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’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...
Whether you’re planning your own estate or settling a loved one’s, it’s important to understand how probate works. At Phelps LaClair, we help Arizona families design successful estate plans and smoothly administer their loved ones’ estates. We put together this guide to formal vs. informal...
Every estate planning law firm will advise you to avoid probate when and wherever possible. Phelps LaClair is no exception. We tell our potential clients what having an estate go through probate will entail. There will be court costs, legal fees, and time lost in...
If someone has chosen you to administer their estate after they’re gone, it’s normal to feel a little overwhelmed. Being the personal representative of an estate comes with many responsibilities. Luckily, the experienced team at Phelps LaClair is here to help you feel more at...
You have probably heard over and over again that avoiding probate is a good idea, and that’s because it’s true! If you’re dealing with an estate in probate, you will face court costs, legal fees, and time lost. A slow-moving legal process, probate court cases...
There are so many unknowns in life. When we are young, we wonder what we will be when we grow up. As we enter young adulthood, we wonder who we will marry (or even if we will marry). We wonder about career, status, employment, friendships...
A common question we get at Phelps LaClair is, “What happens to my stuff if I die without a will?” As estate planning attorneys with 40 years of doing business in Phoenix, we know that most people think that your “stuff” automatically goes to your...
In our most recent blog post we began a series on estate planning for blended families. With the rise in divorce rates in our nation, blended families are becoming increasingly common. And these families have estate planning needs that are more complex than nuclear families....
In some of our recent blog posts at Phelps LaClair we have been writing about celebrities who have died without a will or trust in place. In most cases, the lack of planning comes down to procrastination. But even for folks who do have an...