My business partner Shanna Tingom is a financial planner. She recently told me that one of her most frequently asked questions is, “What is the difference between a trust vs. an estate?” I actually hadn’t heard that one before. Shanna then told me the
What is Probate, and Why Would My Property Go Through Probate if I Have a Trust?
https://youtu.be/tT9chNTfqgs Becky Cholewka: One of the hardest things to deal with is to deal with the loss of a loved one. When we're working with clients who have had a recent loss, it's very emotional time, but it's a time where I see a lot of peop
Can Your Trust Protect You From Creditors
https://youtu.be/5CuEx_s967s Becky Cholewka: I get asked a lot, "Becky, I want to make sure that I have the trust that protects me from creditors." The problem with that is there are very few trusts that actually have creditor protection for you when y
Can You Trust Your Trust
https://www.youtube.com/embed/TT4heevLA64 Becky Cholewka: I have a question for you today. Can you trust your trust? I have some quick gut‑check ways for you to make sure that you think that your trust should work for you. Check number one. Look how lo
The Benefits of a Revocable Trust
https://youtu.be/xRvXLJDc-FM Becky Cholewka: There is so much confusion and misinformation out there about trusts. Today, I want to give you just a little breakdown of why revocable trusts have certain benefits because there's a lot of people out ther
Why Estate Planning is Vital for Unmarried Couples
Becky Cholewka: Some of the saddest phone calls I have are when I am talking to someone and their partner has recently passed away, and they're not married. We have a common law marriage. Unfortunately, in Arizona, there is no such thing. In fact,
Revocable vs Irrevocable Trusts
Becky Cholewka: Did you know there are actually about 30 to 40 different types of trusts? They mainly fall into two categories though revocable and irrevocable trusts. That pretty much is exactly what it sounds like. A revocable trust, you can chan
How Not To Get Legal Advice
AdviceAsset DistributionAsset ProtectionBeneficiariesEstate PlanningFinancesIndividual Retirement AccountsInheritanceJoint AccountsTrusteesTrusts
Becky Cholewka: I wanted to do a quick video on how not to get legal advice because, unfortunately, this is one of the biggest areas that I see a lot of people trip up on. A lot of people are getting legal advice from their tax person, their financial
What To Expect When You Call Our Office
Becky Cholewka: Hey, everyone. I just wanted to walk you through our process if you choose to call Cholewka Law for any of your estate planning needs. What happens is when you call, you will probably reach Peg on our phone. She’s our main reception
The difference between simple and typical documents
BeneficiariesBusiness PlanningDocumentsEstate AdministrationEstate PlanningFuneral PlanningInheritanceIrrevocable TrustsMedicare Advanced PlanningRevocable Living TrustSpecial Needs PlanningTrusteesTrustsWill ChallengesWills
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
A Few Words On Choosing a Successor Trustee
Becky Cholewka: If you choose to have a trust, one of the most important decisions that you are going to make is who is going to act for you as your successor trustee. They are the ones that are not only going to be able to manage and control and i
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,
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 k
The Truth About Trusts and Asset Protection
Becky Cholewka: There is another myth I want to share with everyone that I hear all the time in my office. I get people in here that say, "You know what Becky, I really want to have a revocable trust, because if I get in a car accident and get sued,
Who Gets Prince’s Little Red Corvette?
Oh Prince... can you please explain to me why you didn't ever create your will? A man worth approximately $300 million, you should have at least given some thought to whom you wanted your money to go to. Did you want some go to charity? Or did you want