By Michael G. Kelly, Esq.

Arizona’s population has exploded in recent years, attracting many people from other states. As people move into the state, they often assume that the laws are similar when that is not the case at all. One area where this is particularly true is in death and inheritance. Sometimes the differences can be stark.

A great example of this involves the marital home. Many states, particularly in the upper mid-west and the east, treat the home as a “tenancy by the entireties”. This means that the home is treated as jointly owned with the surviving spouse taking ownership of both half-shares upon the death of their spouse.

Like a number of other states in the west, Arizona is a community property state.  Arizona does not follow the “tenancy by the entireties” model. Unless it is specified in the deed the half-share of the marital home of the first spouse to die does not necessarily go to the surviving spouse.

This problem often rears its ugly head when the first spouse to die has children from a prior marriage. In that case the surviving spouse can find him or herself owning only a half-share and the children of the deceased spouse owning the other half-share.

This situation can become very precarious depending on the relationship between the surviving spouse and the deceased spouse’s children. Might the surviving spouse have to leave the home if the other owners want to sell the home and get their share(s)?  If the surviving spouse wants to sell how does he or she deal with the other owners to get that done?

These questions make it obvious that proper and timely planning should be done when moving to Arizona from outside the state to assure that ownership passes as intended and in a manner that reduces stress for the surviving spouse. At Arizona Mobile Attorneys we are experienced with these scenarios and can assist you with getting this accomplished.

© Michael G. Kelly, Arizona Mobile Attorneys