At the end of each year, many of our clients consider making gifts -- whether to charitable entities or family members. They experience a lot of confusion over what gifts are permitted, what is advisable, and what the tax consequences might be. We're here

Planning on making specific gifts in your will? Using beneficiary designations to avoid probate? Hmmmm. We might have a problem.

So what is a "unitrust"? It's simple, really: in a unitrust arrangement, the trustee distributes a percentage of the value of the trust each year, rather than all of the actual income. This can free the trustee to make better investment decisions. It also

Two weeks ago we talked about partner Elizabeth Friman's induction into ACTEC, the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. But that got us thinking. We belong to -- and rely on -- a number of professional organizations. Some are local, others are st

As the end of the year approaches, we'll begin to see some predictable estate planning changes. Some will be driven by tax planning considerations. But many seem to us to be motivated by holiday season and client's recent experiences. We'll find ourselves

Fleming & Curti, PLC, partner Elizabeth Friman was inducted into the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) last month. This signal honor was extended in the first month after her eligibility. That amounts to national recognition of her plac

Emergency guardianship and conservatorship proceedings can often be completed in a week or less, at least in Arizona. That sounds a lot more attractive than the non-emergency option. Uncontested proceedings often take six to eight weeks to complete.Most

Last month Stetson University College of Law hosted its 25th annual Special Needs seminar in Florida. Fleming & Curti, PLC, partner Elizabeth Noble Rollings Friman spoke to the national audience -- twice. In this week's podcast we talk about the program,

Why do we ask so many nosy questions in our initial interview with clients? Why do we care about how your children are doing, or how they get along? It's all in furtherance of figuring out your family dynamics and making sure we consider the best way to a

We've said it before: probate (at least in Arizona) is not the awful beast that most people think it is. That's not to say you should be eager to have your estate go through probate -- but it's not nearly as bad as you have been led to believe. Let us exp