According to the most recent data from the Office of Child Support Enforcement, Arizona is fifth in the nation in the percentage of people not paying court-ordered child support. That's as of fiscal year 2016. Nearly two-thirds of those ordered to pay child support in our state failed to do so.
Do you believe a conservatorship could help your loved one?
Though many Arizona residents hope that they will personally be able to care for their parents or other elderly loved ones, that may not always be a plausible arrangement. Additionally, if a person becomes unable to make decisions for him or herself, and no one was appointed to take over in such a scenario, the court may make an appointment.
Proposed legislation would nullify frozen embryo contracts
Couples decide for any one of a number of reasons to freeze embryos to use at a later time to have children. When they do, they often sign a contract that stipulates what will happen to the embryos if they divorce. Will they go to one of the spouses, be destroyed, donated to research or handled in some other manner?
What happens if your parent's debts are larger than the estate?
Some Arizonans are fortunate enough to inherit homes, significant retirement accounts and valuable jewelry and antiques when their parents die. However, many people's parents are able to leave them virtually nothing of any monetary value. In fact, they may die in debt.
Make sure that your prenuptial agreement is 'bulletproof'
You've heard the saying that something "isn't worth the paper it's printed on." That's true of prenuptial agreements. If a prenup isn't drawn up properly and if both parties aren't fully on-board and understanding of what's in it, all or part of it can be tossed by a judge during a divorce.
Study: A woman's success can impact her marriage
Married couples go through a multitude of changes over the years. Sometimes, these changes make it impossible for them to continue as a couple. When one spouse becomes considerably more successful and begins to earn a lot more money than the other, that can upset the entire balance of the marriage. Even in the 21st century, when that spouse is a woman, it can doom the relationship.
Is your spouse hiding assets from you?
If you have a spouse who is good with managing money, you may leave your finances as a couple in his or her hands. However, even if your spouse is handling things honestly, that leaves you in the dark whether your marriage ends by death or divorce.
Understanding your property may be vital during divorce
Though you may have known several people throughout your life who have gone through divorce, you may not have known what to expect when the time came for your own. At first, you may have been caught unawares, or maybe you felt that it was for the best, but once you started thinking about the legal proceedings, you may have worried about how much conflict you would face along the way.
Help your kids share vacation memories with your co-parent
As spring break nears, newly-separated or divorced parents who are turning their kids over to their co-parent for a vacation are likely to feel pangs of sadness that they'll no longer be part of all of their kids' family vacations. The kids will now be making some vacation memories with their other parent -- whether it's a short trip up to Lake Havasu or a vacation to Cancun.
Alternatives to disinheriting a child
People often consider leaving one or more of their adult children out of their estate plan because they believe they have been or would be irresponsible with a large amount of money. Sometimes they plan to disinherit them because they've been unable to overcome substance abuse issues. In some cases, they and their children have become estranged over the years, so they have no desire to leave them anything.
Avoiding charges of undue influence over a parent's estate plan
Many adults are caring for elderly parents these days. This may involve the parent living in their home or simply a visit every few days to the parent's own home to help them out with chores and errands.
Maintaining financial security after your divorce
Even if you got the best settlement you could have reasonably hoped for in your divorce, going from a two-income household to a one-income one is financially stressful. A study conducted by TD Ameritrade of 2,000 people who'd lost a spouse to divorce or death found that three-fourths were financially insecure. Half expressed concern about being able to afford to retire.
