Estate Planning

A reader asked a very interesting question recently after reading my article on the characterization of property in Texas. He asked whether a house purchased during a marriage wholly with the husband’s separate property will

If you live in Texas and are thinking about creating an estate plan, you likely have a lot of questions. Below are answers to the most frequently asked questions propective clients ask when thinking about

A friend from college died suddenly a couple of years ago. She was a healthy person, but contracted the flu and died from complications from it. A couple of months later, I received a Facebook reminder that

The words “Beneficiary” and “Heir” are often used interchangeably, but each word has a very specific legal definition. A beneficiary is someone who benefits from the transfer of property, such as by a Will or

Wendy S. Goffe wrote a great guest article on Forbes.com last week that offered tips to avoid problems that can result from incomplete or inaccurate IRA beneficiary designations. Below are her recommendations Name a primary

Several weeks ago, I received a phone call from a client whose elderly mother owned several pieces of real estate in an exclusive part of town. She had purchased the property decades ago for very

If you have decided to be cremated when you die, you’re one of a growing number of Americans making that choice. I came across an interesting infographic today titled Ashes to Ashes, which illustrates how

If you or someone you know has been a beneficiary of an estate, you may have been exposed to the frustration and disagreements that can occur when details of an estate plan are kept secret

If you’re like most Americans, one of your largest assets is your Individual Retirement Account (“IRA”). Your IRA is considered a “retirement fund” and the money it contains is  protected from creditors who seek to recover