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- What is a Will? – You probably know that a Will is a document where you name who gets your property after your death. Do you know the other important functions a Will serves? How about what happens if you don't have a Will?
- For a Will to be Valid, What Does Arizona Law Require? – Every state has different rules when it comes to estate planning. If you're going to create an Arizona Will, you should know what Arizona law requires for the Will to be valid.
- Choosing Who Will Inherit Your Personal Property: A Personal Property Memorandum – If you have items of tangible property that you want to go to specific people, a Personal Property Memorandum is the place to write it down. And, with a Personal Property Memorandum, you can change your mind without having to see a lawyer to amend your Will.
- 7 Secrets of a Successful Will– Fix potential problems with your Will today since you won't be around to fix them when they arise.
- Top 10 Most Common Questions People Ask About Wills – Who needs a Will? Does it need to be witnessed? Can a Will be changed? What happens if I don't have one?
- Non-lawyers Preparing Wills – This woman hired a non-lawyer to draft her Will. After her death, her family wound up in court fighting about the estate – something that everyone should try to avoid.
- Healthcare Power of Attorney – If you are sick or injured and unable to make your own healthcare decisions, who will make them for you? With a Healthcare Power of Attorney, you decide. Without, a court will decide – and it won't be cheap.
- Living Wills – Remember Terri Schaivo? After a heart attack, Terri was left in a persistent vegetative state. Terri's story made national headlines because her husband and parents couldn't agree on what Terri herself would have wanted. Did Terri want to be kept alive artificially in her condition? Or did Terri want to refuse the aggressive medical treatment and die naturally? Since Terri didn't have a Living Will, Terri didn't get to make that decision.
- HIPAA Authorization – Federal healthcare privacy laws (HIPAA) prohibit medical providers from disclosing your medical information without your permission. But what if you're unable to give permission because you're sick or injured? You probably want a loved one to be informed of your medical condition so they can make healthcare decisions for you. If you become incapacitated, a HIPAA authorization allows your medical providers to give medical information to a person that you choose.
- Financial Power of Attorney – We all have financial obligations. Unfortunately, they don't go away if you become incapacitated. If you are unable to handle your own finances, who will do it for you? With a Financial Power of Attorney, you can pick an agent to manage your finances – and pay the bills – when you can't do so yourself.
- Understanding the Significance of Trusts – An explanation of basic concepts of revocable and irrevocable trusts.
- Trust Incentives & Disincentives – Sample optional trust incentive and disincentive provisions.
- Arizona Trust Companies – A list of Arizona trust companies KEYTLaw recommends if you plan to name an institutional trustee.
- NFA Gun Trusts – A resource for Arizona residents to understand the NFA, Title II firearms and how and when to use a gun trust to own and use Title II firearms.
- IRA Inheritance Trust® – A new type of trust called the IRA Inheritance Trust® can ensure your beneficiaries stretch-out distributions over their lives for tax-free growth to maximize wealth accumulation and to provide asset protection if necessary.
- Pet Trusts – Since pets are our furry “kids” it makes sense to protect them just like our human children. Often pets are left scared and forgotten after a tragedy. Some might even end up in shelters, or worse. Don't leave Fido and Fluffy out of your estate plan – protect them with a Pet Trust!
- Special Needs Trusts – This Wall Street Journal article sheds light on this important special type of trust.
- Caring for Fluffy and Fido After You're Gone – You can make sure your pet has the best possible care with a pet trust.
- Beneficiary Designations – Do you remember filling out a form naming your beneficiary when you set up your retirement account or purchased your life insurance policy? Do you remember who you wrote down? Since life insurance and retirement accounts are often some of the largest assets people own, designating the right beneficiaries is a critical part of estate planning.
- Estate Planning When a Spouse Is Not a U.S. Citizen – Ten things everyone should know about international estate planning.
- Arizona Beneficiary Deeds – Use a Beneficiary Deed to avoid probate of Arizona real property.
- Arizona Beneficiary Deed Preparation Service – An explanation of KEYTLaw's low cost Beneficiary Deed preparation service.
- How to Hire KEYTLaw to Prepare an Arizona Beneficiary Deed – Complete our online Arizona Beneficiary Deed Service Agreement, print and sign the document and then send it to us with payment of $195 per Beneficiary Deed.
- Transfer Your Vehicle Probate-Free – Arizona law allows you to transfer the title to your vehicle upon death to one or more beneficiaries of your choice. This estate planning tool is easy and inexpensive, and we'll tell you how to take advantage of it.
- Intestate Succession – What happens if you die without a Will? Your property will be distributed according to Arizona's laws of intestate succession. This article explains how it might work in your situation.
- How to Hold Property – A description of the various ways to hold property, including joint tenants with right of survivorship, community property with right of survivorship, tenants in common and tenancy by the entirety.
- Would You Perform Surgery On Yourself? Do-It-Yourself Estate Planning Mistakes – KEYTLaw's top 5 reasons to avoid DIY estate planning. This is a must read article if you are considering DIY estate planning.
- Anna Nicole Smith's Will: The Saga Continues For Her Family – A great example of a bad estate plan.
- How Do I Protect My Loved Ones with an Estate Plan and Avoid the High Cost of Procrastination and Neglect – How your family may suffer severe financial loss if you die or become incapacitated without a comprehensive estate plan.
- How Do I Handle A Deceased Family Member's Facebook Account – Instructions on how to memorialize and remove a loved one's Facebook account, who can memorialize and remove an account and tips for copying media before removing an account.
- How Do I Transfer Real Property Into A Trust – An introduction to Arizona Beneficiary Deeds, when one is appropriate, the benefits and drawbacks to using a Beneficiary Deed and forms provided by statute.
- How to Hire KEYTLaw to Prepare an Arizona Beneficiary Deed – Complete our online Arizona Beneficiary Deed Service Agreement, print and sign the document and then send it to us with payment of $495 per Beneficiary Deed.
- Arizona Estate Planning FAQ – Answers to frequently asked questions about Arizona Wills, Trusts and Estate Planning.
- Who Gets My Property If I Die Without A Will or Trust? – Your property will be distributed according to the laws of intestate succession. Learn more about what might happen if you die without a Will or Trust in Arizona.
- Traditional IRA Distribution Flowchart – This chart will show you the many different distribution choices the beneficiaries of your traditional IRA must make after your death.
- Roth IRA Distribution Flowchart – Like the Traditional IRA Distribution Flowchart, this chart shows you the distribution choices the beneficiaries of your Roth IRA will have to make.