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Special needs trust application with clipboard and notepad.

Arizona applies complicated tax laws to special needs trusts. Depending on the type of special needs trust and how it distributes income, it may be subject to tax at the trust level or when income passes through to beneficiaries. Trustees must file Form 1041 annually to report trust income, and…

Ex-couple wedding rings in the table, divorce concept.

Divorce can significantly disrupt your daily life and even affect your estate plan. When a divorce is final, Arizona law automatically revokes some provisions in estate-planning documents that name your former spouse as a primary beneficiary or fiduciary. However, you may still need to address other estate planning issues. At…

Ex-couple signing up on child custody agreement.

To modify child custody in Arizona, you must prove that you have experienced a substantial and continuing change in circumstances since the original custody order, and that modification serves the child’s best interests. Without sufficient justification, a court may deny your petition to modify custody. At Mushkatel, Gobbato, & Kile,…

Prenuptial agreement and wedding ring on table.

A valid prenuptial agreement can simplify the divorce process by specifying how the couple will handle their marital property, debts, and spousal support, rather than leaving those decisions to the court, when the couple separates. However, the courts review these agreements to ensure they meet legal standards before enforcing them….

T-bone accident happening along the highway in Arizona..

Car accidents that involve one vehicle hitting the side of another at a right angle are the most common type of fatal motor vehicle collisions in Arizona, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation’s 2019 Arizona Crash Facts Summary. T-bone accidents or side-impact collisions are particularly dangerous because the sides of a vehicle offer less protection for passengers than the front and rear of a vehicle. As…

medication-error

Our elderly parents are often in a condition that we just cannot manage at home. Cases of dementia, serious illnesses, physical incapacitation, and other medical or mental problems lead us to the decision to place our loved ones in a nursing home for professional care and treatment. We choose a…

Injured man on crutches feeling sad.

In a personal injury claim, the term “damages” refers to the money one party pays another. Courts order liable parties (defendants) to pay damages that compensate injured parties (plaintiffs) for losses or injuries they suffer due to the plaintiff’s wrongdoing. Damages aim to make the injured party “whole” again –…

Vintage / retro style with a long shadow : Fountain pen a pocket watch on a last will and testament. A form is printed on a mulberry paper and waiting to be filled and signed by testator / testatrix.

Probate refers to the legal process of identifying property, assets and liabilities after a person’s death and transferring those assets to the decedent’s heirs and beneficiaries. Generally, all assets that you own in your name alone and you have not designated a beneficiary for will go through the Arizona probate system….