In our last blog, our Phoenix family law attorneys gave some pointers on how to help kids through a divorce. If you have not decided whether divorce is for you or not and it’s because you’re fearful of what it will do to your kids, remember you’re not doing them (or yourself) any favors by staying in a relationship laden with fights, anger, resentment and pain.

Here’s a couple of things you can do to ease the pain of your babies when the divorce is in play.

Rules should be the same in both homes: Mom’s house can’t be a death camp while dad’s house is a free for all funfest. Make sure to be on the same team when it comes to punishments, bedtimes, eating times, homework rules, etc. The kids may not like the rules (what else is new) but if they know the consequences are the same at either house, they’ll know what to expect. Bedtime is really important here — staying on the same sleep schedule helps them in school and is best for a child’s health.

Put the kids ahead of the property: Okay, so you’re angry she got the house, he got the car, it’s not fair she gets to keep the engagement ring that belonged to my grandmother… NONE of this matters as much as the kids and their wellbeing. If you have to have a screaming match about your differences, save it for your Phoenix divorce lawyer’s office.

Your kids need you now — they need you BOTH more than ever because they are experiencing the death of an era just as you are. Play nice… just as you’ve taught your children to!

If you have questions about getting divorced in Arizona, give Thompson Law Firm a call today. We’ll help you any way we can. We know you can get through this!

So you’ve decided to get a divorce but you just can’t go through with it because you’re fearful of the effects it could have on your children. An understandable concern, to be sure. But what you must consider is what you could be putting your children through if you opt to stay in a marriage that just isn’t working anymore. There is life after divorce–a life better for you and for your kids.

Our Phoenix divorce lawyers have put together some tips that will help get you started.

1. If you have joint custody, no matter how much animosity might be there between you and the ex, have dinner as a family when dropping the kids from one house to the other. This gives the kids the chance to commune with you both. It comforts, and also shows them you’re still a united front when it comes to raising them and making decisions.

2. Do NOT start dating right away: No matter how ready you may think you are, the kids aren’t, no matter how “cool” they are with you. Keep your distance from the singles scene until the kids really have an understanding that divorce means your relationship with their mom or dad is really over–let them grieve even if they have no idea that’s what they’re doing.

Our Phoenix divorce lawerys will have more pointers in the next few blogs, so stay tuned!

If you’re having a hard time and you’re contemplating separation, call one of our Phoenix family law attorneys. We’re happy to answer your questions with a free consultation at (480) 634-7480.

Should your estate include a trust? Well, that depends on a number of factors, including your net worth and the estate laws in your state. The laws that govern estate planning have undergone some pretty serious changes (and more are proposed to take effect in 2011). There are many variables to think about and even more types of trusts.

Perhaps the most important thing you’ll need to do before you begin planning your trust is to decide who the beneficiaries ought to be. The contents of your trust, and indeed your estate in general, will belong to the beneficiaries you name, and/or any institutions or organizations you’ve decided to support; who will get what is an important part of deciding which kind of trust is best for you. Because there are so many kinds of trusts, only an experienced Arizona trust attorney can help you decide which type is the best choice for what you plan to leave … and to whom.

A trust can help to protect a variety of assets. There are many kinds of trusts, so you need to let your Phoenix asset protection lawyer guide you through deciding which one is best for you and your family. Always keep in mind that regardless of what the trust contains, everything within it must be in the name of the trust and controlled by the trustee. In some cases, you can make changes as to what is in the trust and who the trustee is – in other cases, you can’t – so choose wisely with the guidance of a Chandler asset protection lawyer.

An Arizona estate planning lawyer can help you decide which trust is best for you and create the trust with your personal needs in mind. Call Thompson Family Law today for more information on trusts and estate planning that best suits your personal needs. (480) 634-7480

No matter how big or small your estate is, you should always have an Arizona estate planning lawyer assist you. Why? Because there are predators out there that can attack your estate if it isn’t properly set up. This said, there are alternatives to plain, old-fashioned legal counsel – for example, Thompson Family Law offers online will preparation in Arizona. When you purchase this from Thompson, you will be assigned an attorney to help you every step of the way. However, when it comes to your estate as a whole, you’ll need an attorney who can comb through the estate inventory, help decide if you need a trust, and if you own a business, an attorney can help you determine if it is completely safeguarded against potential risks to your personal and business assets.

