Estate Planning

What happens to your estate if you die without heirs in Texas will depend on whether you had estate planning documents or not. If you had a will or living trust agreement, your money and assets would get distributed according to the terms of those papers. If you did not have a will or living trust, you are intestate, and our state’s intestacy laws will determine who gets your estate.

Although it is rare, it is possible for the state of Texas to get everything that you left behind through intestacy. A Read more . . .

Every parent should develop a complete estate plan to provide for and protect their children in the event that the parent dies before the child grows up and moves away from home. If you are living with the child's other parent, it is unlikely that the child will have to move away from the home, change schools, and adjust to a new neighborhood. For a single parent, there is no such safety net for the child.

Whether the relationship with the child's other parent ended through divorce or death or the other parent never was involved in the child's life, a single parent needs to provide far more protections for the child than a couple would need to arrange. There is not enough space here to cover all of the issues that a single parent needs to address in the estate plan.
Read more . . .

Yes, Texas law does allow people to plan for the care of their pets through pet trusts and other estate planning tools. A Texas pet trusts attorney can help you create the right documents to ensure that your beloved cats, dogs, and other pets will have the care they need in the event of an emergency and down the road, if your pets outlive you.

Pet Trusts in Texas

You have the option to provide for your pets in a traditional trust or a special type of legal device called a statutory pet trust.
Read more . . .

Texans give generously to others during life and through their estates when they die. If you want to support charities as part of your estate plan, you have several options. The best choice will depend on several factors, like the type of asset that you wish to leave to the charity. One or more of the possible options will likely be a good fit for your wishes and circumstances. A Read more . . .

Texas allows you to automatically transfer property upon your death without those items having to go through probate if you prepared and signed a Texas Transfer on Death (TOD) Deed. This document works like a TOD designation on a bank account. A Texas estate planning attorney can draft a TOD deed for you and answer your questions about how to use this legal vehicle in your estate plan.
Read more . . .

A comprehensive estate plan includes directives related to incapacity and health care. If you do not include an incapacity plan in your estate plan, your loved ones may be required to petition the court for the authority to make decisions regarding your personal care and health care. Furthermore, the court and your family members could ignore your wishes and desires unless you put them in writing now.

Working with a Read more . . .

Many people assume that the only purpose of estate planning is to decide who receives their property after their death. However, there is much more to estate planning than choosing heirs to receive your property. Comprehensive estate planning can include incapacitation planning, asset protection, and tax planning. Contact a Read more . . .

Estate planning is important for everyone. However, if you are building your business, there are additional reasons why you need a comprehensive estate plan. The type of business you are building can have a significant impact on the provisions included in your estate plan. A Read more . . .

For many people, their plans for their final estate are a private matter that they do not wish to share with other individuals. Therefore, they may be concerned to know that most probate matters are public record in Texas. A matter of public record is open for viewing by any interested person. If you wish your estate to remain private, you might want to speak with a Read more . . .

The goals for an estate plan of any size are typically protecting assets for heirs, avoiding the probate process whenever possible, providing for loved ones, charitable giving, and avoiding estate and gift taxes. High-net-worth estate planning poses several challenges for an individual. However, working with a Texas estate planning attorney to develop a strategy using various estate planning tools can accomplish your goals for an estate plan.
Read more . . .

It’s a good practice to review your estate plan after a major life event, including marriage. Newlyweds who have estate plans when they get married should review those plans to ensure that the plans still reflect their desires now that they are married. For newlyweds who do not have an estate plan, working with a Texas estate-planning lawyer to develop an estate plan is an important step in preparing for their future lives together.
Read more . . .