Can you include an arbitration provision in your will or trust? Yes, you can -- at least in Arizona. Alternative dispute resolution arrangements might help keep your heirs and beneficiaries from enriching lawyers with their disputes. It's worth considerin

Meet Matt Mansour, our "new" associate attorney. Well, not all that new. He's been working here for an eventful eight months as an attorney, and several months before that as a law clerk. Here's a chance to learn a little bit more about him, and what kind

The terms of a will or trust are absolute, right? No one can modify them. Right?Well, no. At least if all the heirs or beneficiaries agree, the terms of a will or trust can be varied. It's a complicated set of considerations, but people should realize t

We often hear from heirs and beneficiaries a version of "everyone knows what dad wanted." Yeah, maybe everyone knows. But he didn't write it down. You may not be able to get things done the way you're sure he wanted.

You may have heard about "Swedish Death Cleaning." It sounds morbid, but we think the odd name embraces a generally good idea. Help your heirs by giving away (or selling, or donating) your "things." No kidding -- it could help your family later.

It's not the first time we've talked about it, but today we want to be more direct. For most of our clients, we think their financial power of attorney is the most important estate planning document we prepare. Let us explain why. And why we think you nee

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