Case studies

Plans, in practice.

Every case study on this page is a real engagement (details adjusted for confidentiality). If your situation looks similar, these are the shapes the plan usually takes.

Families

How we build plans for Arizona families: guardianship, asset protection, blended-family dynamics, and plans that still work when life changes.

See how we serve families →
Case study
A blended family restructure that protected everyone fairly
A second marriage, three kids from each side, and a plan that tried to please everyone by naming no one. We rebuilt it so it actually worked.
Case study
How a Mesa blended family protected both sets of children
A remarried couple in their fifties with three adult kids between them, both worried about what would happen to the house and the retirement accounts if one of them died first. This is the structure we built.
Case study
How one family avoided a conservatorship
A freshman at ASU ended up in the ER in her first semester. Her parents found out about it from the hospital. Or rather, they didn't. Here is the three-document package that now sits with every young-adult client we work with.
Case study
Why a beneficiary audit saved a marriage-era retirement account
A newly-married couple in their thirties had combined retirement accounts over $400,000. One 401(k) still listed an ex-fiancée as primary beneficiary. The fix took twenty minutes and probably saved the marriage.
Case study
How one family avoided a guardianship fight
A Mesa couple with two young kids died in an accident. The grandparents on both sides wanted to raise the children. What the parents had written down three years earlier decided it in a single afternoon instead of two years in court.
Case study
How a beneficiary sweep prevented a 401(k) windfall to an ex
A finalized divorce in March, retirement accounts with the ex still listed as primary beneficiary, and an Arizona revocation statute that doesn't reach ERISA-governed plans. We caught it before the federal rule caught him.
Case study
How one couple coordinated a beneficiary deed with their trust
A Gilbert couple approaching retirement added a beneficiary deed to a rental property without coordinating it with their trust. One conversation and a recorded amendment prevented what would have been a months-long mess for their kids.

Have a situation that looks like one of these?

A 30-minute consultation is the fastest way to find out which of these patterns applies to you, or if yours is different.

Book free consultation