FAQs About Trusts, Trusts

Designing a Trust if Asset Protection is Your Goal

Attorney Rania Combs explains how to design a spendthrift trust for beneficiaries if asset protection is your goal.

Estate Planning, Planning for Special Circumstances

Will Distributions from ABLE Account for Food or Shelter Reduce SSI Benefits?

What is an ABLE Account? An ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) account is a type of savings account for individuals with disabilities and their families. The account…

Estate Planning, Planning for Special Circumstances

Frequently Asked Questions About Texas ABLE Accounts

Barrack Obama signed the Achieving a Better Life Experience “(ABLE”) Act into on December 19, 2014. It requires each state to pass its own ABLE Act. Governor Greg…

Estate Planning, Planning for Special Circumstances

Estate Planning for Your Graduate

If you are the parent of a high school senior about to graduate, you’re probably feeling a whirlwind of emotion right now. I…

FAQs About Wills

Is The Will I Signed In Another State Valid in Texas?

I have written before that a move to another state can trigger a need to update your will. It’s not necessarily because the move invalidates…

FAQs About Probate

Is It Always Necessary to Probate a Will?

A person who dies typically has two classes of assets: probate assets and non-probate assets. Probate assets are property titled in the deceased person’s name. For example, if…

Probating a Will

Do I Need a Lawyer to Probate a Will in Texas?

“Will it be necessary to hire a lawyer to go through probate?” That’s a question I get each week from Texans who have lost friends and family members.

Odds and Ends

‘Tis the Season for Scams

A man who introduced himself as Alex called last week. I was on another call, so I let the call go to my voicemail. He didn’t leave a…

FAQs About Probate

What is an Affidavit of Heirship?

When someone dies owning real estate, that property cannot be sold or transferred until the decedent’s name is removed from the title. Probate records become a link in…

Planning for Special Circumstances

Who Are Your Beneficiaries?

Who are your beneficiaries? When was the last time you updated your beneficiary designations? If you’re like most Americans, it’s probably been a really long time!I…