Just because yours is a small estate doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a simple one. Size doesn’t matter when you or your business comes under attack. Because you’re too busy to constantly research and maintain an understanding of federal laws and changes in estate planning regulations, you should consider getting help from a Phoenix estate planning lawyer. This attorney can manage all the intricacies of your unique estate so that there’s nothing lost in translation in the event that you fall ill or pass away. Poor estate planning can result in long, drawn out probate, which could lead to decisions you never would have agreed to.

Your estate could end up in probate if the planning isn’t handled correctly; for example, if it is argued that you were not of sound mind when you signed your will, or if it is argued that there weren’t enough witnesses present, your estate will most likely go to Arizona probate court. Your estate is extremely vulnerable if not all documents were completed to the letter of the law. For these reasons, engaging Phoenix estate planning attorneys is your best choice.

Call Thompson Family Law today at (480) 634-7480 for a free estate planning consultation.

It may sound a little redundant, but assessing your assets is an essential part of the estate planning process and it’s an activity that you and your Phoenix asset protection lawyer should get into early on in the estate planning game.

Inventory your assets: This makes it easier to choose who should get the different assets held within the estate. Deciding this one the fly? Don’t try this one at home, kids! The inventory of your assets needs to include absolutely everything! This means real estate and retirement funds, life insurance, any pension, art and intellectual property… everything! The details are where many estate plans tend to get a little a little nutty. Your Arizona asset protection lawyer can help you sort out the minutia so you don’t  lose your mind.

With the wise counsel of your extraordinary Thompson attorney, take the inventory of your estate and calculate its worth. Then decide the answer to your beneficiaries’ biggest question: Who will get what? [Sidenote: Ensure that the language used in your will and in any estate documents is crystal clear, otherwise your whole estate could wind up in fun ol' probate.]

Are you sacred to talk to potential beneficiaries about what they may – or may not – have coming to them? It may seem awkward, but handling this while you’re still alive and kicking helps those who you love and adore to understand what your reasons are, and usually a person’s choices are not meant to be devisive. But when no one can ask you why – because you’re gone – then you leave people with unanswered questions that might well bother them for a lifetime.

So let’s recap: Inventory your assets, know what your assets are worth, let those who will benefit from your estate know what they do or don’t have coming. And last but not least, don’t try to handle any of this without your Chandler estate planning lawyer on board. Call Thompson Law today with any estate planning questions you have: (480) 634-7480.

Oftentimes, folks start estate planning before the even comprehend any of the elements. Arizona estate planning lawyers can help you understand some things, but there are a couple of odds and ends you can at least familiarize yourself with.

No matter what, an estate plan must include a final will and testament; a will should be reviewed at least once every three years.

A power of attorney is a very important aspect of your estate plan. Your power of attorney acts on your behalf to execute what you’ve included in your last will and testament. She may also be held accountable for making decisions if you are in a coma or if you are otherwise unable to speak for yourself. Who should fill this role? Someone you know you can trust beyond any shadow of a doubt!

A medical power of attorney is also extremely important to any estate plan. A medical power of attorney makes decisions regarding your health care if you are incoherent or incapacitated physically or mentally. For God’s sake, make sure the person you choose as your medical power of attorney knows exactly what you want for medical care because he or she will be your proxy; his or her decisions should be in exact alignment with what you would have said if you could have. For this reason you will want to keep this person informed of what you want down to the nitty gritty.

For a lot of people, estate plans will also include a trust. There are so many types of trusts – you need to chat with your Chandler estate planning attorney about which kind of trust is best for what you need it to do for you.

A Phoenix estate planning lawyer can design your estate based on your financial needs. Call Thompson Law Firm today to start planning your estate: (480) 634-7480.

Every state has its own estate tax laws, federal estate tax has not generally been an issue for those who have an estate that’s total value is less than $3.5 million dollars. That means if your estate is under this mark, your beneficiaries will get their shares of your estate without having to pay federal taxes. However, in 2011 federal estate tax will come back from the dead and in some instances may be as high as 55%, even on estates worth less than two million dollars or less, depending on the situation and state.

Many speculate that the US Congress will attempt to make a retroactive estate tax that will affect estates that were executed in 2010. Most financial analysts feel this will not likely happen; the further into the year we get the less chances there are that this will happen.

The best thing you can do when planning your Arizona estate is to know what Arizona estate tax laws are when you’re estate is being planned. Every state has different estate tax laws. In some instances, the state laws stipulate limits that are lower than federal laws. Talk to your Arizona estate planning attorney to ensure that your state laws will not impact your estate with out of control taxation.

