Guardianship / Conservatorship Petition Backfires on Son Who Exploited Mother
MAY 2, 2016 VOLUME 23 NUMBER 17 When a litigant asks the court for particular relief, lawyers call the request a “prayer.” It isn’t always as spiritual or respectful as that sounds, but it does give us a chance to offer good generalized legal — and life — advice: be careful what you pray for. […]
Murder-Suicide Case Leads to Complex Probate Claim Analysis
APRIL 25, 2016 VOLUME 23 NUMBER 16 It was a horrible, tragic story. In June, 2012, Phoenix resident James Butwin killed his wife and three children, drove the family car to a remote area in the desert, set the car on fire and killed himself. News stories soon revealed that the couple were enmeshed in […]
Court Orders Weekly Visitation for Grandmother of Child
NOVEMBER 30, 2015 VOLUME 22 NUMBER 44 When Mary Lansing (not her real name) gave birth to a daughter in August, 2013, her boyfriend (and the father of her daughter) was already in prison. Four months later, she filed a paternity action naming her boyfriend, and sought a court order granting her sole legal decision […]
Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult, or Not? You Judge
NOVEMBER 16, 2015 VOLUME 22 NUMBER 42 This week we’re going to ask you to be the judge. We’re going to tell you a story, then give you a moment to decide what you think should be the outcome of a lawsuit. Once you’ve decided, we’ll tell you what actually happened in the courts. Ready? […]
Quit Claim Deed Was a Mistake, Says Mother
OCTOBER 26, 2015 VOLUME 22 NUMBER 39 We’ve made the key points before: don’t sign your home over to your children while you’re still alive, and be very careful about doing your own estate planning without an attorney’s help. This week we’re going to add a couple of other points: do not rely on non-lawyer […]
What Survivor Must Do When Trust Mandates Split on First Death
SEPTEMBER 14, 2015 VOLUME 22 NUMBER 33 Once in a while we read an appellate court decision that nicely addresses a subject which isn’t the issue before the court. A recent Arizona Court of Appeals case illustrates this phenomenon nicely. The legal issue was technical and would appeal only to lawyers — and probably only […]
Attorney’s Fees in Probate Proceeding Challenged, Approved
SEPTEMBER 7, 2015 VOLUME 22 NUMBER 32 How much can an attorney charge in a probate proceeding? In Arizona, at least, the principal rule is one that is difficult to determine: attorney’s fees must be “reasonable”. But what does that actually mean? A recent Arizona Court of Appeals decision approving the fees charged by the […]
Conservator Properly Appointed for Missing Homeless Man
AUGUST 10, 2015 VOLUME 22 NUMBER 29 Late in 2012, Mark West was driving a car that struck and injured Don Barnes (both names have been changed) in the Phoenix area. Barnes hired an attorney to sue West, but because the attorney was unsure of Barnes’ ability to understand the proceedings, he sought appointment of […]
Conservator Not Required to Unwind Protected Person’s Estate Plan
JUNE 8, 2015 VOLUME 22 NUMBER 21 When an aging parent begins to fail, and a scheming caretaker appears to take advantage, what should concerned children do to respond? Should they consider a report to Adult Protective Services (in Arizona, 1-877-SOS-ADULT, or 1-877-767-2385), or file a court proceeding, or take some other action? The short […]
Trust-Owned Property Is Not Proper Subject of Arizona Beneficiary Deed
JUNE 1, 2015 VOLUME 22 NUMBER 20 Arizona is one of about a dozen states permitting “beneficiary” deeds. Some states have the same concept but use a different term, like the inelegant “revocable transfer on death” deeds. The basic idea: you can sign a deed to your real property which acts like a beneficiary designation […]
