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Father Disinherited From Son’s Estate For Abandonment

Abandonment

A child — particularly a minor child — can inherit a share of an absent parent’s estate even after abandonment by the parent. But what about the less common circumstance of a child dying young. Will abandonment by a parent prevent the parent from inheriting from the child’s estate? Brandon’s story In 1989 a child […]

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 […]

Nursing Home Arbitration Provision Voided in Arizona Case

FEBRUARY 1, 2016 VOLUME 23 NUMBER 5 A recent series in the New York Times chronicled the increasingly common practice of including arbitration agreements in all sorts of consumer contracts. The series noted that such provisions are often buried in the fine print of everything from job applications to car rentals to nursing home admission […]

Nursing Home Arbitration Agreement May Not Be Enforceable

NOVEMBER 17, 2014 VOLUME 21 NUMBER 42 If you have recently signed a family member (or a friend, or yourself) into a nursing home or other care facility, you probably have been presented with an agreement to submit all disputes to arbitration. Such provisions are very popular among the facilities themselves, though most individuals who […]

What is the Value of a Senior’s Life?

SEPTEMBER 6, 2010 VOLUME 17 NUMBER 28 The question addressed in a ruling last month by the Arizona Court of Appeals seems provocative. In a lawsuit based on the Arizona law prohibiting abuse, neglect or exploitation of vulnerable adults, does the very life of the abused senior have any intrinsic value? The Court’s answer: perhaps, […]

Wrongful Death Claim Not Available to Decedent’s Estate

DECEMBER 30, 2002 VOLUME 10, NUMBER 26 Doctors decided they needed to implant a pacemaker in Yaeko Otani, age 81. Had the surgery been successful, she would have had a life expectancy of another eight years. Tragically, surgeon David Broudy accidentally punctured her aorta during the surgery, and she died without ever regaining consciousness. Ms. […]

Probate Court Lacks Authority To Seize Lawyer’s Property

OCTOBER 8, 2001 VOLUME 9, NUMBER 15 Probate, guardianship and conservatorship proceedings can be difficult to navigate. Most people utilize lawyers to help with the process, and are well served by having legal representation. Lawyers often serve as protectors of the beneficiaries of those proceedings, and help steer individuals away from mismanagement of estate funds—or […]

Robert B. Fleming

Attorney

Robert Fleming is a Fellow of both the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. He has been certified as a Specialist in Estate and Trust Law by the State Bar of Arizona‘s Board of Legal Specialization, and he is also a Certified Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation. Robert has a long history of involvement in local, state and national organizations. He is most proud of his instrumental involvement in the Special Needs Alliance, the premier national organization for lawyers dealing with special needs trusts and planning.

Robert has two adult children, two young grandchildren and a wife of over fifty years. He is devoted to all of them. He is also very fond of Rosalind Franklin (his office companion corgi), and his homebound cat Muninn. He just likes people, their pets and their stories.

Elizabeth N.R. Friman

Attorney

Elizabeth Noble Rollings Friman is a principal and licensed fiduciary at Fleming & Curti, PLC. Elizabeth enjoys estate planning and helping families navigate trust and probate administrations. She is passionate about the fiduciary work that she performs as a trustee, personal representative, guardian, and conservator. Elizabeth works with CPAs, financial professionals, case managers, and medical providers to tailor solutions to complex family challenges. Elizabeth is often called upon to serve as a neutral party so that families can avoid protracted legal conflict. Elizabeth relies on the expertise of her team at Fleming & Curti, and as the Firm approaches its third decade, she is proud of the culture of care and consideration that the Firm embodies. Finding workable solutions to sensitive and complex family challenges is something that Elizabeth and the Fleming & Curti team do well.

Amy F. Matheson

Attorney

Amy Farrell Matheson has worked as an attorney at Fleming & Curti since 2006. A member of the Southern Arizona Estate Planning Council, she is primarily responsible for estate planning and probate matters.

Amy graduated from Wellesley College with a double major in political science and English. She is an honors graduate of Suffolk University Law School and has been admitted to practice in Arizona, Massachusetts, New York, and the District of Columbia.

Prior to joining Fleming & Curti, Amy worked for American Public Television in Boston, and with the international trade group at White & Case, LLP, in Washington, D.C.

Amy’s husband, Tom, is an astronomer at NOIRLab and the Head of Time Domain Services, whose main project is ANTARES. Sadly, this does not involve actual time travel. Amy’s twin daughters are high school students; Finn, her Irish Red and White Setter, remains a puppy at heart.

Famous people's wills

Matthew M. Mansour

Attorney

Matthew is a law clerk who recently earned his law degree from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law. His undergraduate degree is in psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Matthew has had a passion for advocacy in the Tucson community since his time as a law student representative in the Workers’ Rights Clinic. He also has worked in both the Pima County Attorney’s Office and the Pima County Public Defender’s Office. He enjoys playing basketball, caring for his cat, and listening to audiobooks narrated by the authors.