Personal representative’s duties are commonly considered, but often misunderstood. This guide will help you understand what a personal representative does and his or her duties (a personal representative is called an executor in some states). Acting as a personal representative can be a time consuming task. It’s a good idea to review this list before…
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I often get asked “how can I use a revocable living trust to avoid probate?” My answer: by properly funding your Revocable Living Trust. A large part of the probate process is transferring title to assets out of the name of the deceased person and into the name of the new owners (the heirs). You…
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What Is a Probate?* Probate is a superior court action that is filed when someone passes away. Although the probate court has other jurisdiction (for example, to handle guardianships and conservatorships), when most people think of probate think they think of the process of transferring assets out of the name of the deceased person and…
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We are often asked whether a Will or a Trust is most appropriate for a client’s particular situation. Our answer? It depends on how the client wants their assets passed to their beneficiaries, if they want to avoid probate, the value of their assets, and their desire to create a plan based on their wishes…
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Words can not express how deeply sorry we are for your loss. From everyone at the Neal Law Firm, please accept our most heartfelt condolences. In order to help minimize all that there is to do after the passing of a loved one, we created this to do list to help you during this difficult…
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We are Arizona probate lawyers here to help you get you through this difficult time. We provide the following services for our clients: Terminate Joint Tenancy with Right of Survivorship Abigail will prepare the Affidavit Evidencing Termination of Joint Tenancy and file it with the county recorder. Learn more about terminating joint tenancy with right…
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The bad news: When someone passes away and their estate (all of their money and property) has to go through probate (the court-supervised process of distributing a deceased person’s money and property), it can get expensive with court costs, attorneys, accountants, appraisers, personal representatives and the like. Depending on the probate’s complexity and the state’s…
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One of the most common reasons people cite for preparing their estate plan is that they want to avoid probate and keep their affairs private. What is probate? Probate is the court process of confirming the validity of the deceased persons’ will (if any) and transferring the assets from the deceased person to the heirs. …
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Gratitude for Greatness is a program launched by Neal Law Firm in order to give back to those who serve our community. It was established in June of 2019 and will be open to applicants indefinitely. Here’s what you need to know about the program. What it Does In summary, the Gratitude for Greatness program…
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Protect Your Family With an Estate Plan Overview In the event of incapacitation or death (God forbid), it is important that you have named who will control your health and finances and who will raise your children (if you’re a parent). If you don’t have an estate plan, your assets may be distributed through the…
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If you find yourself in the “sandwich generation” (someone who is caring for both your children as well as your parents simultaneously), you need to know whether or not your parents have put together an estate plan. While it is still your parent’s choice to make estate planning decisions, having a plan — no matter…
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One step of the probate process is dealing with probate creditors. This includes identifying and notifying the creditors of the deceased and settling the deceased’s debts. After death, a personal representative (the PR), assigned by either a written will or by the court, will handle the estate left by the decedent. One of the first…
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