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A Personal Representative Can Usually Sell a House Without Prior Court Approval Selling a house is often one of the biggest financial decisions that comes up during the Arizona probate process. The house might need to be sold to pay estate debts or expenses. Other times, selling may be the most practical way to divide...

Estate Funds Can Pay Legitimate Probate Costs, But The Personal Representative Has To Follow Arizona Law Grief doesn't stop the bills from arriving. A mortgage may still be due, the house may need insurance and utilities, funeral expenses have to be addressed, and creditors may start asking when they'll be paid. If you've been appointed...

Marriage Can Change Property Ownership And Estate Planning In Arizona Marriage can change how Arizona law treats property even when only one spouse's name appears on a deed, account, or other ownership document. A home purchased during the marriage, money earned and invested while married, business interests created during the marriage, and portions of some...

Estate Plans Are Built Around Assumptions, and Assumptions Don't Age Well Estate plans are built on a set of assumptions about the future, and one of the most quietly dangerous assumptions is that the people named in those documents will still be alive when the plan needs to work. When a beneficiary predeceases the person...

Arizona Residents Who Split Time Between States Face Estate Planning Risks That Most People Don't See Coming Arizona draws retirees and snowbirds from across the country for good reason. The winters are mild, the cost of living is manageable, and communities across the Valley have built themselves around the lifestyle that people who spent decades...

When you're trying to grieve the loss of a loved one, the last thing you want to think about is talking to the IRS or the Arizona Department of Revenue. But the government doesn't pause tax obligations just because a tragedy occurs. Someone still has to file the deceased's final income tax return. Filing that...

Planning for where your money and property will go after your passing is challenging, especially when you’re facing difficult family dynamics. While few of our clients want to completely disinherit their family members, it does happen in some circumstances. When that happens, it’s natural to ask whether you can leave someone out of your will....

Retirement Accounts Usually Transfer By Beneficiary Designation, Not By A Will A surprising number of estate problems start with something small: a beneficiary form that was filled out quickly, filed away, and never revisited. Retirement accounts are often among the largest assets a family inherits, yet they don't always comply with a will's instructions. That's...

Most people treat estate planning like a one‑and‑done chore. You sign the papers, stash them somewhere safe, and then forget about them. The truth is, though, an estate plan is less like a time capsule and more like a living roadmap for your family’s future. If life keeps changing (and it always does), your estate...

Families who don’t update their estate plans could face real financial consequences A wide range of legal changes will go into effect next year that will have a big impact on estate planning and tax implications for many people in the future, according to WealthManagement.com’s analysis of the impending estate planning changes. The estate planning...