Desmond Law, PLLC

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Desmond Law, PLLC I am an attorney who specializes in estate planning. I help you avoid probate and family conflict. Don't wait too long!

I handle complex planning for blended families, traditional families, individuals and high net worth couples. I provide a custom and thoughtful estate plan just right for you and your family. I also make sure you have decision-makers in place should you become incapacitated. Make sure you have a plan so you're in charge of your future and can plan to avoid family conflict and court!

“My children get what is left” is not the same as “my children get $400,000.”Suppose you have $800,000 intended to suppo...
10/16/2026

“My children get what is left” is not the same as “my children get $400,000.”

Suppose you have $800,000 intended to support your spouse and eventually benefit your children. Your spouse could need that support for another 25 years.

If your trust allows the original funds, not just the income they earn, to pay for that support, the remainder can shrink. Naming your children as the eventual recipients does not guarantee how much they receive.

That does not make the trust wrong. It makes the terms and funding worth understanding.

You can discuss whether your children should receive a defined amount, a percentage, or whatever remains. Some families fund the two goals separately, including through properly structured life insurance arrangements.

I want you to know which promise your plan actually makes.
Contact us to learn how to begin that conversation without treating your spouse’s needs and your children’s future as competing loyalties.

“My spouse can stay in the house.” Who pays for the new roof?Picture a hypothetical $24,000 repair. Your spouse lives in...
10/15/2026

“My spouse can stay in the house.” Who pays for the new roof?
Picture a hypothetical $24,000 repair. Your spouse lives in the home. Your children are meant to inherit it later. Everyone agrees the roof needs fixing.

Who writes the check?
Your spouse may be thinking about staying financially secure. Your children may be wondering which expenses belong to them. Neither concern makes someone selfish.

An instruction that says only “my spouse can stay” leaves those practical questions unanswered. Your plan should address the mortgage, taxes, insurance, repairs, and what happens if your spouse moves or needs care. State law also affects what arrangements are available.

In Case You Missed It, this week’s article goes beyond who inherits the house. I explain why deciding how the arrangement works is an act of care for everyone involved.

A clear plan gives your family fewer things to negotiate later.

“You shouldn’t have to choose between caring for your spouse and protecting your children.”You should be able to say, “I...
10/15/2026

“You shouldn’t have to choose between caring for your spouse and protecting your children.”

You should be able to say, “I want my spouse to stay in our home,” without your children hearing, “You do not matter.”
You should also be able to discuss their inheritance without your spouse hearing, “I do not trust you.”

I help you turn those wishes into specific decisions: what support looks like, which resources fund it, who makes decisions, and what you intend to leave for your children.

Then I coordinate the legal plan with your account arrangements and other advisors. If you have an ongoing Personal Family Lawyer relationship, those choices have a place to be revisited as your family changes.

Your Life & Legacy Plan should reflect the people you love and the promises you mean to keep. Let’s start there.

10/14/2026

Q: If I leave everything to my spouse, will my children inherit it later?

A: I would ask you a question first: do you mean a specific inheritance, or whatever remains after your spouse’s needs are met?

Those are different promises.

If you leave assets outright, your spouse generally owns them, subject to enforceable arrangements and other legal restrictions. Your original hopes do not automatically control what happens next.

I want you to understand that distinction without feeling you are being disloyal. Wanting your children included does not mean you distrust your spouse.

I look at the actual terms, account arrangements, and resources. I ask who can change beneficiaries, who decides about spending, and whether the same money is being promised twice.

Contact us to learn how I approach that conversation with you, starting with the people you love rather than a choice of documents.

You found love again. Planning for your children should not feel like apologizing for it.And caring for your spouse shou...
10/13/2026

You found love again. Planning for your children should not feel like apologizing for it.

And caring for your spouse should not feel like leaving your children out.

If either of you has children from a prior relationship, your estate plan needs to reflect both the family you brought into the marriage and the life you are building together.

“Everything to my spouse, then to the kids” sounds like one simple instruction. It actually asks your money to do two different jobs.

