SEPTEMBER 15, 2014 VOLUME 21 NUMBER 33 A guardian (of the person) is often said to have all the powers over her ward that a parent would have regarding a minor child. In other words, if the court appoints you as guardian over your mother or father, you have (at least in a legal sense)…
SEPTEMBER 8, 2014 VOLUME 21 NUMBER 32 Here’s a question we get asked a lot: “which is better for me to get for my mother — a guardianship or a power of attorney?” Sometimes the questioner is checking on the difference between a conservatorship and a power of attorney or (less commonly) a guardianship and…
SEPTEMBER 1, 2014 VOLUME 21 NUMBER 31 A reader asks: “could you do an article on how to leave inheritance to a son who is not good at handling money? Should I leave his portion to another son who is good at it? They are very close and would get along.” First we have a…
AUGUST 25, 2014 VOLUME 21 NUMBER 30 Some people really don’t like city traffic, and will go out of their way to get on the freeway whenever possible. Of course, that approach can backfire — freeway traffic is sometimes snarled, and sometimes in unpredictable ways (and at unpredictable times). Avoidance of surface traffic can be…
AUGUST 11, 2014 VOLUME 21 NUMBER 29 Last week we wrote about how you could start reducing some of the paper clutter in your home. This week we continue that conversation, with some additional suggestions about what you can throw away — right now. We suggested last week that you only really need to keep…
AUGUST 4, 2014 VOLUME 21 NUMBER 28 Our clients often look over the piles of paper (old financial records, mostly) accumulating in their homes, and ask us whether they really need to keep all that stuff. Is it important to hold on to all those documents for legal, tax or other reasons? Sometimes, by the…
JULY 28, 2014 VOLUME 21 NUMBER 27 Maybe you’ve been named guardian (of the person) for a family member, colleague, or friend. Maybe you’ve been listed in a health care power of attorney. Maybe you’re a family member with authority to make health care decisions (Arizona, like a number of other states, permits family members…
JULY 21, 2014 VOLUME 21 NUMBER 26 When you create a revocable living trust, you usually want to transfer most (maybe even all) of your assets to the trust — especially if one of the reasons for creating the trust is to avoid the probate process. A new deed to your home, a change in…
JULY 14, 2014 VOLUME 21 NUMBER 25 Last week I underwent a small outpatient surgical procedure (I’m fine — thanks for asking). I actually looked forward to the “do you have an advance (medical) directive?” question on admission. A couple years ago I had another outpatient procedure, and was surprised when the intake clerk asked…
JULY 7, 2014 VOLUME 21 NUMBER 24 One day last week I found myself sitting in probate court, watching other cases get resolved while waiting for the Judge to get to my own cases. The matters I was listening to seemed to me to be instructive, and give me a chance to share some observations…