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…
JUNE 23, 2014 VOLUME 21 NUMBER 23 It’s a small point, but important — and the Arizona Court of Appeals reiterated it in a decision released last week. So it seems to us that it would be appropriate to call attention to this simple rule: generally speaking, a trustee is not personally liable for her…
JUNE 16, 2014 VOLUME 21 NUMBER 22 It’s not very often that the U.S. Supreme Court involves itself in legal issues related to estate planning and elder issues. Last week, though, the Court did just that — by ruling that an inherited IRA is not exempt from the beneficiary/owner’s creditors, at least in a bankruptcy…
JUNE 9, 2014 VOLUME 21 NUMBER 21 Our clients are often confused about whether their heirs will owe any taxes on the inheritance they are set to receive. We don’t blame them — it’s confusing. Let us try to reduce the confusion. The federal estate tax limit was raised to $5 million and indexed for…
JUNE 2, 2014 VOLUME 21 NUMBER 20 We have written before — earlier this year, in fact — about whether individuals who are under guardianship have the ability to get married. When this question comes up (and it should be said that it is rare) it usually is in a context like that of our…
MAY 26, 2014 VOLUME 21 NUMBER 19 If you have had your estate plan prepared or reviewed by one of the lawyers at Fleming & Curti, PLC, you almost certainly have signed a durable power of attorney. You may have signed a document prepared by another lawyer, or even found one online or in a…
MAY 19, 2014 VOLUME 21 NUMBER 18 When our clients consider creating a revocable living trust, we usually explain that there are several benefits to that estate planning device. Chief among those benefits for most people: avoidance of probate on the death of the client. For married couples, there is usually no probate required on…