Does your spouse need income, a home, or both? Should your children receive a reserved amount, or whatever remains later?
I start with those questions before recommending documents.

This week’s article walks through the choices, including who makes decisions and how your home fits in.


Me: “My child is successful. They don’t need a trust.”Also my child: signs personal guarantees, owns property, makes par...
10/10/2026

Me: “My child is successful. They don’t need a trust.”

Also my child: signs personal guarantees, owns property, makes partner, and has assets people can pursue.

Success does not come with an invisible legal shield.

Your adult child can be responsible, financially capable, and still face risks that outright ownership does not protect against.

The question is not whether you trust your child.

It is whether the inheritance should enter every risk attached to the life they built.

Reality check:Your child can be excellent with money and still face a lawsuit, personal guarantee, creditor, or divorce....
10/09/2026

Reality check:
Your child can be excellent with money and still face a lawsuit, personal guarantee, creditor, or divorce.

In a 2026 analysis, the American Medical Association reported that 28.7% of physicians surveyed in 2024 had been sued during their careers. The figure reached 59.6% for OB-GYNs and 53.1% for general surgeons. This week’s article is about why professional success and legal exposure can exist at the same time—and what that means for inheritance planning.

A lawsuit does not mean the physician did anything wrong. It shows that professional achievement and legal exposure can exist at the same time.

Insurance, business entities, contracts, and risk management all matter. None should be assumed to eliminate every risk. Your inheritance plan needs to connect with that larger picture.

The goal is not control. It is to preserve choices around the wealth you built before a crisis makes those choices smaller.

Outright is simple.Simple is not always protective.In Case You Missed It: Once estate administration is complete and an ...
10/08/2026

Outright is simple.

Simple is not always protective.

In Case You Missed It: Once estate administration is complete and an inheritance is distributed directly, your adult child owns it, controls it, and decides what happens next.

That freedom can be appropriate. It also means the inheritance enters your child’s personal legal and financial world.

Suppose your daughter inherits $900,000. She puts $250,000 into a jointly titled home, $150,000 into a joint investment account, and $300,000 into a business carrying personal guarantees.

The money did not disappear. The legal picture changed.
A properly designed continuing trust can preserve options without treating your child as incapable. The right structure depends on the people, assets, state law, and purpose of the wealth.

“Your child’s success does not make protection unnecessary. It changes the risks your plan needs to see.”[Your Name], Pe...
10/07/2026

“Your child’s success does not make protection unnecessary. It changes the risks your plan needs to see.”

[Your Name], Personal Family Lawyer® Firm
Parents often think a trust is only for a young child or someone who struggles with money.

But the adult child who became a physician, partner, founder, landlord, or investor may have more exposure than the child who owns less and signs fewer agreements.

My role as your Personal Family Lawyer firm leader is not to sell you a trust or make assumptions about your child. It is to understand what your child built, what could threaten the inheritance after it transfers, and what you want your wealth to make possible across generations.

Then we can design the right balance of access, flexibility, and stewardship for your family. This week’s article is about how to think through that balance before choosing an inheritance structure.

Q: My spouse knows my passwords. Is that enough?A: No. I want your family to have a plan for what happens when a login i...
10/06/2026

Q: My spouse knows my passwords. Is that enough?

A: No. I want your family to have a plan for what happens when a login is not enough.

You might be thinking, “My spouse will just use my password.” I understand why that feels like the simplest answer. But what if a verification code goes to your unavailable phone, or your spouse needs the provider’s help?

Knowing your password does not establish their authority to act. That is why I look beyond the login.

When we review your plan, I help you connect your legal documents, account inventory, and the provider-approved access options available for your accounts. We also need to distinguish arrangements for incapacity from those that apply only after death.

I do not serve as your technology help desk. My role is to help you address the planning questions before your family has to figure them out without you.

Address

10565 N 114th Street Suite 113
Scottsdale, AZ
85259

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+14808489550

Website

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