• Title: Managing Partner / Shareholder

• Direct: 520-745-7826

• Fax: 520-745-1279

• Email: jwiley@waterfallattorneys.com

 

Jill represents both beneficiaries and fiduciaries involved in trust and estate disputes and counsels clients in guardianship and conservatorship proceedings. Managing Partner Jill Wiley heads the Trust and Estate practice group, handling matters including wealth transfer planning, estate plan drafting, and trust and probate estate administration and settlement. She also prepares fiduciary income tax returns and estate and gift tax returns. Jill represents both beneficiaries and fiduciaries involved in trust and estate disputes and counsels clients in guardianship and conservatorship proceedings.

Estate planning clients range from people looking to execute their goals in a simple, straightforward process to individuals with complex plans who need to minimize the impact of estate taxes. Jill brings valuable previous experience as a certified public accountant to her practice. Jill receives an AV rating by Martindale Hubbell’s peer review system.

Paying particular attention to each person’s unique goals, Jill provides practical and comprehensive legal advice to protect what matters most to her clients and to meet their personal, financial, and charitable objectives. She advises clients about practical considerations involved in administering their affairs both during their lifetimes and following their deaths, with an emphasis on avoiding disputes over the disposition of their property. Jill also guides fiduciaries and family members in all aspects of the trust and probate administration process.

In 2013, Jill successfully represented a beneficiary of an Individual Retirement Asset against an action to invalidate the beneficiary designation. The landmark case was ultimately decided by the Arizona Supreme Court in favor of Jill’s client and was instrumental in confirming a married person’s right to control the disposition of a community property asset at death. She also attained favorable outcomes on other appellate matters involving tax apportionment and the effect of an invalid marriage on a testamentary disposition of property.

A sample of other representative matters involving court proceedings that Jill handled includes:

Seeking judicial trust reformations, modifications, terminations, and instructions
Construing or interpreting testamentary documents
Prosecuting and defending against will and trust contests
Representing individuals and charities in connection with their rights as beneficiaries of trusts and estates
Defending and prosecuting claims for breach of fiduciary duties
Representing creditors to protect their interests in trusts and estates
Protecting beneficial interests in retirement assets
Removing and replacing fiduciaries
Terminating trusts that are no longer serving a material purpose

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Court Admissions
State of Arizona
United States District Court of Arizona

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Professional Associations

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• Pima County and American Bar Pima County and American Bar Associations (Member)

• Probate and Trust Law Section (Member)

• State Bar of Arizona (Member)

• Southern Arizona Estate Planning Council

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Education
University of Arizona (B.S.B.A., 1984)
University of Arizona (J.D., 1995)

 

Practice Areas
Estate Planning, Wills and Trusts
Estate and Gift Tax Planning
Charitable Planning
Estate and Trust Litigation
Probate and Trust Administration

 

Reported Decisions

In re the Estate of Fred N. Kirkes, 231 Ariz. 334, 295 P.3d 432, March 01, 2013
In re Estate of Rodriguez, 215 Ariz. 358. 160 P.3d 679 (Ariz.App.Div. 1 June 14, 2007)
Estate of Mason, 190 Ariz. 312, 947 P.2d 886 (Ariz. Ct. App. 1997)

 

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