Wills

What Is a Holographic Will? A holographic will is a handwritten will that is entirely in the testator’s own handwriting and signed by them. Unlike traditional wills, it does not require witnesses to be valid

Texas recognizes two types of written wills and the witness requirements are different for both. Holographic Wills are Wills that are completely in the handwriting of the Testator and signed by him or her. The

Many people confuse Living Wills with Last Wills and Testaments. They sound similar, but serve very different purposes. A Living Will, also known as a Directive to Physicians, is a document that allows you to

Imagine your father, who is no longer married to your mother, dies leaving a Will. He told you that you were a beneficiary of his estate, but when you ask your step-mother to see the

A durable power of attorney allows you to choose a person you trust to handle your financial affairs if you become incapacitated and can’t handle them yourself. If you don’t have a durable power of

The short answer is no. An unsigned will is not valid in Texas. Last week, I discussed why estate planning is important despite our optimistic outlook for the future. The article was prompted by an

Someone contacted me last week inquiring whether a Will is valid in Texas if it is not dated. Apparently, the individual’s father-in-law died leaving a short typed Will. He signed the Will and two unrelated

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, I received a question from someone who wondered whether revoking a current will would revive a will that was signed previously. Unfortunately, I seem to have accidentally deleted the email before

I have written before that making a will is not a something you do just once in your life. Your will is something that should change as your life does. Otherwise it can become an

When Texans draft wills and name beneficiaries, they expect  that the beneficiaries they have named will outlive them. But that is not always the case. Sometimes a beneficiary named in a will dies first. Most