Common Law Marriages & Its Effects On Estate Planning Potential Estate Planning Issues For Common Law Partners Marriage as a legal institution has taken a variety of forms throughout history. As society evolves, how we identify marriage in our society also changes. In some states, a couple may be deemed married without having participated in [...]
Types Of Trusts: Are They All The Same? The Difference Between Constructive, Testamentary, & Living Trusts In the world of estate planning, terms that refer to legal documents such as wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives can be confusing and even overwhelming at times. What is a will, and how does it differ [...]
Can a Disabled Person Be An Executor Or a Trustee? Can a Disabled Individual Serve a Fiduciary Role In My Estate Plan? An important element of creating an estate plan is choosing a responsible party to handle your legal, medical, and financial affairs if you become unable to manage them yourself (i.e., become incapacitated) or [...]
President Biden’s First One Hundred Days: Looking Back and Planning Ahead This year has been unprecedented from a political perspective in many ways. President Joe Biden stepped into office facing huge obstacles related to the COVID-19 pandemic, an economy battered by the pandemic, a crumbling national infrastructure in dire need of repair, an ongoing immigration [...]
The Pros and Cons of Powers of Appointments An often misunderstood but common estate planning tool that can appear in estate planning documents is the power of appointment. Not to be confused with a power of attorney (the document that allows you to delegate certain powers to an agent to act on your behalf while [...]
The Trust Protector: Your Guardian Angel What Is a Trust Protector? Traditionally, the three roles that must be filled when setting up a trust are the settlor (also called a grantor, trustor, or trustmaker), the trustee, and the beneficiary. All three roles are necessary to create a trust that functions properly. Although it is relatively [...]
Powers Of Appointment: A Handy Tool In Your Client’s Toolbox An often misunderstood but prevalent estate planning tool that often appears in estate planning documents is the power of appointment. Not to be confused with a power of attorney (the document that allows a living person to delegate certain powers to an agent to act [...]
How To Protect Your Retirement Accounts Most people are shocked to learn that their retirement accounts can be seized once they pass to their loved ones. During your lifetime, your retirement funds have fairly comprehensive asset protection, meaning they cannot be taken in a lawsuit. Unfortunately, as soon as retirement accounts are inherited, the protection [...]
Estate Planning Basics: Everything You Need To Know Our Expert Mesa Estate Planning Attorneys Answer Frequently Asked Questions About Estate Planning In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, the first week of May, we are taking this opportunity to thank you for your time and dedication to teaching the future generation. You provide the foundational knowledge [...]
What Happens When Both Spouses Die At the Same Time? Estate Planning For Simultaneous Deaths In Arizona The chances of a married couple dying in a common accident or within a very short time of one another are probably quite slim. However, it does happen. And it happens frequently enough that most states have laws [...]
