Introduction To Arizona Estate Planning

Because many common estate planning issues are best handled using a trust based estate plan whose centerpiece is a revocable living trust, trust planning has become common place. Nevertheless, many people new to estate planning begin with commonly held misconceptions. Chief among those misconceptions are the beliefs that: The decision to use a revocable [...]

What Is A Unitrust and Why Use It?

Conventional wisdom concerning distributions from trusts involving an income beneficiary whose interests differ from the remainder beneficiaries (“the remaindermen”) begin with a common model that says one beneficiary (usually a spouse from a second marriage) gets the income from the trust during her lifetime (“lifetime beneficiary”)and upon her death, the remaining principal passes to [...]

What Is A Family Letter And Why Write It?

Family Letters, sometimes called Family Mission Statements, Family Philosophy, or Ethical Wills, emphasize the non-financial values and family culture which clients believe are important enough to mention in a final statement to their descendants and loved ones. The Family Letter can include anecdotes and stories that illustrate values that clients believe form an integral [...]

Taking Time To Stop And Smell The Roses

Sandy and I recently took a rare weekend off and spent a couple of days in Del Mar where we spent some time attending an estate planning conference, but mostly we enjoyed the sunsets and the good food at Jake’s on the beach (probably our favorite place to have good food and people-watch) near downtown [...]