When legal files are surrounding you, the to do list is piling up, and things seem a bit overwhelming, a break might be just what you need. But where do you go? Phelps LaClair are not only avid legal experts on estate planning, we are...
Whether or not you should put your home in a trust is a common estate planning question. There is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question, because it depends on your circumstances and your goals. But placing real estate in a trust can have many benefits,...
Many people believe that listing their assets and naming beneficiaries in a will is enough for their estate to avoid probate. However, wills are always required to go through probate, because the court needs to validate them. Probate is the legal process of distributing the assets...
If you’re planning to leave your home or any other real estate property to someone else when you pass, a beneficiary deed can smooth out the process. At Phelps LaClair, we help Arizona residents bequeath property and avoid probate with a variety of reliable estate...
Revocable trusts offer many benefits, protecting your assets and keeping them out of probate. They also allow you to control and access the assets in the trust at any point during your lifetime. But in spite of its name, the time when you can amend (or...
Fulfilling the duties of a trustee can feel overwhelming at times. There are many rules to follow and many tasks to carry out if you want to ensure the trust is administered successfully. It can often be difficult to know exactly where to start. We...
In our hectic world, so many things can change over a short period of time, especially matters concerning family dynamics, assets, and financial accounts. That is why at Phelps LaClair in Gilbert, Chandler, and Mesa, we encourage our clients to review their estate plans every...
At Phelps LaClair, we are often asked how long it takes for a trust to be distributed. In our experience as a second generation law firm, we know that the general rule is to have the trust distributed within a reasonable time. But what does...
In the world of estate planning, there are similar terms that define very different planning goals. For instance, at Phelps LaClair, we hear this question a lot: “What is the difference between a Living Will and a Living Trust?” As a 2nd generation law firm,...
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...