 6th, 2024|Comments Off on What Is the Difference Between a Probate & Trust Administration Attorney & an Estate Planning Attorney?

    What Is the Difference Between a Probate & Trust Administration Attorney & an Estate Planning Attorney? Differentiating Estate Planning, Probate, & Trust Administration Legal Services Estate planning attorneys and probate and trust administration attorneys play [...]

    • Testamentary Trusts: The Best of Both Worlds?

    Testamentary Trusts: The Best of Both Worlds?

    January 4th, 2024|Comments Off on Testamentary Trusts: The Best of Both Worlds?

    Testamentary Trusts: The Best of Both Worlds? The Role of Testamentary Trusts in Estate Planning Strategies You have several different options when it comes to creating the right estate plan for you and your [...]

    • The Real Story Behind Trust Fund Kids

    The Real Story Behind Trust Fund Kids

    December 27th, 2023|Comments Off on The Real Story Behind Trust Fund Kids

    The Real Story Behind Trust Fund Kids When we hear the phrase “trust fund kid,” words like “entitled,” “privileged,” and “financially irresponsible” might come to mind. But another word we should associate with “trust [...]

    • Your Clients' Legacies: How Do They Want to Be Remembered?

    Your Clients’ Legacies: How Do They Want to Be Remembered?

    December 27th, 2023|Comments Off on Your Clients’ Legacies: How Do They Want to Be Remembered?

    Your Clients’ Legacies: How Do They Want to Be Remembered?  As trusted advisors, we often discuss with our clients all aspects of the future, whether it be their financial future, the future support of [...]

    • How Much Power Does a Trustee Have Over My Trust's Assets?

    How Much Authority Does a Trustee Have Over the Stuff in My Trust?

    December 5th, 2023|Comments Off on How Much Authority Does a Trustee Have Over the Stuff in My Trust?

    How Much Authority Does a Trustee Have Over the Stuff in My Trust? Exploring the Trustee’s Powers in Asset Liquidity & Management A trustee is a person or entity responsible for managing and administering [...]