These legalistic terms have important consequences on who inherits from you and how much, whether under a will or a trust or even if intestate (no will or trust). There are many important decisions to make under a will or a trust, but one of them is who will inherit from you and there are...Read More

How the Coronavirus may trigger clauses in your contracts It is early days in the global pandemic known as the Coronavirus. That quarantining society is wreaking havoc on businesses throughout the US and the world is an understatement.  What it will mean for each business and its contracts will likely be sorted out in the...Read More

 The Personal Property Memorandum    One of the greatest sources of friction, hurt feelings and outright fighting among heirs, is over personal items when someone dies.  Sometimes items go “missing” shortly after a death, different people swear on their life about what the deceased person said they wanted to have happen, or their Will or...Read More

We now use Adobe Pro and Clio, in addition to our encrypted emails. Both programs state that they provide bank level security. In February, we started to implement Clio, a leading client management system in the legal industry, to further assist us in creating more secure, yet less complex, communication. Some of our clients have...Read More

Below is a table comparing some of the major tax and estate planning considerations between Arizona and California that might prove useful if you have ties to both states. Currently neither state has a state assessed inheritance tax, but there was a bill introduced in California in April of this year to impose tax on...Read More

If you are financially responsible for a spouse or children and you pass away, it could create a serious financial bind for those who depend on you. If you are the primary wage earner in your household, then you have or have likely considered life insurance to protect them from this situation. The same circumstance...Read More

Typically, when we think of estate planning tools, we think about them in the context of protecting family members like our spouse, children, and friends. But what about having a plan for our furry friends? It may be more important than you might think. Many potential issues arise for pet owners and their furry friends....Read More

  Regularly, we have new clients come into our office stating they want a trust, because someone told them that is the best choice.  Is a trust the best choice? The truth is that one is not clearly better in every case.  As with most things in life, it depends.  In this case, it depends...Read More

Unlikely circumstances happen to arise every day, for instance, car crashes, freak accidents and terminal illnesses.  These circumstances illustrate why only verbalizing what you want to happen financially and medically is not enough. Thus, why powers of attorney are such an important part of the estate planning process. These documents give individuals peace of mind...Read More