When doing their estate planning, people often focus on how their bank, investment and retirement accounts, as well as other liquid assets, will be split up among their heirs. They likely think of what will happen to their home as well.
Gift giving mistakes that too many divorced parents make
Holiday gift giving can be a minefield for divorced parents and their children. Some kids might view receiving two sets of presents as one of the few upsides of their parents' divorce. However, if parents don't handle their gift giving in a mature and unselfish way, they can create highly stressful, unhappy situations for their kids. Following are a couple of situations to avoid.
Alcohol monitoring systems can increase holiday visitation time
If your spouse's alcohol abuse was an issue in your divorce and child custody negotiations, you may have concerns about your kids spending time with your co-parent over the holidays. Even if your ex has entered a recovery program and appears to have gotten control of their problem, the holidays can be a difficult time for those who have struggled — or continue to struggle — with alcohol.
Tips for introducing your new partner to your kids
During the holidays, many children of divorced parents meet those parents' new significant others for the first time. If your kids live some distance away and are visiting you over winter break, you likely want to introduce them to your new partner. Even if your kids live with you, with everyone off of school and work, it might seem like a good time to plan an outing. Perhaps you want your new partner to share in some of your family holiday festivities.
How to handle debts in probate
If a loved one designated you executor of his or her estate or the court appointed you to handle the loved one's probate, you may be feeling a little overwhelmed, and rightly so. Probate can be complex and last for months, requiring your careful attention and diligence.
Custody of a child born to a surrogate in Arizona isn't automatic
Every year in Arizona, countless surrogates carry babies for parents who either can't or don't want to carry their own child. Many moms and dads enter into contracts with their surrogates to protect their interests despite there being laws on the books that prohibit parents from signing legal contracts between themselves and someone else birthing their child.
Battles over pets during an Arizona divorce can get heated
Divorce rates have remained steady in Arizona over the past few years. They've even outpaced national averages most years. This has led many to inquire what happens with their kids and assets when they divorce in the state.
Understanding the impact of parental alcohol abuse on kids
Millions of kids have at least one parent who suffers from problems with alcohol. If you're divorcing a co-parent who abuses alcohol, you likely have seen the impact of that abuse on your children. If your co-parent hasn't admitted that they have a problem, hasn't sought help or has been unsuccessful in maintaining their sobriety, you may be seeking sole custody of your children to help ensure their physical and emotional well-being. You may also be requesting that your co-parent's visits with the kids be supervised.
Including your cryptocurrency in your estate plan
If you got in on the cryptocurrency phenomenon early, you may have a nice chunk of change saved up. Of course, because of the nature of these "cryptoassets" or digital assets, if you're the only one who knows how to access them, they'll essentially die with you.
