Can You Disinherit a Family Member?

Can you disinherit a family member? Do you have to leave something to children, spouses and other close relatives? Last week, in our Elder Law Issues newsletter, we wrote about disinheriting a child. Particularly, we addressed the increasingly common request we see from clients: what if I don’t approve of my child’s politics, or lifestyle? But there’s also a broader question to address, which we tackle in this podcast episode. CAN you disinherit a family member? Don’t you have to leave something (a dollar? a particular token item? a minimum amount?) to children and other close family members? There is plenty of mythology around disinheritance issues. You can easily find evidence online that disinheritance is disfavored, or even prohibited in some circumstances. Under Arizona law, it’s usually pretty easy. Is it advisable? That’s a different conversation. But do the same rules apply to disinheritance of a spouse? No — but that’s a podcast for a later date. Like next week.