Sex Crimes

When you’re a parent, the hardest “what if” question is: Who would take care of my children if something happened to me? Naming a guardian is one of the most important parts of estate planning for Arizona families. Without clear instructions, a court decides — and that may not be the person you would have chosen. Here’s what you need to know about naming a guardian for your children in Arizona.

In Arizona, many families try to keep estate planning simple. Instead of working with an attorney, they use shortcuts: adding children to the deed of the family home, putting kids on bank accounts, or gifting property during life. On the surface, these moves may look like an easy way to avoid probate or legal fees. In reality, they often create costly problems — from tax bills to lawsuits between siblings. Here’s why “do-it-yourself” fixes often backfire in Arizona and end up costing more in the long run.

When you buy a home in a planned community or a condominium in Arizona, you are not just purchasing real estate. You are also entering into a binding relationship with the homeowners’ association, governed by a legal document known as the Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs). Arizona courts treat CC&Rs as contracts between the HOA and the homeowner, and that means the words on the page have real consequences when disputes arise.

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.