Advice you can count on from an attorney who cares
Meet Clint Smith
I’ve been offering peace of mind to Arizona families since 1985.
I graduated from ASU’s Sandra Day O’Connor law school in Tempe Arizona and have practiced in the East Valley - Mesa, Apache Junction, Queen Creek, Gilbert and now Scottsdale - ever since. I spent decades in courtrooms, helping people with financial difficulties, and in 2010 began my transition into estate planning. Now, I help my clients stay out of legal trouble and give their loved ones a precious gift: An estate plan that will keep their affairs out of court.
Estate Planning Services
The Basics: Will, Powers of Attorney, Living Will
Most people need at least a simple will to clear up any potential disputes and let everyone know how they want their property to be distributed. But to avoid probate, additional steps are needed, such as Beneficiary designations on real estate and financial accounts..
Virtually everyone should also have a Power of Attorney for Health Care - including Mental Health - and another POA for financial matters. You don’t know when you may need someone to take care of business for you, or make important medical decision for you because you cannot. A Power of Attorney is where you identify your agent who can speak for you and make decisions if you are unable to..
The Living Will is a place to tell the world “I don’t want to be kept alive artificially by a machine. If I have no brain activity or quality of life, let me go!”
The Living Trust
If you have a home, children or a business, you likely also need a Trust.
This private document lets you be as creative as you like with the management of your affairs. It essentially becomes a court order when you pass away, so the people you choose can take care of all of your property without the hassle of a probate proceeding.
Additional Services
Many estate plans include businesses. If you own a business, you will want to integrate that business into your estate plan .
If you own rental property, you may want to consider owning them in Limited Liability Companies.
This is what we do. I have formed hundreds of LLCs and helped thousands of clients reduce their exposure to lawsuits and avoid probate and other hassles.
Clint has thousands of happy clients.
Here are just a few five star reviews:
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Clint office created a living trust for me. His office was quick and helped me maneuver through items needed to complete the process. I enjoyed working with Clint and his team. Very professional and timely.
Angela B
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Mr. Smith and his staff, have been wonderful to me, and my legal matters. Mr. Smith, is very knowledgeable and fair in his daily practice. I highly recommend him to everyone.
Mark F
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Clint Smith helped us get our family trust and living will questions answered and setup. He helped us from start to finish and made it all very easy to understand. The whole process went smooth and quick. My wife and I would highly recommend Clint Smith to anyone looking to have their affairs in order to help protect your family.
Paul F
Frequently
Asked
Questions
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It depends. If you have one heir and everything goes to that person, you may not need a Trust. But you will need a Will, and if you have a home, you will need deed work done because a Will alone does not keep your family out of court..
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If you are still breathing and know what day it is, it's not too late. We can get a complete plan in place in less than two weeks.
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The Will and the Trust can do the same thing: describe how you want your property to be handled when you pass away. They both require additional steps to implement, such as deed work or beneficiary designations on accounts.
The biggest difference is flexibility. A Trust gives you an opportunity to provide for all kinds of contingencies - like what happens if your son passes away before you do? Do you want your grandchildren to receive his share when they are 18? Or, should it be held in Trust until they are old enough to be responsible with it? what about spouses? Maybe you want funds to be available to those grandchildren for college and medical care, but not for a trip across country. You set the rules in a Trust. If all you have is a Will, you don't have those kinds of options.
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Take a test drive at no risk or expense. My first meeting with you is free of charge, and I can do it in person, by phone or as a video chat. There is no obligation. I will quote you a flat fee, with options, and I will stand by it. You don't get that very often from an attorney with decades of experience!
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If you really want to dive deep, my book is on Amazon