December 2014 Archives

People often ask: "Do I even need an estate plan?" The very simple answer is yes. The importance of having an estate plan is not limited to the amount of assets a person owns, or the size of their "estate"; each person has a very specific set of circumstances which lead to the creation of a unique plan suited to an individual or family's needs.

When it comes to property division in a divorce, there are two ways that states deal with the thorny issue in a basic way. Most states go with "equitable distribution," which means that in a family court, a judge decides which assets should go to which spouse. The judge does this in such a way so that each spouse is roughly "equal" in that judge's mind. This can lead to "unbalanced" outcomes in terms of the amount of assets each spouse gets (i.e. one spouse could get three-quarters of the assets if a judge thinks that is what is "fair").

It's understandable if you think that the state of Arizona has a cellphone and/or texting ban while driving for all drivers. With all of the talk on a national level about this issue, many people probably think such a law exists. However, the state of Arizona only has a ban on texting while driving, and it only applies to school bus drivers. School bus drivers are also banned from using their cellphones at all while driving. Granted, this is a great rule -- but if we're going to start drawing the line, shouldn't that line extend to a few more drivers?

Truck accidents are absolutely devastating events that change not only the lives of the victims of the accident, but their families and loved ones too. Semi-trucks are large, powerful vehicles that cause immense damage when they are involved in a collision with practically any object. The probability that severe, catastrophic or even fatal injuries is high when a truck crashes into other motor vehicles.

In our last post about divorce, we talked about prenuptial agreements and postnuptial agreements -- legal devices that allow spouses to protect themselves and the many assets and factors involved in their marriage. Whether you and your spouse bring an immense amount of assets to the alter, or a far more modest amount of assets, a prenuptial agreement or postnuptial agreement serves a very important purpose to the couple.

Just like any other day, you drive down the freeway as you head home from a long day at work. But on this day, luck simply isn't on your side. Another vehicle collides with yours, and the resulting accident causes a vast amount of damage to both cars. You and the other driver suffer minor injuries. In the wake of the wreck, you're a little disoriented and you're not exactly sure what you're supposed to do. You've never been in a wreck before.