If you are legally married, it’s important to know how your marital status will affect the distribution of your estate. For instance, whether or not your spouse inherits your property depends on which state you live in. Some states consider certain assets to be community...
If you have set up a living trust or are considering one, you may need a pour-over will. This failsafe will protect any assets you neglected to add to your living trust. Whether you intentionally left some assets out, or simply forget about them, you...
When you put your assets into a Living Trust, you know that you, as the grantor, maintain full and complete control. You are also the Trustee. As a result, you get to decide what happens with those assets. And because you are the lifetime beneficiary,...
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....
Everybody needs to have regular exercise to stay healthy. Yes, we are an estate planning law firm, but Phelps LaClair is also big on exercise as a way of increasing life satisfaction, good health and longevity. But not every form of exercise needs to be...
When going through the estate planning process, you may encounter words and phrases you’re not familiar with. One of the most misunderstood terms is “power of attorney.” Here at Phelps LaClair, we want our clients to fully understand every aspect of their estate plans. In...
When you first begin your estate planning journey, chances are good you will hear a lot of different terms that may confuse you. Take “last wills” and “living wills,” for example. Are they the same thing? Or do you need both? Let’s take a closer...
It can be very difficult to think about estate planning and making arrangements for your children after you pass on. Many people struggle to talk about these topics as well, and talking about estate planning with kids can be even harder. The experts at Phelps...
If there’s one way the staff at Phelps LaClair likes to cool off during an Arizona summer then it’s with a big scoop of ice cream! Here in the Valley of the Sun, there are lots of great ice cream shops to choose from. Today...
In Arizona, probate can become active for any estate valued at $75,000.00 or greater, and it can cause your estate to be held up in court for months, or even longer. Probate also involves attorney fees and additional court costs, all of which can easily...