Allison Kierman Estate Planning

Fountain Hills Estate Planning Attorney

Top Rated Estate Planning Attorney in Fountain Hills

As a top-rated Fountain Hills estate planning attorney, Allison Kierman is dedicated to helping clients prepare an estate plan that aligns with their wishes and secures their family’s future. She offers a wide range of services, from simple wills to comprehensive trust and estate plans, ensuring all your needs are met. At Kierman Law, Allison understands that regardless of the size of your estate or the value of your assets, a well-crafted estate plan is essential.

Without proper estate planning, your children may lack guardianship, guardians may struggle financially to provide for your children as you intended, and your assets could be heavily taxed or delayed in probate. Ensuring the future well-being of your family and the preservation of your legacy is one of your most crucial responsibilities. Let Kierman Law guide you through the process and ensure peace of mind for you and your loved ones.

Fountain Hills Estate Planning Services

Asset Protection

Asset protection planning is an important step in the estate planning process, regardless of age, health, and wealth.

Business Planning

We help families protect their businesses and make generational transfers to ensure the continuity and lifespan of the family business.

Financial Directives in
Times of Emergency

A Financial Power of Attorney (FPA) allows you to select a person to be responsible for managing your estate if you become mentally incapacitated.

Medical Directives in
Times of Emergency

It is important to be proactive and select a medical agent and set up your advance healthcare directive should you or a loved one fall ill.

Prenuptial Agreement

Finalizing a prenuptial agreement is a significant step towards protecting your financial future and ensuring peace of mind for both you and your spouse

Temporary Guardianship of a Minor

If your children will be in the care of someone else, you should assign Temporary Guardianship.

Temporary Guardianship of Pets

If you intend to be out of town without your loved pets, you should assign Temporary Guardianship

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Protecting Your Assets and Ensuring Your Legacy

Secure Your Legacy with a Proper Estate Plan

Latest Updates

Planning for a Short-Term Cash Needs in Estate Planning: A Critical Consideration
December 10, 2024

Planning for a Short-Term Cash Needs in Estate Planning: A Critical Consideration

When it comes to estate planning, many people focus on the distribution of assets after death or the management of their estate upon incapacity. However, one crucial aspect often overlooked …

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Are you Missing a Loved One this Holiday Season
December 5, 2024

Are you Missing a Loved One this Holiday Season

The holiday season is a time for gathering, gratitude, and celebration, but it can also bring a sense of longing for those who are no longer with us. While they …

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December 4, 2024

Don’t Cause Inheritance Confusion

I just had a tough conversation with a client. They believed Mom’s trust would pass everything to her son because she’d told him that—but the trust itself says “to my …

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Allison's Client Testimonials

Affiliations and Awards

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

A will is a document where you name a personal representative or executor. Wills name the person who collects all of your accounts and property, pays your outstanding debts, and distributes your money and property to those you have named, specify who will receive your accounts and property, and name a guardian for any minor children.

A living will, also known as an advance directive, is your lesson plan for communicating your specific wishes regarding end-of-life decisions. Carefully considering your desires regarding life-prolonging procedures and clearly communicating them to your chosen medical decision-maker is imperative

A revocable living trust (RLT) is a trust you create during your lifetime. You can change this trust at any time until you become incapacitated (unable to make your own decisions) or die. An irrevocable trust is a type of trust that cannot be modified or revoked once it is created. This means that once assets are placed into the trust, they are no longer considered the property of the grantor and cannot be taken back

A revocable living trust is a great foundational tool to save time and money and maintain your and your loved ones’ privacy after you become incapacitated or die. However, because you, as trustmaker, would typically serve as the initial trustee and have the power to change or revoke the trust, there is little that can be done to shelter the trust’s accounts and property from your personal creditors. The trust is merely an extension of you.

If you are concerned about protecting your accounts and property from your creditors or lawsuits, there are other types of trusts that can be used. These trusts would typically have someone else act as trustee and restrict the amount of authority you have to manage the trust’s accounts and property. In some cases, the trust may even restrict your ability to benefit from the trust’s property. Protecting your accounts and property usually requires that you give up control, so you must think carefully before implementing this type of strategy. It is also important to note that if you know that you will be a party to a lawsuit or have a creditor trying to collect a debt, it is too late to move money and property into a trust. Asset protection tools need to be put in place before any troubles occur, or else you could be guilty of making a fraudulent transfer in an attempt to defraud creditors.

Yes, you can include pets in your estate plan. It’s important to determine who will care for your pets and to decide if you need to set aside funds to care for your pets as well.

Selecting a caregiver for your children in case you are unable to do so is a tough decision. While no one can match your love for your kids, it is important for you to choose their guardian rather than leaving it up to a judge. If you do not designate a guardian, the judge will decide based on state law and the guardian’s courtroom demeanor, lacking the personal knowledge you possess about the potential guardian.

When picking a guardian and alternate guardians, think about if they share your beliefs regarding religion, do they have experience raising children, can they handle the financial and time commitments, do they have the physical health and stamina to take on this responsibility, and if your children will have to move to a different state.

An ethical will is a document that explains why you have made estate plans the way you have. It is not a legally binding document, it is not used in probate court, nor does it divide your assets the way you want. It is mearly an expression of your wishes and your intentions.

After you have finished your estate plans you need to keep the original ink signed document, especially if you are going to have to probate the will. For trusts or powers of attorney, you can function with an executed copy.

We have offices in Scottsdale and Chandler and service the entire Valley area.

Contact a Fountain HillsEstate Planning Attorney

Contact us today to schedule a consultation with Fountain Hills estate planning attorney Allison Kierman to help you secure your family’s future.

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