Estate Planning

If you have a comprehensive estate plan, you are one step ahead of many people. However, drafting and executing an estate plan is only the first step in protecting your future, your family, and your property. You need to periodically review your estate plan with your Texas estate-planning lawyer to ensure the plan still represents your wishes and desires.

Furthermore, changes in your life, your financial status, and various laws may require modifications of your estate plan. Failing to review your estate plan periodically may result in your loved ones facing situations after your death that you tried to avoid by drafting an estate plan. All your hard work in developing a comprehensive estate plan could go to waste if you do not invest the time necessary to review the plan periodically.

When it comes to estate-planning, it’s usually a good idea to create documents that allow you to avoid probate. There are a number of really good reasons to avoid probate, from tax savings, time savings, and of course, privacy. However, there are times when probate is unavoidable, and when that happens, whomever is left to administer the estate needs to know how to proceed, so that critical mistakes aren’t made. For most people, using the services of an experienced probate lawyer saves them time, money and heartache.

Planning for your death or incapacitation may not be the most appealing task on your to-do list; however, it is very important to make time to work with a Texas estate planning lawyer, especially if you own a business. Failing to develop an estate plan can create serious problems for your family and your business. Your business is probably one of the biggest assets you own.

When you go through a divorce, it affects virtually every aspect of your life—from your daily life to your long-term plans for the future. It also changes your legal obligations when it comes to your estate plan as well. In fact, you need to take steps to revise your estate plan, so it actually reflects your changed living situation.

For many people, supporting charities is an important part of their life. They prioritize donations to charities as part of their monthly and annual budgets. However, some people forget to plan for charitable giving as part of their estate plan. Because charities cannot be heirs of an estate unless they are named in a will or named as a beneficiary in a trust agreement, it is very important to discuss your charitable giving goals with your...

Estate planning is important for everyone, regardless of your financial situation, family status, or any other issue. Exerting control of how your final affairs will be handled is a benefit of estate planning. However, the goal of estate planning is to protect yourself, your property, and your heirs by utilizing estate documents and tools. One of the tools that our

In Texas, the typical way to transfer assets to heirs after a person dies is through a probate court proceeding. If the deceased person has a will when he or she dies, his or her property should be distributed according to the terms of the will. However, when a person dies without a will, the probate court will oversee the distribution of assets according to the intestate laws in Texas. In either case, a Texas probate lawyer can assist heirs in probating the estate.

However, many people want to try to avoid probate because of the time and cost involved in probating an estate.

Texas property owners can transfer an interest in real estate to a beneficiary by using a Lady Bird Deed. However, in 2015, the State Legislature enacted laws that created another option for property owners to transfer an interest in real estate to a beneficiary. The Transfer on Death Deed is similar to a POD (paid on death) account with a bank. When the grantor dies, the interest in the property transfers to the named beneficiary or beneficiaries. By avoiding probate, the beneficiary can avoid gift taxes.

While most grantors of a trust think long and hard about who should be their trustee, they may not always make the right choice. Some trustees do not take their duties seriously or take advantage of their fiduciary role. They may also butt heads with beneficiaries on other issues as well.

In most situations, beneficiaries can remove a trustee who is not doing his or her job. However, you will need to show that certain conditions have been met to warrant removal.

When someone close to you dies, you have to deal with many issues, including the person’s estate. People in Texas are fortunate, because you might not have to go through the probate courts at all. If you do have to probate the will and the decedent’s estate falls within the guidelines for “independent administration,” the journey through court can be simple, with little official supervision.

If you have to take the estate through probate court with a dependent administration, it will take much longer than an independent administration.

Texas probate lawyers frequently use muniment of title proceedings to administer small estates quickly. If you have suffered the loss of a loved one, you might be considering the use of muniment of title to probate the will. If that is the case, you should consult with an experienced Texas probate lawyer.