If your assets include an IRA, how is it treated in your estate plan? Taking the approach of simply providing for one or more beneficiaries on the account is a significant mistake — it leaves the assets in the account exposed to substantial risks following inheritance. The only way to address those risks is to discuss your IRA account with an exp…
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If you own a family business, one of your primary long-term concerns should be how to pass the business along to your family when you’re no longer part of it. A frequent hurdle to planning the future is deciding who should inherit the family business and how your family will run the business without you. When you put a business succession plan in…
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Many people with legal residence outside the United States own real estate and other assets in Arizona and spend part of the year here. Regardless of whether the Arizona connection is for residential or business reasons, all non-U.S. citizens need to be attentive to estate planning issues that arise from property ownership in the state. At Peterson…
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In our probate and estate planning practice at Peterson Law Offices, PLLC, clients often ask whether every Arizona estate must go through probate. The simple answer is “no,” every estate does not go through probate. But Arizona law requires many estates to go through a probate process. And — to make an important distinction — every estate d…
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Your will and other estate plan documents protect you and your family during your life and after you pass away. Your estate plan provides peace-of-mind about the legal protection you have put in place. However, using forms or an online do-it-yourself (DIY) service can defeat those important goals and have significant negative consequences for you a…
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If you own an IRA or 401(k) that will be inherited on your death, the rules that apply to inheritance of those assets just changed significantly. The change accelerates required distributions for many beneficiaries. The new rule is part of the federal SECURE (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement) Act, enacted at the end of 2019. Th…
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Buyers from all over the world purchase real estate in Arizona, largely because of our hospitable climate. Non-U.S. Citizens who purchase real estate in Arizona know they must be cognizant of all the legal implications of owning real estate here. One aspect that sometimes escapes attention relates to what happens to the property when the owner pass…
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Estate planning is important for everyone, but it is especially vital for individuals who have a blended family following a remarriage. The estate planning goal of ensuring that natural children (and grandchildren) receive their inheritance becomes more challenging in a blended family situation. Other special estate planning concerns warrant consid…
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If you are unmarried and do not have children or living relatives, you might think that estate planning is not important or deserving of your attention. However, it is an undertaking that is essential to protect you during your life and ensure that your property does not end up in the hands of the state. Singles sometimes feel there aren’t good o…
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Many individuals support charities and philanthropic groups throughout their lives by donating regularly to organizations and causes that touch their lives or do work important to the donor. Charitable giving also is an important part of estate planning for a lot of people. Lifetime charitable and philanthropic gifting is usually a simple matter of…
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