Arizona does not collect an estate tax separate from the federal government. In addition, Arizona does not have Inheritance or gift tax either, which is good for those who will be affected by the 2011 game changer. It is important that you check with your Chandler estate planning lawyer about the current federal and state laws are, regardless of whether your estate falls above or below the $2 million or $3.5 million dollar mark.

One of the most important parts of planning an estate in Arizona is preparing  a trust for your children, especially for those children under the age of 18. As a part of your living trust, ensuring that your children receive their inheritance in the manner in which you intended, a trust for children with monthly distributions is a phenomenal option.

By planning a separate trust for your children’s inheritance, you can choose how and at what date they will receive the money. Maybe you and/or your spouse do not want your children to receive any part of their inheritance until they are 25, or maybe you want them to have a monthly chunk of change in the event that you pass away unexpectedly, and then get the rest of their in heritance once they have completed college. Creating an inheritance trust for your children will allow you and your partner to make the rules that decide these various factors. It’s important to do this because if the inheritance coming to your kids is just lumped in with the rest of your estate schedule, they won’t necessarily get what you had in mind for them upon your death or in the event of your incapacitation.

Discuss the many possible ways that an inheritance trust can be created with your Arizona estate planning lawyer. Once you’ve made final decisions about a trust for your kids, make sure the trustee that you named is completely cognizant of your wishes BEFORE anything happens. Your trustee will be responsible for executing your final will and testament and all the provisions therein. If you need to provision extremely explicit ways that the trust be used or not used, fine-tune the wording of the trust. Whether this trust is used to pay for a law degree or a new home, a hair brush or a new computer is your call, so be sure your Chandler estate planning attorney knows exactly what you want the trust to do for your kids.

Call Thompson Law Firm today to find out more about setting up trusts and other estate planning options. We can be reached at 480.634.7480.

When most people think of online divorce, they often dismiss it because they confuse it with simple document preparation or think they’ll be all on their own when it comes time to answer the difficult questions or fill out documents that are riddled with “legalese.”

Thompson Law Firm aims to change the way people think about online divorce in Arizona by offering blow-by-blow guidance through the process from an Arizona divorce lawyer who guides each of our do-it-yourself divorce clients through the entire process.

The fact is, divorce can be extremely costly — at Thompson Law Firm, we don’t really see the need for many divorces to be so expensive when what many people need is answers to questions, assistance filling out their paperwork, and an attorney they know they can depend on when and if the divorce winds up in a courtroom.

For so many, a simple, cheap Arizona divorce is just what the doctor ordered — but what separates Thompson Law Firm from other Arizona providers of online and do-it-yourself divorces is that we fill out your forms for you! It’s so simple and cost-effective — all you need to do to get started is fill out a questionnaire that allows our Chandler divorce attorneys to understand what the parameters of your divorce are. Once the process is underway, you’ll be able to talk or e-mail back and forth with your Thompson attorney all the way through the completion of the divorce.

Get started today by calling (480) 634-7480. We’re here to help you every single step of the way!

Thompson Law Firm offers do-it-yourself divorce through the Internet. We’re proud to offer this service, but we think the term “do-it-yourself” might be a bit of a misnomer here. You see, when you sign on for an Arizona online divorce with Thompson Law, we don’t just give you access to a series of documents you could find anywhere on the Web. We know that’s not what you need — and despite what you think you might be able to afford, you’ll be surprised at what you can have access to when you realize how far your dollar goes with our do-it-yourself divorce.

A Chandler divorce attorney will guide you through the entire process of your online divorce, and best of all, unlike other online divorce or document preparation services, you won’t have to fuss over documents you don’t understand. You’ll simply sign up, fill out a questionnaire, and our team of lawyers will take it from there.

No complicated forms, no worries, and no endless nights of research to make sure you’re doing it right.

In addition to this ridiculously simple process, you’ll also have access to an Arizona divorce lawyer by phone or e-mail, which ever is simplest for you.

We can’t wait to help you get started — we know a lot of you out there have been putting off divorce for so long just because of the cost. With an easy and cheap Arizona divorce option like this, you’re all out of excuses!

Call us today to get started. We’re here to help you every step of the way. Thompson Law Firm | 480.634.7480 | www.cmthompsonlaw.com