Since my children were little, I have always tried to instill in them that it’s important not to procrastinate with anything they are involved with. Now, as they are in junior high and high school and the workload and extracurricular activities are mounting, I know they appreciate those early values they learned when they were little. All too often, I meet with folks who know that they should start or revise their estate plan, but never get around to it. Unfortunately, this was the case when I was recently appointed by the court to represent an elderly man (named “Fred”) in a guardianship and conservatorship case.
During my initial visit with Fred, it didn’t take long for me to realize that he needed some assistance with daily living activities and financial related issues. Fortunately, his distant relatives came forward to be appointed as his co-guardians/co-conservators. In subsequent visits, Fred explained to me that he wanted his estate to go equally between four family members. Fred’s physicians declared him incompetent to handle his own affairs, both medically and financially. The court appointed the relatives as co-guardians/co-conservators to help Fred. However, during my visits with Fred, I knew through convoluted conversations, he wanted certain relatives to get his “stuff.” Fred had prepared a Will years earlier and the beneficiaries named were not the same ones he had described to me. Unfortunately, since Fred never updated his Will and he was now declared incompetent, he will not be able to change his Will.
Time is finite. Life happens. Changes occur. We should not put off important planning for a later date. If you haven’t started your estate plan, take the first step by calling one of our experienced estate planning attorneys today. And, if you have taken that step you should make an appointment to review your plan to make sure it is up to date with your personal decisions and the law.
About Morris Hall:
At Morris Hall, we have focused our legal practice on estate planning for over 40 years. Along with estate planning, our attorneys help clients and their families with matters of probate, trust administration, wills, power of attorneys, business planning, succession planning, legacy planning, charitable gifting and other important legal aspects. We also have divisions in financial, real estate and accounting to help you incorporate all of your planning together, ensuring that everything works perfectly for your needs and situation. Our Arizona offices are located in Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale, Tucson, Prescott, Flagstaff and Arrowhead. Contact us today at 888.222.1328 to schedule an appointment!
This blog should be used for informational purposes only. It does not create an attorney-client relationship with any reader and should not be construed as legal advice. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney in your community who can assess the specifics of your situation.
In fact, estate planning, asset preservation and probate law have been our only areas of practice. We are proud to have helped thousands of individuals of all levels of wealth and assets, people concerned about protecting their families from the devastating legal and financial effects of disability and death.
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