Estate Planning and Probate Articles

Many states have taxes designed to get in on the gifting of property during lifetime and at death. Not so in Utah. The Beehive State has no estate or gift tax. However, the federal estate …

Despite everyone’s best efforts, sometimes there is a disagreement over the decedent’s estate and final wishes.  Sometimes these arguments are over personal property and  sometimes over sentimental items.  Other times, the issue is one of …

A trust is an entity (like a corporation) established to hold and manage property. It has its own separate existence apart from the grantor or creator of the trust. Trusts can be established during one’s …

Q: What is Probate? A: Probate, simply put, is the process of appointing a surrogate (a substitute) to act on behalf of another who cannot act for themselves. For example, when a person dies owning real …

Medical science can keep a person alive almost indefinitely, even when their quality of life has severely deteriorated. For reasons both personal and financial, most opt out of prolonging life under such conditions, particularly when …

Aging adults sometimes transfer their property outright to children in order to avoid using their life’s earnings on long-term medical care. My advice? Don’t do it. There are a myriad of pitfalls to this practice, …

Probate, simply put, is the process set up by the legislature and carried out by the court which provides for the transfer and management of the property of a deceased, incapacitated, or minor person. Unless …

A trust is an entity (like a corporation) established to hold and manage property. It has its own separate existence apart from the grantor or creator of the trust. Trusts can be established during one’s …

A will is simply a written directive to the probate court as to how property is to be distributed at death, who should be the personal representative (previously called an executor) to manage the estate, …