Keist Thurston, P.C.

03/04/2025

On April 5, 2025, I, Joel Thurston, am hiking the Grand Canyon with some friends to benefit the The Hope Effect. My goal is to raise $10,000 to change the way the world cares for orphans. Find out more at https://www.hopeeffect.com I decided to raise the bar and hike the canyon twice if we raised over $5k, embarking on r5 (south rim to north rim to south rim to north rim to south rim). We have raised over $5k toward our $10k goal. So, on 4/5, I will attempt to embark on the 90 mile double round trip of the Grand Canyon to benefit the The Hope Effect. A generous donor has agreed to match every gift to get us to the finish line. Please consider giving any amount here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/a0ef91da-951b-4f87-b116-6817fb174666 I'm specifically looking for 28 people to sponsor me $1/mile = $90/person. I will post updates on my hike, beginning 4/5/25. Will you be one of 28 sponsors?!

Be sure to mention you are supporting me in the "additional information" part of the donation page prior to submission.... While you are at our Trails and Tribulation website, please register to join the Trails and Tribulation (TNT) team. We have some exciting events this year, the first of which is the r3 Hike for the Hope Effect in April. In May, 4 TNT members are also embarking on the Cocodona 250 trail running race from Phoenix to Flagstaff. You won't want to miss this live stream 250 mile race, beginning May 5th. I'm particularly excited to be running this race together with my son, Joel Thurston II. https://www.aravaiparunning.com/cocodona2/

Here at Trails and Tribulations, we strive to provide encouragement, resources, and relief to suffering children and persecuted Christians, and those who serve them, around the world. We seek to bring attention to those around the world who are in need: the poor, the orphan, the widow, and the stran...

10/22/2024

Our QDRO attorney, Bob Harrian, recently sent out the following important communication regarding services offered by our firm.

I hope this message finds you well. As you may already be aware, Keist Thurston, PC, has undergone some recent changes that we are excited to share with you.

As you may know, Attorney Richard Underwood is now with our firm. Rick focuses his practice area on drafting QDROs and concentrates his services on the division of Executive Plans, Stock Options, Restricted Stock Units, Performance Stock, Kelly Offsets, and Employee Stock Purchase Plans. Rick also calculates the present-day value of pension plans.

Attorney Robert Harrian focuses his practice area on drafting dividing orders on all types of plans, including 401(K) Plans, Deferred Compensation Plans, ESOP Plans, Military Retirement Plans, Railroad Retirement Plans, CSRS, FERS, Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS), Arizona Public Safety Personnel Retirement System (PSPRS), and City of Phoenix Employee Retirement System, along with many others.

Attorney Jeremy Goad focuses his practice area on drafting QDROs and dividing orders for 401(K) Plans, Deferred Compensation Plans, Military Retirement Plans, CSRS, FERS, Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS), Arizona Public Safety Personnel Retirement System (PSPRS), and City of Phoenix Employee Retirement System.

In summary, Rick, Robert, and Jeremy all focus on the division of marital assets relating to retirement and executive plans throughout all stages of the dissolution process and can assist you in drafting language for your decrees/property settlement agreements.

I’m writing to offer you and your colleagues a valuable opportunity to expand your understanding of Qualified Domestic Relations Orders (QDROs) with a complimentary Continuing Legal Education (CLE) session.

As you know, QDROs play a critical role in divorce proceedings, ensuring that retirement benefits are divided fairly and legally. However, navigating the intricacies of pension division can be challenging, especially when it comes to ensuring the correct language is in the consent decrees.
To help you stay ahead in this specialized area, I’m offering a free 1-to-2-hour CLE session covering:
The fundamentals of QDROs, including drafting language for your consent decrees.
Key pension plan types and their division methods.
Tips for effectively managing complex retirement asset cases.

The session is designed to be interactive and informative, providing practical insights that you can immediately apply in your practice.

I would be happy to schedule a free session at your convenience. The conference can be either in person or via webinar. We prefer at least five attorneys/legal paraprofessionals attend the training. If you are a sole practitioner, please reach out to your colleagues to ensure at least five people can attend the training. Following the training, each attendee will get a certificate for their CLE credits.

If you’re interested in taking advantage of this opportunity or if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you and helping you enhance your knowledge of this important legal tool.

10/02/2024

https://www.ktolawfirm.com/2024/09/corporate-transparency-act-cta/

09/26/2024

https://www.ktolawfirm.com/2024/09/corporate-transparency-act-cta/

If you have no interest in any business, you may stop reading now and disregard. If, however, you have any interest in a business, please continue reading. We are writing to inform you of significant legal changes brought by the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), which became law as part of the Anti-...

03/19/2023

Two weeks from today I'll join with a group of hikers for Grand Canyon r3 2023. We are hiking from the south rim to the north rim and back to the south rim (approx. 50 miles) in one day to raise money for the Hope Effect, and join in their mission to change the way the world cares for orphans. KTO Law Firm is sponsoring the hike and will match all donations dollar for dollar up to $5,000. Our goal is to raise $10,000 this year for the Hope Effect. However, if we raise $15,000 by March 31, 2023, I will attempt to hike r5, 100 miles. So, click on the link below to give any amount to support our friends at the Hope Effect, and have your donation matched up to $5,000 as long as you give by March 31, 2023. 😬😁

https://www.hopeeffect.com/hike-for-hope?fbclid=IwAR2tvFM3wT7Tt1CjURVGnQQoUVRjejgVE8n43BGO8Su2ZiE-7aV9R4wpdV4

Support the group of hikers who are hiking the Grand Canyon to change the way the world cares for orphans!

08/31/2022

http://ktolawfirm.com/listening-well/

The 20th century philosopher and theologian, Paul Tillich, said that the first duty of love is to listen. At KTO Law Firm, we believe he is right. The best way we can serve you is to listen to you before advising you. In order to provide you with appropriate legal counsel, we must listen to…

08/20/2022

Check out our latest Blog.

We could create an ad with a picture of a KTO attorney holding a sledgehammer and chanting an unforgettable tagline about crushing our opponents. But we all know such advertising ploys are often not based upon reality. At KTO we believe being real is important. Real honest. Real empathetic. Real tou...

04/05/2022

Jeremy T. Goad, Esq., is currently taking new injury cases, including auto accident, medical malpractice, and slip and fall. Call our office today at 623.937.8888.

There are many false assumptions about personal injury cases. Today I’ll just mention one. Some people believe they can handle their own case and save themselves the substantial money that an attorney will charge. While this is a fair consideration, let me give you at least one reason and example ...

03/05/2022

06/07/2021

If you or someone you love struggles with mental health and/or substance abuse issues, read our latest blog.

I read an article this morning about an Oregon woman, Cathy Boone, who died in a homeless shelter while having nearly a million dollars in unclaimed inheritance money sitting in a bank. The tragic story reminded me of the complicated interaction of mental health issues and substance abuse, and the o...

05/27/2021

http://ktolawfirm.com/make-a-to-do-list-when-visiting-aging-loved-ones/

Now that many elderly are vaccinated and social distancing restrictions are lifting, a lot of families are able to get out and see their aging loved ones again. Many aging family members have been unable to accomplish household tasks inside and outside their homes during this time of separation. If....