Welcome to the Rilus Law Blog!
One of our core values is empowerment and education is a key component of that. Because we are passionate about estate planning, we provide many free resources to empower our community. Explore the blog to gain a deeper understanding of estate planning, or feel free to reach out to us with questions. You could get all your questions answered in a free one-hour meeting with an experienced estate planning and probate attorney.
Explore all of our posts below, or search for a specific topic here.
Probate, Community Property, and Common Law Marriage: What You Need to Know
Navigating the legal landscape of probate can be complex, especially when questions about community property and common law marriage come into play.
Why Your Digital Assets Deserve a Place in Your Estate Plan
In today's digital age, our online presence and digital assets have become as integral as physical property. Yet, they are often overlooked in traditional estate planning.
Finding the Right Estate Planning Attorney
When it comes to estate planning, selecting the right attorney is crucial. Your choice will impact not just the efficiency and effectiveness of your estate plan, but also the peace of mind for you and your loved ones.
Leaving Money to Minors: Challenges and Tools
Money holds significance when it serves a purpose, and few endeavors embody a more profound purpose than securing the future of our children. From the earliest stages of their lives to the moment we pass on, the responsibility to provide for them resonates deeply within us.
Sub-Trusts: Everything You Need to Know
Trusts are one of the most effective tools in estate planning. A trust is indispensable when preparing assets and properties in the event of incapacitation or death.
Education Trust Fund: What is it & How to Set it Up
Estate planning without educational fund considerations is rare. One of the main reasons that you plan your estate is to ensure that the future needs of your loved ones are provided for upon your death. And access to education is the most basic need of many beneficiaries, especially minor children.
Can You Refinance a Property Held in Trust?
The current high inflation rate in the US has led to steadily increasing home mortgage rates, from around 3% in 2021 up to 7% in July 2023. Although you can refinance a mortgage for varying purposes, many homebuyers are counting on a refinance in the future when mortgage rates inevitably drop below the current rates
AI Estate Planning: Can ChatGPT Write a Will?
Whether we like it or not, artificial intelligence (AI) has now become an integral part of our lives. From our internet search results to the music suggestions on our playlists to the ads in our social media feed, AI is working hard behind the scenes.
Estate Planning for the Family Cabin: Passing Down Family Properties
For many, the family cabin, cottage, or vacation home is a treasured asset. Aside from its financial value, it also comes with sentimental value from the countless family memories of the time spent there.
Minor Children Guardianship: All You Need to Know
The legal guardianship of minor children is a common and often complicated topic in estate planning. In my decades of probate and estate law practice, I have often encountered cases that involve issues with minor children's guardianship.
North Scottsdale Estate Planning: How To Get Started
In case you haven’t heard, Rilus Law is back in North Scottdale! We’re excited for our clients who, for some time now, have been wishing for us to reopen our office there.
Digital Asset Planning 101: What Are Digital Assets?
With the majority of our lives increasingly spent online, it becomes essential not to overlook your digital assets when preparing your estate plan. In my almost two decades as an estate planning attorney, I have experienced first-hand the importance of accounting for your digital assets before you die.
Digital Estate Planning: You Need a Digital Asset Trust
As technology advances, more and more of our lives are being digitized. From our online banking and social media accounts to our family photos and videos, many of our most important assets are now stored in the digital realm.
What is the Average Estate Planning Cost?
Estate planning involves far more than protecting assets for the wealthy. It includes choosing a guardian for minor children, making sure your unmarried partner is taken care of, and even naming a trusted person to step in for financial or medical decisions in emergencies.
Dana and Associates is now Rilus Law!
Dana and Associates is now Rilus Law! Well, technically we are still Dana and Associates, LLC. However, we will now be going by our new name: Rilus Law.
What Documents Are Needed for Estate Planning?
Estate planning determines who will receive your assets and manage your estate after you pass away. While most people don’t love thinking about their end-of-life wishes, having an estate plan in place ensures they are adequately accounted for.
What Do I Need for Estate Planning?
When they think of estate planning, many people will think about drafting a will or putting a trust in place. But, there’s more to it than that. Several estate planning documents are needed to seamlessly transfer assets to heirs after your death.
Reasons Why You Need a Power of Attorney in Arizona
When you go through the process of creating an estate plan, one of the first –and most important– steps is choosing a power of attorney. This legal document designates another person to make decisions on your behalf if you become unable to do so.
Where is the Safest Place to Keep Your Will?
The tough job of creating your Will is over, but now you want to know: where is the safest place to keep your Will? While you may have heard a few different recommendations, from having an attorney store it or taking it to the county clerk, your choice should be mindfully thought out.
How to Make a Will in Arizona
As an adult with valuable assets, it’s essential to have a last will and testament in place for peace of mind and protection of your loved ones. Your will allows you to plan for the future by dictating how your assets are divided after you have passed away.
Still Have Questions or Not Sure Where to Begin?
Contact us today to schedule your free one-hour meeting with an attorney to assess your estate planning needs.