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  1. Arizona Pet Trusts

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    Three years ago, our family adopted a beautiful tabby cat, Nibbles.  Our kids instantly fell in love. Every day we hear stories about Nibbles helping with homework (sitting on the keyboard waiting to…Read More

  3. 2021 VA Aid and Attendance Pension Benefits

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                   The Veterans Administration Aid & Attendance Pension benefit helps qualifying Veterans or their surviving spouse with the cost of long-term care expenses in assisted l…Read More

  6. Considerations for Family Business Succession

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    Many entrepreneurs spend a lifetime putting blood, sweat, and tears into building their own business.  Too often, this dedication to the business falls short in one aspect: succession planning.  All…Read More

  7. 5 Reasons to Update Your Estate Plan

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    Maybe you executed a Last Will and Testament when the kids were little back in 1985.  It must be floating in the back of the closet somewhere, right? Oh wait, you moved, and where did you put those W…Read More

  20. 3 Estate Planning Mistakes of Celebrities

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    Celebrities have wealth and cadres of professional advisors that most of us do not. However, when it comes to making estate planning mistakes some celebrities are no different that the rest of us. Eve…Read More

  22. The SECURE Act – Impact on Your Estate Plan

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    Effective January 1, 2020, the  “Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act” or “SECURE ACT” will effect both participants and beneficiaries of retirement accounts. In particul…Read More

  25. Special Needs Children and Estate Planning

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    Special needs children are just like other children who love to play, to learn, to have fun, and to experience the world. The main difference is in their level of care, which in some cases, can be for…Read More

  26. Should You DIY Estate Planning, Part 2?

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    The goal of a will is to make sure it will pass probate with flying colors, your assets are properly divided up how you want them, has the problem of debts paid and under control, appoints someone to …Read More

  27. Should You DIY Estate Planning?

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    We all want to save money in any way we can, whether we clip coupons (or use digital coupons) or we wait for Black Friday to order Christmas gifts. One way that many people save money is doing project…Read More

  28. How to Begin Estate Planning, Part 2

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    The estate planning process can be long and complicated. After all, it did take you a lifetime to accumulate your assets, so you should expect it should take a while to decide what to do with them all…Read More

  29. How to Begin Estate Planning

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    It’s easy to see why most people put off estate planning. After all, life holds so much wonder, excitement, and adventure that who wants to waste time thinking about their death? Death is scary to m…Read More

  30. Are eWills The Future of Estate Planning?

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    Arizona is one of the first handful of states to enact electronic Will legislation. Although other legal documents, such as real estate, financial and medical documents, have long been able to be elec…Read More

  31. Is a Holographic Will Valid in Arizona?

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    Is a holographic Will valid in Arizona? Yes. Is it a good idea? No. Arizona recognizes a handwritten Will, known as “holographic will”,  so long as it is signed by the testator and the material p…Read More

  34. Top Ten Estate Planning Myths & Mistakes

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    Mistake Number One: Thinking You’re Too Young to Have a Plan in Place Most people approach estate planning with an enthusiasm ordinarily reserved for a trip to the dentist: you know it’s necessary…Read More

  36. 2019 Veterans Aid and Attendance Pension benefits

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    2019 VETERANS AID AND ATTENDANCE PENSION BENEFITS AND ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA  1.  What are Veterans Aid and Attendance (A&A) Pension Benefits?              The “Aid and Attendance Pe…Read More

  38. R-E-S-P-E-C-T the Estate Planning Process

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    Aretha Franklin died of complications from pancreatic cancer on August 16, 2018.  She was not married at the time of her death, but left behind four (adult) sons.  Reports are now surfacing that Fra…Read More

  41. Powers of Attorney for the College Student

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    As you get ready to send your student off to college you are probably shopping, packing, and planning. But if you do not have powers of attorney, more commonly associated with older individuals, your …Read More

  46. What Happens If There Are No Medical Directives?

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    If you have a medical directive, you’ve made the decision to nominate certain individuals to make medical decisions on your behalf, should you be unable to make decisions on your own. If you do not …Read More

  47. How to Avoid Guardianships & Conservatorships!

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    Unfortunately, some individuals will ultimately lose capacity for handling their own personal and financial affairs.  When this happens, if the incapacitated individual does not have someone who has …Read More

  49. What if my Spouse is Incapacitated?

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    Most people understand that it’s best to have an estate plan in place.  A proper plan addresses what happens not just in the event of death, but in the event of incapacity as well.  We frequently …Read More

  50. How Can I Avoid Probate?

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    Probate is the court process through which a Personal Representative is appointed to administer the estate and ultimately transfer the decedent’s assets to his or her heirs or beneficiaries. The qui…Read More

