Power of Attorney Did Not Grant Power to Create a Trust
How can someone create a trust? It seems like a trick question. In Arizona, someone can create a trust by signing a trust document, transferring assets, or by making a will with trust provisions. Arizona even permits someone to just declare a trust exists. But can an agent under a power of attorney create a […]
Garn-St Germain and Your Estate Planning
Last week in this space we wrote about Arizona’s beneficiary deed option. The Arizona law allows you to set up an automatic transfer on death for real estate. No probate, no complications. There are things to look out for, of course, but it can work for many people. One thing you should know about: Garn-St […]
Loved One Ailing? Take Action Before It’s Too Late
People close to a loved one facing death often look for help from an attorney after the loved one dies. Many estate planning attorneys provide checklists and write about what to do in such a time of overwhelming emotion and numbing grief. Contacting an attorney is low on the list. Many do not realize that […]
Failure of the Imagination in Seven-Decade-Old Trust
SEPTEMBER 6, 2016 VOLUME 23 NUMBER 33 Why involve an attorney in your estate planning? Partly because they know the rules — and not just the rules about how to prepare a valid and comprehensive document, but also the rules about taxes, trust limitations, and all of the related concerns you might not focus on […]
You Have a Trust — Now You Need a Beneficiary Designation
MARCH 21, 2016 VOLUME 23 NUMBER 11 You have decided to create a revocable living trust, naming your oldest daughter as successor trustee. Your trust directs that, upon your death, $10,000 is to go to each of your grandchildren, $50,000 to the Good Intentions charity, and everything else will be divided equally among your three […]
Your Trust and Ownership of Real Property
MARCH 7, 2016 VOLUME 23 NUMBER 9 We occasionally get questions from our clients involving ownership of real estate — usually around the creation, funding or administration of a living trust. These questions are particularly common, and since we got them (from different clients) in the last two weeks, it seemed like a good time […]
Creating Your Trust: Dealing With Specific Assets
DECEMBER 28, 2015 VOLUME 22 NUMBER 48 When our clients establish revocable living trusts, we help them transfer assets to the trust’s name. That’s not unique — most law firms help clients through the process. This is often referred to as “funding” the trust, and it can be more complicated than it seems like it […]
Court Rejects Challenge to Living Trust After Settlor’s Death
FEBRUARY 16, 2015 VOLUME 22 NUMBER 7 Jessica Waltham (not her real name) died tragically in 2012, when her home south of Tucson burned down. She left a small estate, three sons and a bubbling dispute over the validity of her living trust. Jessica had first signed a living trust in 2000. She titled her […]
Top Ten Reasons to Skip the Living Trust and Sign a Will Instead
FEBRUARY 2, 2015 VOLUME 22 NUMBER 5 Last week we suggested some of the reasons why you might think about having a revocable living trust as part of your estate planning documents. This week we’ll try to turn it around, and give you ten reasons why you might prefer to have a will (“just” a […]
Top Ten Reasons You Might Want a Trust, Rather Than Just a Will
JANUARY 26, 2015 VOLUME 22 NUMBER 4 Do you need a living trust? Even with an estate tax threshold of over $5 million (and double that, for most married couples)? That is the primary question posed by most of our estate planning clients. For years the answer depended mostly on the size of your estate. […]
