Estate Planning, Planning for Special Circumstances

What are the Rights and Responsibilities of a Life Tenant in Texas?

A life tenant is a person who has the right to possess real property for the term of a measuring life. The measuring life is typically the…

Estate Planning, Planning for Special Circumstances

A Poor Prognosis? Call Your Estate Planning Lawyer!

I worked with a young couple last year. Both were in good health. They were happily married, had two small children, and were busy balancing their careers…

Estate Planning, FAQs About Estate Planning

Is an Attorney Absolutely Required for Estate Planning?

I received a new client application requesting information about how to set up a power of attorney and Will. The person who submitted the application said she…

Estate Planning, FAQs About Estate Planning, Newsworthy

Where there’s a Will…

A few weeks ago, a journalist emailed me to ask if she could interview me for an article she was writing. The article she wrote appeared in the…

Estate Planning, FAQs About Estate Planning

Can I Change My Will Before My Divorce is Final?

There is a Texas statute that prohibits Courts from entering any orders that prevent parties in a divorce proceeding from changing his or her Will. Section 253.001 of…

Common Estate Planning Mistakes, Estate Planning

Should I Name My Executor As The Beneficiary of My Financial Accounts?

I received an email from a client over the weekend that alarmed me. So much so that called them on a Sunday afternoon to make sure remedial…

Estate Planning, The Texas Transfer on Death Deed

What Rights to Beneficiaries of Transfer on Death Deeds Have During the Homeowner’s Life?

A Texas transfer on death deed is a beneficiary designation for your home. It works like a beneficiary designation on a life insurance policy or a…

Estate Planning, FAQs About Estate Planning

Should I Name My Estate as the Beneficiary of my IRA?

A client was confused. He knew that the federal estate tax only applied to estates in excess of $11 million, so he didn’t understand why significant taxes…

Estate Planning, FAQs About Estate Planning, Financial Powers of Attorney, Incapacity

Avoiding Guardianship in Old Age

A few weeks ago, a client alerted me to an episode of the John Oliver show about guardianships gone wrong. A guardian is someone appointed by…

Estate Planning, Planning for Special Circumstances

Does Your Insurance Policy Name Your Ex-Spouse As a Beneficiary?

Suppose you have a life insurance policy issued as part of an employee benefit plan which identifies your spouse as your primary beneficiary and your adult daughter…