  51. When Do I Need an Elder Law Attorney?

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    Elder law attorneys focus on issues specific to older adults, and have knowledge in many areas of the law including the following: Estate Planning (financial powers of attorney, medical directives, Wi…Read More

  52. Trust Accounting – Best Practices

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    While the necessity and timing of a trust Account is dependent in part on the language of the trust, unless the trust instrument provides otherwise, a Trustee has a responsibility to provide an Accoun…Read More

  53. How do I assume the role of Successor Trustee?

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    A Successor Trustee is the person who assumes management control of the trust after the initial Trustee dies or becomes unable to continue with his or her responsibilities. Once the Successor Trustee …Read More

  55. What is VA Aid & Attendance Pension?

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    The Veteran’s Aid and Attendance Pension (“VA A&A” or the “Aid and Attendance Pension”) is a little known cash benefit paid in addition to low income pension to certain wartime veterans …Read More

  57. Understanding Signs of Financial Exploitation

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    Financial exploitation of the elderly can be perpetrated by people they know, or don’t know, and can happen in many different ways, large and small. Financial exploitation means the misuse or withho…Read More

  65. Do I Need a Lawyer to Apply for ALTCS?

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    In short, yes.  Planning to apply for ALTCS, or undertaking the actual application, without the advice or assistance of an elder law attorney with significant experience in handling ALTCS application…Read More

  77. 2018 Tax Reform Update and Your Estate Plan

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    The well-publicized road to tax reform was subject to major speculation, studied prediction, and the expected points of debate.  Our tax code has not seen significant change since 1986.  The changes…Read More

  79. Are Your Children Older Than You?

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    When does the adult child become the “parent”?  This concept of a role reversal of the adult child/parent relationship most often plays out during the parents’ older age when responsibility is …Read More

  83. How Do I Protect My Children’s Inheritance?

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    Q:  I want to leave my estate to my son and daughter, but I’m afraid my son is not financially responsible and will squander the money and even though my daughter is financially responsible, I’m …Read More

  85. Estate Planning Considerations When You Adopt

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    Whether you have adopted internationally, domestically, from the foster care system or as a step-parent, now that you have a new addition to your family, you will want to make sure your estate plan ta…Read More

  89. MEDICARE OPEN ENROLLMENT BEGINS OCTOBER 15

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    What is the Medicare Open Enrollment Period and What Can I Change? The Medicare open enrollment period is the time when people with Medicare can switch Medicare health and prescription drug plans to b…Read More

  93. Don’t Fall Victim to the “Deed Scam”

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    Our office habitually records deed for real property in Maricopa County, Arizona.  Like most law firms, once recorded, we return the original deed to the client for their records.  The act of record…Read More

  94. Is Your Life Insurance Policy Valid After Age 100?

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    Whole life insurance policies were the first “permanent” life insurance product designed (even guaranteed) to provide a full death benefit at maturity as long as it was fully funded. However, is i…Read More

  95. Update on Electronic Will Legislation

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    Earlier this year, Arizona lawmakers proposed new legislation making it legal to execute “Electronic Wills”.  SB1298 proposed a revision to Arizona Revised Statutes in an effort to broaden what A…Read More

  97. First Coloring Book for People with Alzheimer’s

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    Coloring books aren’t just for kids anymore.  The last few years show an increase in sales of adult coloring books in addition to the already popular children’s coloring books.  In recognition o…Read More

  102. Autistic Character Moves into Sesame Street

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    Sesame Street has introduced a new character to its long running television series named Julia.  Julia already made her debut in print and digital storybooks, however, Sesame Street brought her chara…Read More

  106. Proposed Legislation: Electronic Wills

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    We have all seen movies, television shows, and cartoons that depict anxiety ridden prospective beneficiaries gathered in a lawyer’s office for “The Reading of the Will,” to be read by the now-de…Read More

  107. 2017 Changes to Estate Tax – Does it Affect You?

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    The estate tax for 2017 has increased from 2016’s rate of $5.45 million to $5.49 million per individual.  This means that an individual can leave $5.49 million to heirs and their estate will pay no…Read More

  111. Special Needs Trust Fairness Act is Law!

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    On December 13, 2016, the President signed into law the 21st Century Cures Act, which included the Special Needs Trust Fairness Act which allows disabled persons to establish their own Special Needs …Read More

  112. Zsa Zsa Gabor’s Legacy

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    Zsa Zsa Gabor, one of the first celebrities who was simply famous for being famous, died on Sunday December 18 after suffering multiple medical complications over the years, including broken bones, am…Read More

