Will Inheritance Affect My Public Benefits?
We get a version of this question every week or two. I’m about to inherit something from a family member’s estate. How will it affect my public benefits? What public benefits do you receive? The answer is often confusing, and for good reason. The first difficulty is determining what kinds of public benefits you receive. […]
March Wrap-Up: Guardianship and Conservatorship
Happy March! This month guardianships and conservatorships were in the news. The DOJ and VA signed a new memorandum that effects the VA’s involvement in guardianship and conservatorship proceedings. And, Britney Spears recent DUI arrest has some people wondering what her family and friend’s ability to help will look like in the aftermath of the […]
Admission Agreements for Care Facilities
Admission agreements might be a necessary evil in the process of securing care for a loved one. The facility where you hope to place your family member has plenty of lawyers and legal advice. The agreement they present you does not tend to protect you or the patient. You might want to consult your own […]
Hiring Caregivers for a Disabled Relative
Your are considering hiring caregivers for your parent, child, spouse or sibling. They live at home and require care — perhaps even nursing care. And their insurance and public benefits don’t cover all that they need. Can you just hire individual caregivers and pay them in cash? If you want to do it the right […]
Understanding ALTCS & The Basics Families Miss
Many families include an individual who will require long term care. This may be due to an age-related disability, like Dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease. Or, it could be due to a physical or intellectual disability that was prevalent much earlier in that individual’s life. For many of these families, Arizona Long Term Care System (ALTCS) […]
Planning for LGBTQIA+ and Nontraditional Families
Let’s be honest — many people put off estate planning. It can feel complicated, expensive, or like something you only need to worry about later in life. But estate planning isn’t about age or wealth. It’s about making sure the people you love are cared for when misfortune strikes. For LGBTQIA+ individuals — and nontraditional […]
February Wrap-Up: Taxes and Tech
February! It’s the month of love! It’s the month of taxes! And, weirdly, a month of tangentially related tech? Changes to Postmark rules It’s tax season! If you send your tax return in by mail, you may want to drop it off a few days early. Recent changes to post office operations mean your mail […]
Sub-Trust or Standalone Trust? Let’s Discuss
You’re planning your estate and will create a trust for a child or other family member. Do you start with a standalone trust for that individual, or simply embed the trust provisions in the rest of your estate plan? Let us try to demystify your choice. What do we mean by “standalone trust?” First some […]
I Won’t Have a Probatable Estate; Do I need a Will?
One of the major reasons clients prepare estate plans is to avoid probate. There are many different ways to avoid probate. You could title assets to a trust, own assets jointly with another, or use beneficiary designations, beneficiary deeds, transfer on death accounts or payable on death accounts to name a few. Each of these […]
Demystifying the Public Fiduciary in Arizona
What happens when someone becomes incapacitated and has no family or friends who can step in? Or when an elderly person needs a guardian or conservator but lacks resources for private help? These situations occur more often than you might realize. This is where Arizona’s public fiduciaries come in. Operating in every county in the […]
January Wrap Up: The Slayer Rule and ABLE Accounts
This January news outlets are talking about the Slayer Rule in light of the tragic killing of famous couple Rob and Michele Reiner. ABLE Accounts updates have also gone into effect. Slayer Rule In December 2025 filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, producer Michele Reiner were tragically killed. Their son Nick Reiner has been charged […]
Tangible Personal Property at Death
One myth about estate administration is that the biggest headaches come from the “big stuff”: your house, bank accounts, or life insurance policies. The truth is, these assets can be relatively easy to plan for with title changes, deeds, and beneficiary designations before death. It’s your “small stuff” (a/k/a tangible personal property) that can have […]
