Arizona Estate & Business Law Blog
Lisa M. Pane
Partner
As a former business owner, Lisa is well versed in challenges faced by small businesses and their owners. Her unique prospective benefits her business clients with agreements, employment advice, copyright violations and succession planning. She also assists families with estate planning not only guiding them through the estate planning process but also understanding why this is so vital to their families.
Powers of Attorney – Planning for Life Is as Important as Planning for Death
Many people think that estate planning is just about what happens when someone dies. However, an equally-important part of estate planning is ensuring that you are cared for while you are still alive. If you become incapacitated, even for a short period of time, who...
How to Probate-Proof your LLC Interest
Whether I’m working on a business transaction or assisting business owners with their estate planning, I always look at how the ownership of the LLC is structured. While many business owners have set up a revocable living trust in order to direct how their...
The Purpose of an LLC’s “Purpose”
When forming your LLC, you may wonder the importance of specifying your company’s “purpose,” and may be tempted to provide a hasty response or use a generic phrase such as “any purpose authorized by law.” The reason defining your company’s purpose is important is...
The Dangers of Joint Bank Accounts
Adding an adult child as a joint owner of a parent’s bank account seems like a simple and straightforward solution that allows the child to help care for mom or dad without the expense or hassle of preparing powers of attorney or other legal documents. Naming a child...
Lessons Learned from COVID-19 – an Estate Planner’s Perspective
One of the best things about working with someone or a couple on their estate plan is that a primary goal is usually to take care of their children, grandchildren, and other loved ones. I enjoy getting to know the families, hearing their stories, and helping them make...
Happy Holidays! Make Gifts that your Family Will Love, but the IRS Won’t Tax
Don’t let the chaos of the holiday season prevent you from avoiding federal gift tax by making “annual exclusion” gifts, medical payments gifts, and educational gifts. Make Annual Exclusion Gifts “Annual exclusion” gifts are transfers of money or property in an amount...
Revocable Living Trusts, Not a “One Size Fits All”
Is a Revocable Living Trust Right for You? Revocable Living Trusts have become the basic building block of estate plans for people of all ages, personal backgrounds, and financial situations. But for some, a Revocable Living Trust may not be necessary to achieve their...
New Opportunities Under Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
Congress just passed, and President Trump signed, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Although continued study of the bill will undoubtedly reveal additional opportunities I can share with you and your family, I wanted to provide some of my immediate impressions. Significant...
Planning for the Future (Without a Crystal Ball)
Creating a will, trust, or any type of estate plan has always involved dealing with an uncertain future. Consider that just 20 years ago in 1997, the estate tax had an astonishing 55% rate with only a $600,000 exemption. Back then, tax-driven estate planning was a...