What Is Estate Planning?

If you own a house or simply just have some savings stashed away, then you have an estate. In these turbulent times in our country, planning for the future is more important now than ever, especially when it involves the financial security of those you love. If you don't plan for what happens to your estate upon your death, then the government will make those decisions for you.

Estate planning is the process whereby families develop a plan that ensures that the assets they have worked so hard accumulating during their lifetime are protected and distributed to those they love after their death. Without proper planning, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Arizona Department of Revenue stand to “inherit” a large portion of the assets of families in Arizona. Fortunately, it’s not too late to write these governmental agencies out of your will.

Estate Planning Practice Areas

Estate planning involves much more than avoiding taxation, and the lawyers at Arboleda Brechner Firm offer effective estate planning solutions to clients in Arizona in the following areas of the law:

• Advanced medical directives
• Durable powers of attorney 
• Insurance Planning
• Life Insurance Trusts
• Living Wills
• Revocable and Irrevocable Trusts
• Last Wills and Testaments
• Tax Planning

The goal of our estate planning practice is to provide families in Arizona with practical solutions to individual estate planning concerns, with a strong emphasis on the tax ramifications of various estate plans. For further information about estate planning issues affecting Arizona families please contact Arboleda Brechner today.

Probate and Estate Administration

In its most basic terms, probate is nothing more than a court-supervised transfer of title in an asset. Probate is the legal process that takes place after someone dies and often involves:

• Challenges to the validity of a will
• Distributing property as directed by the will
• Having the property appraised
• Identifying and inventorying the deceased person's property
• Paying estate debts and taxes
• Proving in court that a will is valid

Though this explanation of probate seems simple, the probate process unfortunately is not. There are often a number of different persons interested in the probate estate, including: creditors, other family members, beneficiaries, the surviving spouse, attorneys, and the personal representative for the estate. Each person has a different interest in the probate that is protected by law. Because of those protected interests, the steps undertaken to complete a probate can be lengthy, time-consuming, and costly.

We take special care during these difficult times to represent families in Arizona with caring and compassionate counsel, guidance and direction. For further information about probate law please contact Arboleda Brechner today.

Why Is Estate Planning Important?

The following information deals with estate planning and probate issues affecting Arizona families. The information referenced in this section is provided for general discussion purposes only and should neither be construed as legal advice nor as a complete discussion of all pertinent issues related to a good estate plan. Every individual, family, and business is different and we urge readers to contact Arboleda Brechner regarding specific information about their case.

• An estate plan provides peace of mind for your immediate family.
• An estate plan provides for other relatives who need help and guidance.
• An estate plan gets your property to beneficiaries faster than going through probate.
• An estate plan helps you plan for mental or physical incapacity.
• An estate plan helps minimize expenses.
• Choosing a competent personal representative and trustee and providing them with clear direction is essential to a good estate plan.

An estate plan can help you support religious, educational, or other charitable causes, either during your lifetime or upon your death.