How Often Should You Review Your Estate Plan?
Becky Cholewka: I always like assigning homework to my clients. It’s fun for me, because it’s something that somebody else has to do instead of me. One of the things of homework that I always assign is to make sure that my clients pick an important date, some date that they will remember, an anniversary, […]
The difference between simple and typical documents
Becky Cholewka: One of the things I hear all the time, probably about 3-4 times a week in my office is “Becky, you know what, I’m simple. I just need simple documents.” What I really think people are trying to tell me is that they are “typical”. Maybe they have a checking account, and a […]
How Often Should You Review Your Estate Plan?
Becky Cholewka: I always like assigning homework to my clients. It’s fun for me, because it’s something that somebody else has to do instead of me. One of the things of homework that I always assign is to make sure that my clients pick an important date, some date that they will remember, an anniversary, […]
A House Divided ‐ When You Can’t Agree On Guardianship of Your Minor Children
Becky Cholewka: Hey parents, out there, who have minor children, I have a really important tip for you, for your estate plan. Please make sure that you and your spouse create wills, and talk about who is going to raise the children if something should happen to you and the other parent. In Arizona, the […]
When to Start Estate Planning: Tips on How to Get Started
When you read the words “estate planning,” it likely brings to mind the idea of property and significant assets. Thanks to the word estate, you may even picture Downton Abbey or its American equivalent. In reality, estate planning is about much more than your financial assets. It includes the advance directives surrounding your medical […]
Why Choose An Estate Planning Attorney That Does Trust Funding
Becky Cholewka: One of the differences between using other law firms and coming here to Cholewka Law is that when we have clients who choose to do a trust‑based plan, we automatically include trust funding in that plan. When describing trust funding, I always like to give the analogy of a swimming pool. The first […]
More Tips on Tough Conversations for the Sandwich Generation
Becky Cholewka: Here are a couple more tips that I’d like to share about having tough conversations with family members. Throughout my estate planning practice, I know that there are many, especially sandwiched‑generation families, who are dealing with their aging parents, and want to make sure that they’re doing so in a loving way, but […]
The Difference Between Living Probate and Death Probate?
Becky Cholewka: People often hear the word probate, and it’s kind of a scary thing for a lot of families to go through. What probate really means is, it’s a court process when the court needs to get involved with distributing assets when you die. That’s what we call death probate. There’s also something called […]
About Those New Years Resolutions…
Becky Cholewka: Hello, Becky Cholewka at Cholewka Law again. I’m going to test you a little bit. I want you to think about what your New Year’s resolutions were last year, because this is what I’ve heard very often in the last couple months. “Oh you know what? I really wanted to start protecting my […]
Arizona Power of Attorney FAQ
When it comes to estate planning, financial and medical powers of attorney ensure your wishes are honored. However, questions abound. What is the difference between durable and general powers of attorney? What can you include? How do you choose an agent? This Arizona Power of Attorney FAQ answers the more common questions (hence the title, […]