Planning for Special Circumstances

Home for the Holidays: Are Mom and Dad Okay?

The holidays are traditionally a time for families to gather together from far and wide. For some who do not live near…

FAQs About Estate Planning, Financial Powers of Attorney

How Do I Manage Someone Else’s Money?

If you are serving as a financial caregiver, you likely have a lot of questions about your responsibilities. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently…

Planning for Special Circumstances

Estate Planning Gone Wrong

If you’re like me, you’ve probably received at least half a dozen emails like the one illustrated in the cartoon below:…

Planning for Special Circumstances

Ding Dong, The Witch Is Dead!

Obituaries are typically an opportunity honor family members who have passed away with details about their lives, accomplishments and the people whose lives they…

Probating a Will

What is a Muniment of Title?

Full administration of an estate is not always necessary. If an estate has no unpaid debts, except those secured by real property, and administration is not…

Medical Powers of Attorney and Directives

Can A Spouse Access Health Care Information Without A HIPAA Authorization?

A few weeks ago, my husband received a bill from a medical provider for some routine blood tests his physician had recommended. We had…

Financial Powers of Attorney

Sign A Durable Power of Attorney Before It’s Too Late

I got a message recently from a woman with questions about getting a power of attorney to handle her ailing father’s financial affairs. Her…

FAQs About Estate Planning, FAQs About Powers of Attorney and Directives

Does My College Student Need Estate Planning?

A couple of years ago, I wrote blog post titled “Three Estate Planning Documents Every College Student Needs.” The post was prompted by…

How Property Distributed When Someone Dies Without A Will

If You Don’t Have a Will, Texas Makes One For You

I received a phone call this week from a woman I’ll call Ellen, whose grandfather had succumbed to pancreatic cancer. His own children were unwilling to care…

Requirements of a Valid Will

Defining “Handwriting” for Purposes of a Holographic Will

In a post explaining the requirements of a valid will in Texas, I wrote that a holographic will…