Ilene L McCauley

Ilene L. McCauley has been a member of the State Bar of Arizona since 1982. She has been certified by the Arizona Board of Legal Specialization as a Certified Specialist in Taxation since 1983. She was named “Top Estate Planning Attorney” in the Valley 2011 through 2019 and has a “superb” rating from AVVO since 2015.

Ms. McCauley is a member of Wealth Counsel. She was selected by the Tax Advisory Commission to serve an appointment on the Tax Advisory Commission of the State Bar of Arizona. She was formerly appointed to the position of Adjunct Professor at the Estate and Wealth Strategies Institute at Michigan State University and has taught advanced tax, business, and estate planning courses via the internet.

Ms. McCauley earned her BA from Binghamton University; her JD from Hofstra University School of Law; her LLM (Masters of Law in Taxation) from DePaul University School of Law and her second post-doctoral degree in Advanced Tax and Estate Planning from the Esperti-Peterson Institute.

Hofstra University

J.D.

DePaul University

LL.M. | Masters of Law in Taxation

Ilene L. McCauley Ltd.

Current

Certified Specialist in Tax Law

Arizona Board of Legal Specialization

1983

Top Lawyers 2020

North Valley Magazine

2020

Best Probate Attorneys in Scottsdale

Expertise

2020

State Bar of Arizona

Member

Current

Wealth Counsel

Member

Current

Arizona

State Bar of Arizona

Since 1982

U.S. Supreme Court

Since 1991

• Credit Cards Accepted

Estate Planning

Guardianship & Conservatorship Estate Administration, Health Care Directives, Trusts, Wills

Probate

Probate Administration, Probate Litigation, Will Contests

Business Law

Business Contracts, Business Dissolution, Business Finance, Business Formation, Business Litigation, Franchising, Mergers & Acquisitions, Partnership & Shareholder Disputes

Tax Law

Business Taxes, Criminal Tax Litigation, Estate Tax Planning, Income Taxes, International Taxes, Payroll Taxes, Property Taxes, Sales Taxes, Tax Appeals, Tax Audits, Tax Planning

Q. credit card debt claim made within 4 month probate window, claimant is debt collector, not CC co. Does estate pay?

31 March 2021

A: One of the jobs of Personal Representative of the estate is to pay all of the decedent's verified debts. If you look on the form that you signed to open the probate, which is called ORDER TO PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND INFORMATION TO HEIRS/DEVISEES, item 13 says that your job, after collecting the assets, is to 'Pay Valid Debts and Expenses'. I think just by reading your question, you need professional help to do this job properly. Find a qualified probate attorney in your area to help you.

Q. I have a question about my grandparents estate that is currently being held by the Department of treasury.

9 March 2021

A: I am so sorry for your loss. I apologize. I don't know if I understand you completely. If the estate is being held by Treasury, is it because there are back taxes which need to be paid? To answer your other question. A copy of the Will won't be enough. The will must be admitted to probate and the court needs to appoint someone to act as Personal Representative. The Personal Representative will have the authority to act on behalf of the estate.

Q. How do I go about writing a will in this situation?

26 February 2021

A: Thank you so much for your questions. I will try to answer you as best I can. A Last Will is designed to transfer assets to your loved ones at your death. A Last Will must be entered into Probate Court in order to work. Probate can be an expensive process. The person who is appointed to administer your will is called a Personal Representative (PR). The PR would pay your bills and handle whatever is needed. But first, you need to have someone you trust, to do these jobs for you. Are you certain there is no one? A lawyer can help you make this decision. We don't have Legal Aid in Arizona, however there are volunteer lawyers through the State Bar of Arizona who could help you. When you are ready call them at 602.340.7239.