Discrimination

It’s that time of year again—Targets packed with dorm supplies, IKEA lines stretching around the block, and moving vans pulling into Tempe for ASU’s move-in weekend. For parents, this season is all about making sure your student is ready for independence—new bedding, laptops, and maybe a little advice about laundry.

But college move-in season is also the perfect reminder that your estate plan needs to keep pace with your family. Once your children turn 18, guardianship provisions in your will or trust are no longer necessary. Instead, planning shifts to protecting young adults financially while preparing them to handle the responsibility of inheritance.

When you're facing threats, intimidation, or ongoing unwanted contact, knowing your legal options is critical. In Arizona, two of the most common protective orders are the Injunction Against Harassment (IAH) and the Order of Protection (OOP). While they both serve to prevent contact and protect individuals from harm, they are designed for different situations—and understanding the distinction can help you get the right legal protection quickly.

When someone passes away, not everything they owned necessarily goes through probate. In Arizona, probate is only required for certain types of property—specifically, assets that were titled in the decedent’s name alone and lacked a legally valid plan for transfer. Understanding which assets require probate and which do not is critical for both families settling an estate and individuals planning ahead.

Can a handwritten “XO” count as a valid signature on a will in Arizona? Learn how the Bixby case clarifies holographic will requirements and what it means for your estate plan.

A lot of Arizona families are hearing about the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” and thinking, “Well, that’s great news — the estate tax exemption is going up. We’re not millionaires, so I guess we don’t need to worry about estate planning.”

That reaction is understandable. If the federal exemption is increasing, and Arizona doesn’t have its own estate tax, it’s tempting to believe estate planning is only something the very wealthy need to worry about.

Arizona has enacted a significant change to its probate laws that will impact families settling small estates. Effective June 30, 2025, the revised A.R.S. § 14-3971 dramatically increases the value thresholds for using a Small Estate Affidavit, streamlining estate administration for many Arizona families.

The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) has adopted four new policies aimed at reducing fraudulent business filings and increasing protections for business owners. These reforms, approved unanimously on May 8, 2025, will roll out starting this summer, with additional implementation steps tied to the launch of the ACC’s new online filing portal later this year.