Taking the time to create a comprehensive estate plan is one of the most valuable gifts you can give to your loved ones as well as to yourself. Not only will that plan provide for the distribution of your estate assets when you are gone but it will also help them grow while you are here and help protect and provide for you and for your loved ones. At Morris Hall PLLC we understand your desire to protect yourself, your assets, and your loved ones. With that in mind, we are dedicated to helping our Phoenix, Arizona friends and neighbors create a customized estate plan that reflects their estate planning needs and objectives.
The History of Phoenix, Arizona
The Hohokam people lived in what would eventually become the Phoenix metropolitan area for over 2,000 years before it was occupied by settlors. During that time, they created canals that were later used for the modern Arizona Canal, Central Arizona Project Canal, and the Hayden-Rhodes Aqueduct. When the Mexican–American War ended in 1848, Mexico ceded its northern zone to the United States and residents of that region became U.S. citizens. At that time, the Phoenix area became part of the New Mexico Territory. Two decades later, Jack Swilling, a Confederate veteran of the Civil War was traveling through the Salt River Valley and saw a potential for farming. He formed a small community that same year about four miles east of present day Phoenix. Lord Darrell Duppa, one of the original settlers in Swilling's party, suggested the name "Phoenix", as it described a city born from the ruins of a former civilization and the town was officially recognized on May 4, 1868. On February 25, 1881 Phoenix was officially incorporated as a city with an approximate population of 2,500. During that same decade, the arrival of the railroads turned Phoenix into a trade center, allowing its products to reach eastern and western markets.
After the turn of the century, on February 14, 1912, Phoenix became a state capital when Arizona was admitted to the Union as the 48th state. After statehood, Phoenix's growth started to accelerate, and eight years later, its population had reached 29,053. It wasn’t until after World War II, however, that Phoenix really began to expand and grow. Phoenix had just over 65,000 residents in 1940. By 2010, it was America's sixth largest city, with a population of nearly 1.5 million people in Phoenix proper and millions more in the metropolitan area. When the war ended, many of the men who had undergone their training in Arizona returned bringing their new families. Learning of this large untapped labor pool enticed many large industries to move their operations to the area.
Phoenix, Arizona Today
Phoenix continued to grow after the turn of the 21st century, growing by 24.2 percent before 2007. This made it the second-fastest-growing metropolitan area in the United States, surpassed only by Las Vegas. That growth led to increased crime rates and artificially high home values though, at the beginning of this century. Fortunately, the city has worked hard to get the crime rate down and property values have leveled out once again, allowing residents and visitors alike to enjoy everything Phoenix has to offer.
Known as the cultural center of the Valley of the Sun, as well as the entire state, Phoenix has something to offer everyone, from fine dining to ethnic restaurants of every variety. Entertainment and shopping options run the gamut as well from high end to trendy and eclectic. Aptly named, Phoenix has once again shown that it is a city that will always rise again – bigger and better than before.
Morris Hall PLLC in the Phoenix Community
Creating a comprehensive estate plan is one of the most personal, yet important, endeavors you will undertake over the course of your lifetime. At Morris Hall PLLC we understand what your estate plan means to you and your family. Our goal is to create an ongoing relationship with every client we serve. By doing so, we hope that our clients feel comfortable discussing their sensitive and personal legal issues with us.
Your estate plan is not something you should create and then set aside. On the contrary, estate planning is an ongoing process. As your life changes, so should your estate plan. Major life events, such as marriage, the birth of a child, or retirement, all call for a review and revision of your estate plan. When you are young, a basic plan that covers the distribution of your assets and incapacity planning may be all you need. As time goes by, however, you may find the need to add in additional components to your estate plan, such as retirement planning, Medicaid planning, or business succession planning. At the Phoenix, Arizona law form of Morris Hall PLLC, we plan to be with you throughout the course of your lifetime to ensure that your estate plan reflects your needs and desires.
Contact Us
If you have additional questions or concerns about estate planning, or wish to get started on your plan today, contact an experienced estate planning attorney at Morris Hall PLLC by calling 888-222-1328 to schedule your appointment today.
