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Once upon a time, an Arizona man with five children created a trust that provided for two of his adult children but explicitly disinherited the other three. Instead, their share was split among eight non-profit organizations. Before his death, he reconciled with his children, amended his trus...

True story … (well maybe since we heard it on the radio…) Since the day his precious daughter was born, a father worked and saved for her college tuition. Now a young woman, she is admitted to college, and he proudly sends her off with her first year's tuition … only to later discover that sh...

We all know adults who are alone in the world. Perhaps the person is divorced, widowed or single. Perhaps he or she never had children or is estranged from them. Perhaps he or she has outlived siblings and other family members, or, as is unfortunately common in Arizona, a couple has no children, ...

The face of America is changing. Once upon a time, the nuclear family was the most prevalent “model” in American society (does anyone remember the Donna Reed show?). These days, however, as the population becomes increasingly more educated and career focused and for other personal reasons, fewer ...

Your brand is everything … your reputation, your recognition value for your customers, your product, image, service, etc. So how do you protect your brand and business if a competitor sets up a company that is similar, or even identical to yours? There are 5 steps you should think about to help e...

As a business owner, before you sue someone, you need to figure out what you are trying to accomplish. For instance, is this a one-time situation that is unlikely to be repeated? Will your lawsuit discourage others from doing the same thing? Or is this a larger moral issue where your lawsuit will...

For business owners, figuring out how to pass a business on to heirs can be a tricky business. We've all heard stories about business owners who failed to plan and the family ends up embroiled in endless court battles for control of the company. Let's look at a hypothetical situation to see some ...

Yes! If you've moved to a new state and are all settled in, there are some financial aspects of your move you need to take care of. Moving is a good excuse to consult an attorney to make sure your estate plan in general is up to date. Will, trusts, powers of attorney and health care directives r...

What happens if you've signed a contract for your small business that you probably shouldn't have? Or if the circumstances have changed and are you are being asked to perform tasks that you didn't agree to or are grossly unfair? Is there any way to get out of a contract? Review the Contract Th...

Probably. Your kids will receive a call from the IRA plan custodian who will offer them the option of getting a lump sum check or perhaps opening an inherited IRA. Guess what? The will probably take the lump sum. The will also probably burn through it in less than a year. Then they will find out ...

Estate planning for your future can be tricky enough. It becomes even more difficult when you need to plan for a special needs child who may need a lot more care than a normal child. If something happens to you — chronic illness, catastrophic injury or even death — what will happen to your specia...

The relationship is over, the papers are signed, but you are not quite done. At this point it is time to update your estate plan to reflect your changed life circumstances — even more so if you are contemplating another relationship. A new marriage can open up wonderful new opportunities, but it ...

If you are thinking of selling your small business you've got some work ahead of you. A little hard work now, with the help of a small business lawyer, can save you from plenty of trouble later on. Tip #1: Decide why you are selling Buyers nearly always want to know why you are selling the bus...

One of the first questions facing you as a small business owner is to decide what type of entity you want to create — stay as a sole proprietor or form an LLC or a corporation. Once you have done that the question is whether to file with the IRS as an S corp. For some businesses, particularly ver...

A client recently called and asked to have a legal agreement reviewed before signing it. Excellent! However, the client confused “reading” an agreement with “understanding the legal effect” of the words in the agreement. The client stated he “did not see any red flags.” Well, they were there; the...

Having a parent die is difficult enough without creditors knocking down your door. It is not unusual for there to be medical bills, car leases or credit card debt. The creditors are going to start contacting you very quickly. Who is responsible for this debt? Here are some answers about what happ...

Businesses today use diverse workforces to accomplish their goals, including full- and part-time employees as well as independent contractors. The trouble is, many business misclassify employees as independent contractors and end up in trouble. According to the American Business Bureau, “By some ...

In 1900, the average American lifespan was 47 years of age. Today, our life expectancy is 78.8 years. So many people are wondering if their retirement funds will last long enough, and that question is causing a great deal of anxiety. In addition, it also has people wondering if they'll be able to...

One of the most difficult decisions my clients face when creating an estate plan is naming a trustee to administer to the trust if they become incapacitated or after their death. Many questions need to be asked. Do you have an individual you can trust to follow your wishes? Does that person have ...

You haven't heard from him in 10 years, since he stole the money in your bank account. Or for many other reasons, he or she is a bad seed and you don't want him or her to inherit your estate? It is possible to disinherit a child from your Will or Estate in most states in the U.S. The key to succe...

Estate Planning is a process – not a transaction! There are many moving parts in your plan that need to be coordinated to get the most benefit you can. That's why you should put together and work with a team of estate planning advisors to help you get it right. Many people already have these advi...

Choosing a possible guardian for your children could be one of the most important gifts you ever give your kids. Planning for your own death is depressing and unpleasant, but for parents with young children, selecting a guardian is a way to extend your love, share your child care philosophy, and ...

What are Advanced Directives? Life is unpredictable. While no one wants to contemplate something bad happening, either to themselves or to their loved ones, it is important to be prepared. If something bad does happen, advance directives like a Living Will and a Medical Power of attorney come...

When a loved one dies, the trauma of the death is bad enough, but then the distribution is revealed and the terms come as a shock to the beneficiaries. Image this … daughter Judy gets everything and the rest of the family gets little or nothing. Worse yet, a “No Contest” clause has been added to ...

Did you know that every 10 minutes, another name is added to the national organ transplant waiting list? Right this moment, 123,000 men, women and children need a transplant, but 21 people will die each day because no transplant was available. In 2013, there were 14,257 organ donors resulting in ...