If you own a firearm in Arizona, you want to prevent your heirs from facing issues, such as felony charges, when they receive it. The first step is to understand what a gun trust is and how it works in estate planning. For this and more information, keep reading. What...
Beth Kruchek Legal Blog
Reasons for establishing a pet trust
Pet owners love their pets and may want to ensure that their beloved companion receives care during their lifetime and after their death. A pet trust assures that your wishes are in force so that your beloved animal has funded visits to their vet or other necessary...
Handling issues with co-executors
Being named as a co-executor of an estate is a high honor for most, especially those tasked with managing their relatives' large and expansive estates. However, if you share the executor's responsibility with other relatives, such as siblings, or even your children,...
When a living trust may be needed
Besides wills, trusts can also be part of an estate plan to control assets. Without a will or trust, a person's assets will get divided according to Arizona state law after they pass away. One popular type of trust is the living trust, which has many benefits....
Simple strategies for drafting an effective digital estate plan
After having drafted their wills, named their estate executors, and created trusts for children and grandchildren, many Arizona residents mistakenly assume that they're done planning their estates. However, in reality, there's always the final task of organizing...
An irrevocable trust may be challenged
Generally speaking, you lose control over any assets that are placed in an irrevocable trust. This is because you are not allowed to serve as the trustee, and the terms of such a document are tough to change. However, it may be possible to challenge the validity of an...
Estate planning with stepchildren in mind
Blended families have become increasingly common in Arizona. When married couples have children from earlier marriages and subsequently have children together, their estate plans should be written in a way to ensure that everyone's interests will be protected so that...
Can step-parents inherit an entire estate?
If someone dies in Arizona and leaves a will behind, their children might feel like they should get priority over their step-parents. Some people leave everything to their new spouses, assuming that they'll divide their estate among their children from previous...
What happens to your debts when you die?
In an ideal situation, when you pass away, your heirs would be able to receive the assets that you want to leave to them without any creditors involving themselves in the process. Unfortunately, ideal situations aren’t always realistic, and some of the debts that you...
How common are pet trusts?
Socially, the emotional bond between pets and their owners can feel like family. It should come as no surprise that more owners in Arizona feel the need to set up trusts to care for their fur babies. This is especially true for individuals who own multiple pets. How...