After updating his estate plan with DeAngelis Legal, a client inquired about alternatives for dealing with an irrevocable trust created by a prior law firm. DeAngelis Legal worked with the client to flush out his core concerns and objectives for his family, reviewed the trust instrument and applicable law to find alternatives and worked with [...]
Beneficiary of irrevocable trust unexpectedly filed for bankruptcy. Trustee engaged DeAngelis Legal to review the trust and Arizona law to determine if the trust’s assets were subject to the bankruptcy trustee’s control. In Arizona, the general rule is that a court may reach the assets of the trust for the benefit of the beneficiary. However, [...]
Co-trustees, who were also primary beneficiaries, engaged DeAngelis Legal to assist with the administration of their parent’s trust. Unfortunately, their parents had not transferred all assets to the trust. DeAngelis Legal assisted the trustees with the documentation necessary to obtain control over all assets of the trust without the need for probate through the Affidavit [...]
New high net worth client from Phoenix engaged DeAngelis Legal to update his estate plan documents. The client had created an irrevocable trust with his prior estate planning attorney. The trust was for the benefit of his children and grandchildren in an attempt to use his annual exclusion gifts and named a third-party trustee. However, [...]
Estate Planning Update July 2025 2025 Annual Gift Tax Exclusion: increased to $19,000 per donor, per donee. 2025 Gift and Estate Tax Exemption: increased to $13,990,000 per donor through 2025 (an increase of $380,000). See paragraph 6 below. Marital Deduction for Transfers to U.S. Spouse: remains unlimited. 2025 Generation Skipping Tax Exemption: increased to $13,990,000 [...]
Mohith Agadi said it best- “Give yourself and those in need an elixir of life by pledging your organs.” What to do with your body after your death is a very personal decision. Family members are often left guessing (or worse, arguing) about what their loved one desired to have happen with their remains. In [...]
Spring and summer bring weddings, and for law firms, requests to prepare marital agreements. Spouses in successful marriages enter into marital agreements which clarify the rights and obligations of the parties during marriage and upon death or divorce. The stigma surrounding these types of agreements is fading, with the young and old seeking to clarify [...]
No will, no trust - more paperwork, twice! Several years ago, brother died having failed to do any estate planning. Mother and sister were left to clean up the financial mess. DeAngelis Legal assisted sister to obtain Letters of Personal Representative issued by the probate court through an informal intestate probate and successfully transferred the [...]
Long time clients came in for their five year estate plan review and stated that they were contemplating additional financial gifts to their children. However, they had not addressed important issues regarding this complex and emotional decision. Persons contemplating gifts should ask a few important questions, including: Do you have sufficient capital and resources for [...]
In Arizona, a successor of a decedent may sign an affidavit effectively transferring the decedent's personal property and real estate without the need for a probate if the value of the asset is under certain limits. A.R.S. § 14-3971. On March 31, 2025 the governor signed HB2116 increasing the personal property limit to $200,000 and [...]
