Don’t let your family be blindsided by an invalid will. If you’ve already handwritten your will, or if you are considering writing one, it’s important to understand whether or not it is valid in Arizona. Here’s everything you need to know about handwritten wills in...
At Phelps LaClair, we think it’s a perfect time to make some estate planning New Year’s resolutions. The holidays are over and the credit card bills haven’t yet arrived. The pressure is off for now, so it’s the perfect time to better plan for 2020...
Wondering when to start estate planning? It’s a question that pops up from time to time, but in young adult life it can seem unimportant. Many young people consider estate planning the type of task that can gets pushed off for another time...
Hopefully, you’ve already created an estate plan that benefits your spouse or partner as well as any children and grandchildren in your family. But there are some other important family members you may have forgotten to consider when estate planning—your pets. Planning ahead for your...
Long-term care encompasses medical and support services for people who have a degenerative illness, injury or incapacitation. It is an expensive process that can drain your estate quickly. As an estate planning law firm in Phoenix, Chandler, Mesa and Scottsdale, Phelps LaClair advises all of...
DIY, or do-it-yourself, has become a common phrase in modern language. And while a DIY attitude may work well to foster creativity for daily life, when it comes to estate planning, DIY can cause devastating complications—which is the last thing you want your family to...
If you’ve been appointed the executor of an estate or if you’re expecting an inheritance, you may be wondering just how long the probate process can take. Unfortunately, probate is a complex process, and there are many different factors that can delay its completion. There is...
Don’t let a simple mistake undo all the hard work you put into writing your will. If there is a mistake in your will, it could make the will invalid or prevent your assets from ending up in the right hands at the right time....
There’s one crucial step that many people skip after signing their trust document—actually funding the trust. If you forget to complete this step, your assets will remain subject to probate and be vulnerable to creditors after you’re gone. No matter how detailed the instructions you...
It’s never an easy discussion, but it’s a necessary one. The best way to ensure that your last wishes are honored when the time comes is to communicate them to your loved ones. Talking to your spouse, domestic partner, or other loved ones about your...