Law Blog

Effective September 2013, small estates in Arizona  increased in the value of assets that may be transferred without requiring a probate of the decedent's estate. On April 16, 2013, Governor Jan Brewer signed into law Senate Bill 1232, which amends A.R.S. §14-3971 governing the collection of personal property, vehicles, and succession to real property by ...

When a loved one passes away, a crucial step in minimizing the risk of identity theft is to notify the proper entities, such as government and credit reporting agencies, banks, and creditors of your loved one's death. To expedite notification, the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) recommends that you initially make contact with government and credit rep...

Have you ever considered paying in advance for your funeral/burial expenses to save your loved ones the financial burden?  If your finances allow you to do so, pre-paying for funeral/burial services is an efficient and effective step in your estate planning that can alleviate the often onerous task for your loved ones to undertake while grieving.  A few words of ...

JW Way # 16. Don't be a jerk- always take the high road. Maintain professionalism at all times. Keep emotions under control. Advocating forcefully for the interests of our clients does not require bullying, condescension, foul language, or temper tantrums. This applies to co-workers, opposing counsel, and vendors. Be a "mensch." As I sat down to write about this f...

Video Transcript: I'm Neal Bookspan of Jaburg Wilk.  I'm an attorney who helps businesses and business owners manage their legal risks. Do I need an attorney if I'm buying or selling a business? People definitely need attorneys when they are buying or selling a business.  It is a very important transaction for the seller who may have owned the business a...

Why is it important for a business owner to have an estate plan?  Transfers the business owners' assets to family members Provides a mechanism for the sale of the business if there are no family members interested in continuing the business Helps avoid probate and Depending on the value of the estate, a plan may significantly reduce estate taxes. Is a Will e...

A variety of charitable gifting techniques are available during your lifetime and as part of your estate plan. Depending on your income, or the size of your estate, you may find tax savings so significant after making a charitable gift that the net after tax effect is minimal. Here is a summary of some of planning ideas which will help you start your charitable gi...

Start Now, Before Your Options Become Limited Good news: Thanks to medical advances in the past few decades, you - and your parents, if they're still alive - will probably live longer than previous generations. Bad news: The cost of living in a nursing home for a year, now averaging around $51,000, will triple over the next 20 years, according to the General Ac...

Simple Rules to Avoid Probate. In Arizona, any assets that are held in your name outright must be probated to pass to the next generation or your intended beneficiaries heir(s). This includes property held as community property and tenants in common. However, there are many assets that never pass through a probate. For example, retirement plan benefits, IRA's and ...

In today's global market place, virtually every business has a website, and many of those sites are content-rich. Websites are often filled with original writings and pictures. Much of that original content is marketing, while other content consists of informative articles, tips and guides to grab and keep the attention of visitors to the site. A great deal of time...