At Lasiter & Jackson, our concentration on family law and the changing circumstances of families following divorce makes our estate planning practice a valuable additional service for our clients. Most people need Wills, Powers of Attorney and Living Wills in order to ensure that their wishes are honored. Wills and trusts will also usually need to be updated or amended after a divorce, adoption or other significant family event. Our law firm handles the estate planning needs for everyone including same-sex couples and domestic partners.
If you do not have a Last Will and Testament in place, Arizona law provides a default set of inheritance laws known as intestate succession. However, most families prefer to define their own distribution of assets.
For some families, basic trusts can also help achieve other estate planning goals ranging from probate avoidance to the management of tax liability or providing for a favorite charity.
Regardless of the size of your estate, it is a good idea to have Powers of Attorney and a Living Will in place as well. These instruments do not relate to the transfer of your assets, but involve instead the management of your own affairs in the case of an incapacitating accident or illness.
Powers of Attorney name persons you trust to manage your finances and medical treatment when you are unable to do so yourself. They can also help avoid the need for an appointed guardian. An Advance Health Care Directive or “Living Trust Will” makes your intentions clear about life support in cases of extended coma, persistent vegetative state or other terminal conditions.
In cases ranging from will contests and claims of undue influence to breach of fiduciary claims against executors or trustees, the lawyers of Lasiter & Jackson help people resolve probate disputes.
To learn more about the estate planning and probate litigation practice at Lasiter & Jackson, contact one of our lawyers in Phoenix.
