Educated choices require you to have access to the proper resources. We want to encourage you to educate yourself so you can make the best decisions for your loved ones when the time comes. Do you have questions about how to appeal Medicare & Premature Discharge Options? If so, we have linked the article you need to review. Most people are initially assured that they are eligible for 90 days of rehab through Medicare. The keyword here is “eligible.” The rehab must submit proo

On December 7, 2021, Arizona’s “Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day Ceremony” took place at the Pearl Harbor Memorial located on the grounds of Wesley Bolin Plaza at the Arizona state capitol. Highlights of the event included a helicopter landing entrance by a 100-year-old World War II veteran and an original “Rosie the Riveter,” along with a commemorative flyover by several WWII biplanes and music by the 108th Army Band, Arizona Army National Guard. It was a beautiful and moving ce

Summer of 2021, Apple announced the “Digital Legacy” program. In the event of your passing, instead of denying family or loved ones access to vital files, photographs, and other content if they do not know your passwords, the Digital Legacy program allows designated users access to your iCloud account and personal information. In the past, we’ve had to litigate this repeatedly for family members to access the pictures, contacts, files and so on—which took a lot of time, effo

Crimes, counterfeits, scams, and fraud are often perpetrated against the unaware, and while many of us are just doing our best to endure the impacts of Covid-19, others—often very convincingly—are doing their best to rip off unwitting seniors and others who may not yet be aware of what these criminals are up to. Coronavirus-related scams have already claimed many victims, and educating yourself can be a very significant first step to ensuring that you do not become another fr

Are you confused by the numerous legal documents that affect older adults? Don’t let a court-appointed representative be responsible for making these important decisions on your behalf. This presentation covers which documents you and your family should consider for planning purposes as you age--take advantage so you know your choices and have a say when it comes to elder law and power of attorney.

Tough talk approved by two tough ladies: attorneys Lora Johnson and Yvette Ashworth have selected two hard-hitting and extremely important videos to share with you. In light of the current pandemic, it's more important than ever to have the conversation with your loved ones about what "quality of life" means to you along with your important health care decisions in any given circumstance. Now more than ever, decisions may be made for you completely based upon written document

We never know when things are going to become difficult, and certainly no one could have anticipated the scope and impact of the current pandemic. We found the articles below to be powerful and insightful reminders that estate planning and tying one's loose legal ends isn't just something to do when the weather is fair--or something to put on hold until some future point when the time is just right. Here's some sound advice regarding getting one's ducks in a row: Click Here t

Here's a great article about something that we discuss with our clients every day regarding making your beneficiary designations align with your estate plan. Well worth a rea d! Check out the article here:

I have on occasion heard statements such as “there just may be something wrong with people who don’t love animals.” During my childhood, my parents made sure that my siblings and I knew how to love and care for a myriad of wonderful pets. We had ferrets, rabbits, desert tortoises, fish, parakeets, cockatiels, Samoyeds and Pomeranians. We loved and enjoyed horses, pigs, cows, turkeys, cats, and chickens raised by our extended family members. As I have brought up my own childre

I frequently have clients who decide to pursue litigation over a trust or probate estate because “it’s what my parents [or sibling or child] would want” or “it’s the principle of the matter.” However, sometimes it’s not always best to litigate a matter. How does one decide? What is the likelihood of success? Legal concepts are not black and white – there is always room for interpretation. When one enters a courtroom, one is also subject to the subconscious opinions and prejud

A recent visit to the dentist highlighted an important point to me: improper estate planning can have dire consequences for a family. As she cleaned my teeth, my dental hygienist asked me what type of law Johnson & Associates had as its focus. Once I referenced elder and estate law, her storytelling immediately began. “Oh!” she exclaimed. “I bet many people don’t realize what can happen if things aren’t properly set up. We had a serious issue in my family.” I made some sort o

A couple of years ago, I was able to have lunch with retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, the first female Supreme Court justice in United States history. For me, it was a significant moment as I was able to spend a few hours enjoying one-on-one conversation with a true history-maker and trailblazer. I discovered that Justice O'Connor, despite retirement, was still quite opinionated and bold in expressing her viewpoints. It was certainly a lunch date to remember

People often ask us questions like “How much money in assets should I have to warrant doing a trust?” Our answer revolves around questions such as “What are your concerns?” and “What are you trying to accomplish?” A significant reason that people choose to do trusts is that trusts are private . Notice only goes to the beneficiaries about the trust once a person becomes a beneficiary. With a will and any type of probate action, all of your natural family and heirs receive not

Some states, including Arizona, take an interest in the clients who are somewhere in between being impoverished and having abundant resources. The Arizona Supreme Court has an active licensing program that can be accessed at https://www.azcourts.gov/cld/Fiduciary-Licensing-Program . This website informs the public of the licensing criteria for a licensed fiduciary in Arizona, gives the public access to any complaints filed against that fiduciary, and allows the public to view

Almost every day an e-mail is sent out to the probate and estate planning section of the Arizona Bar asking all of the attorneys if anyone has copies of estate planning documents that a family believes were completed but which are somehow missing. Privacy is often a high concern to our clients. One of the reasons that many of our clients choose to use a Living Trust is that there is no requirement of disclosure of the full document to anyone other than those interested benefi

Have you been to your doctor’s office or hospital, and they asked for a copy of your Health Care Power of Attorney and Living Will? Most individuals do not carry a copy of their health care directives with them at all times. The Arizona Secretary of State’s office will file a copy of your health care directives free of charge. All you need to do is send them a completed and signed Registration Agreement and a copy of your health care directives. Health care directives include

Worried about a disgruntled child challenging your will or trust if disinherited? You may be tempted to include a no-contest clause in your will or trust. A no-contest clause simply states that any heir or beneficiary seeking to challenge or set aside the will or trust will be disinherited. On a practical level, the disinherited child is not discouraged by the clause because they are not entitled to inherit anything under the will or trust – they have nothing left to lose by

Regardless of your faith or personal beliefs, I believe that any responsible person should feel some obligation to be responsible for himself or herself in order to make things easier for those that he or she loves. I believe that this obligation is a core responsibility. So as I was thinking this holiday season about my family, I decided to think of the most important things I could do in pursuit of being “responsible” for myself in order to provide for my sixteen year old d