Maintain The Course
Non-profit and tax-exempt organizations are subject to complex laws and tax regulations to maintain their tax-exempt status. In addition, proper documentation must be kept, procedures must be followed, and tax returns must be properly prepared and filed. We allow our tax-exempt clients to focus on their core mission by shouldering some of the burden of […]
Start Off On The Right Foot
We advise concerning the options for forming new non-profit organizations, draft the necessary documents to create the organization, and secure IRS recognition of tax-exempt status. We also provide state charitable solicitation registrations for 501(c)(3) organizations, as needed. While it is possible to form a non-profit organization on your own, or use general practice law firms or […]
Estate Planning and Divorce
Under Utah law a benefit granted to a person’s spouse in their Will or Trust automatically becomes null and void upon divorce. Oftentimes that leaves a “hole” in the estate plan, and unintended consequences may result if either spouse subsequently dies before the estate plan is updatef. Accordingly, it is imperative that following a divorce a […]
Joint Tenancy – A Good Probate Dodge?
Joint tenancy is a form of property ownership among two or more people where title to the property passes automatically upon death to the survivor. Joint tenancy may seem the perfect low-cost alternative to estate planning and probate. Indeed, joint tenancy is the most popular form of home ownership in Utah. However, joint tenancy can present […]
Is Probate Necessary In Your Case?
Typically at the conclusion of our first meeting with you we will be able to determine whether a probate filing is necessary or recommended, the persons eligible to serve as Personal Representative, and whether a fast-track probate proceeding is available to you.
Expedited Probate Filing
On occasion a probate needs to be filed quickly, as when a real estate closing is scheduled and title remains in the decedent’s name. Without a prompt probate filing, no one has legal authority to sign at the closing. Many Utah probate courts includes a fast-track proceeding whereby a Personal Representative can be appointed the same day that the probate documents are filed. The fast-track […]
Trust Administration
We understand that it’s one thing to create a Trust as part of an estate plan, and quite another to understand the duties that follow your appointment as Trustee. Our trust administration practice stands ready to guide Trustees through all of the duties and decisions that relate to effective Trust administration. We advise Trustees about […]
Assets Transferred Outside Probate
In Utah there are several legal mechanisms whereby title to assets can pass at death without involving the probate process. For example, assets may be held in trust or joint tenancy, be subject to a written “pay on death” (POD) or “transfer on death” (TOD) directive, or may be subject to a written designation of […]
Probate in Utah – Have No Fear
The word “probate” often inspires fear. In Utah that is unnecessary. The probate process in Utah is far less costly and time-consuming than in almost any other State. In California the obsession with avoiding probate is real; in Utah that obsession is highly exaggerated. Since the 1970s Utah has operated under the Uniform Probate Code, which generally […]
Informational Seminars
Because our attorneys have excellent public-speaking skills, they are in demand for seminars. Our attorneys have presented dozens of seminars sponored by: CPAs Tax Preparers Financial Planners Brokerages Bar Association Sections Civic Groups Church Groups Emergency Preparedness Groups