“No-Contest” Clause in Trust Works Both Ways
After two of the beneficiaries of Ralph Credille’s trust challenged the actions of their brother, the trustee, he argued that they had violated the trust’s no-contest provision. Then he moved to modify the trust. Oops. That made him the no-contest violator.
New Arizona Case Clarifies Trust Decanting
Circumstances change. Trusts often are not adaptable to those changes. Sometimes trusts run for many years, or even decades. Increasingly, lawyers and trustees turn to trust decanting as a means of updating older trust language. What is trust decanting? Decanting is a relatively recent idea in trust administration. In some circumstances, a trustee may be […]
Partition: Dividing Joint Property Through the Courts
Sometimes joint owners can’t agree on how to manage — or divide — their jointly-owned asset. The difficulty might arise with real estate, or a business, or even financial accounts. When they can’t agree on what to do, the result might be what the legal system calls a “partition” proceeding. Joint ownership Two — or […]
Appointment of “Guardian Ad Litem” Terminated by Court
An Arizona guardianship and conservatorship case involving a Disney heir seems to have stumbled to a conclusion. It took six hotly contentious years and (reportedly) millions of dollars in legal fees. The case involves interesting legal issues and intense family drama. One side issue: the appointment of a “guardian ad litem”. What is a guardian […]
Missing Will Discovered Three Years Later, Denied Probate
After someone’s death, what happens when no one can find a will? Their estate usually passes according to the law of “intestate succession.” That means the state’s legislature has effectively written a will for the decedent. What, if anything, can be done about a missing will? Of course, a missing will might indicate that the […]
Court Rejects Trustee Removal Petition in Family Dispute
When our clients sign living trusts, they usually are thinking about how to simplify legal proceedings. Trusts normally are not subject to court supervision, which helps save court costs and fees. Without court oversight, though, the trustee of a trust can sometimes get crosswise with the beneficiaries. When things reach too difficult of an impasse, […]
Personal Liability for Acting as Personal Representative
When you agree to act as personal representative of a decedent’s estate, do you take on any potential personal liability? Generally not, but you should make sure everyone knows that you are acting as a fiduciary. A recent Arizona case illustrates the risk if you do not. Estate’s property is sold When Gary Barnes (not […]
Unreachable Joint Account Makes Applicant Ineligible for Medicaid
NOVEMBER 14, 2016 VOLUME 23 NUMBER 43 Paul (that’s not his real name) needed long-term care. His health and his mental capability had both declined, and he could no longer handle his personal affairs nor take care of himself. Paul’s assets included a car (titled in his and his daughter’s names) and three Bank of […]
Arizona Appellate Decision Addresses Interesting Parentage Question
OCTOBER 17, 2016 VOLUME 23 NUMBER 39 Kelly and Sam are a married couple. They want to have a child, but cannot do so together, so they agree that Kelly will undergo artificial insemination. The process is successful, and Kelly delivers a beautiful baby boy, Edward. Does Sam have any duty to support Edward? If […]
“Right of Survivorship” Terminated by Co-Owner Unilaterally
MAY 9, 2016 VOLUME 23 NUMBER 18 First, a short primer on “joint tenancy with right of survivorship”: In Arizona, there are two main ways that two or more people can own property together (assuming they are not married). One choice is for the owners to be “tenants in common.” The other is to be […]