  118. 7 Arizona Athletes on US Paralympic Team

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    The 15th Paralympics will began Sept.  7 and will end Sept. 18, 2016. More than 4,300 athletes from at least 165 countries are scheduled to compete in 20 sports. The U.S. recently announced it will b…Read More

  119. Gun Owners and the Effects of Aging

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    If you have elderly parents you likely have thought about their safety as drivers or their ability to take care of themselves if they live alone. While those are valid concerns, a number of people in …Read More

  123. Arizona Long Term Care Partnership Program

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    We have discussed previously the Arizona Long Term Care Partnership Program (LTCPP) when it first became available in 2008. This was intended to incentivize people to in invest in long term care insur…Read More

  124. Silver Alerts No Longer Just for the Elderly

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    Effective August 6, 2016, the Arizona Legislature recently expanded the Silver Alert notification system to encompass not only missing adults over age 65, but also any person who has been diagnosed wi…Read More

  125. New Arizona Legislation For Guardianships

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    Custody Issues for Young Disabled Adult Child Divorce is never easy, especially when it involves children.  When the divorced couple has a disabled or incapacitated child, it can become even more com…Read More

  127. How Not to End Up in a Potter’s Field

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    The term “potter’s field” has biblical origin, referring to a clay-heavy piece of land worthless for farming and used to bury strangers.  Today, the term potter’s field generally refers to th…Read More

  128. Why Is the Bank Not Honoring My Power of Attorney?

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    So you have in your hand a perfectly valid financial power of attorney that your parent, spouse or other relative signed to allow you to handle their financial matters. The time comes when they need y…Read More

  135. Steps Seniors Can Take to Avoid Financial Abuse

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    Q:  How Can the Elderly Avoid Financial Abuse? Increased dependency due to illness or cognitive impairments can make seniors susceptible to financial abuse. Nest eggs accumulated over decades are all…Read More

  139. Picking an Ideal Long Term Care Facility

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    Here at Bivens & Associates, we aid our clients in navigating through the various realms of elder law, including the Arizona Long Term Care System or ALTCS. We know first hand how difficult it can…Read More

  140. THE LONG TERM CARE FACTS OF LIFE

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    As we age, we all want to remain independent. However, the reality is that the majority of individuals will need assistance with activities of daily living such as basic self-care tasks (e.g., toileti…Read More

  141. SB1169: Mental Health Power of Attorney

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    This bill, if passed, would specify that during times when the principal (person who granted power of attorney) is incapable of giving informed consent, a Mental Health Power of Attorney cannot be rev…Read More

  143. FAQs Regarding Estate and Gift Tax Matters

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    FAQs regarding Estate and Gift tax: Q1: How much can you pass on to your non-spouse heirs without an estate tax? A1: The unified credit against the estate tax increased from $5.43 million for 2015 to …Read More

  144. New AHCCCS Policy and Procedural Manual Location

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    Looking for the AHCCCS Policy Manual with all the ALTCS income, resource, and other eligibility rules? The new AHCCCS Policy and Procedural manual, including ALTCS eligibility rules, can now be found …Read More

  147. 2016 ALTCS Financial Eligibility Criteria

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    Typically each year the Arizona Long Term Care System (ALTCS) income and resource eligibility criteria increases, effective January 1. However, this year the financial criteria remains the same as 201…Read More

  148. What is a Special Needs Trust?

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    If you’re looking to leave part of your estate to an individual with special needs, you may want to take caution. Without utilizing the proper trust, you may affect the recipient's right to gain  S…Read More

  149. 2015- Cost of Long Term Care in Arizona

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    Genworth Financial just released its annual “Cost of Care” report in which Genworth Financial tracks the rise in long-term care expenses, which is a growing financial burden for families, the gove…Read More

  152. Coach Dean Smith Leaves Extraordinary Legacy

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    March Madness- Legendary Former College Basketball Coach, Dean Smith, Directs His Trust to Buy 180 Former Players a $200 “Dinner on Coach Smith” March Madness is upon us. This week, as the whole c…Read More

  153. Special Needs Trust Fairness Act Introduced Today

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    Reps. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) and Frank Pallone (D-NJ) reintroduced the Special Needs Trust Fairness Act (H.R. 670) today to allow individuals under the age of 65 with disabilities, who have th…Read More

  157. Medicaid Lien Law Post-Poned Until 2016

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    When plaintiffs in personal injury cases are Medicaid beneficiaries, their attorneys must consider whether the recovery may impact their clients’ ongoing eligibility for benefits and whether the sta…Read More

  159. Welcome to Our Blog Feed!

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    Welcome to Bivens & Associate’s blog feed. We’re your local elder law, estate planning, and special needs trust attorneys here in Arizona. We provide attorney services and advice to folks thro…Read More

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