What Is Probate?

Probate  is the court process by which a Last Will and Testament is proved valid or invalid. Its name is derived from a Latin root word that means “the truth.”  It is also the legal process whereby assets of a decedent are administered.  “Administration” means finding, collecting, and distributing assets in kind or after liquidation [...]

Planning For After The First Death

A comprehensive estate plan includes understanding what steps will be required when you or your spouse dies.  Tax planning advantages and the intended distribution of wealth to your loved ones takes place in stages and certain opportunities will be lost unless the proper plan is in effect when the first spouse passes away.  This [...]

Planning For Incapacity

Planning for incapacity involves understanding how incapacity might occur and a commitment to having a current plan. Often considered crucial only for end of life planning or for diminished capacity, dementia, or Alzheimer’s Disease, planning is most important if you become incapacitated due to an accident, injury, disease, or other medical condition.  As with all [...]

Introduction To Arizona Estate Planning

Welcome to a new multi-part serial presentation of what effective estate planning looks like. 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.  [...]

Estate Tax Reforms Is Coming

We don’t know when, but we do know estate and gift tax reform is coming sometimes in the next 13 months.  There are almost as many plans as there are Senators, but one of the most comprehensive and regressive is The “Sensible Estate Tax Act of 2011” introduced November 17, 2011 by Congressman Jim [...]