Planning for Special Circumstances

Estate Planning Tips That Prevent Family Feuds

When I was a girl, my mother enjoyed needlework. She would painstakingly sew for hours, crafting beautiful pieces like the one in the image above. My…

Wacky Wills

Wacky Wednesday: Wills That Make You Go “Hmmm…” – Carlotta Liebenstein

NB: This post is part of a series highlighting wills that contain some interesting, and sometimes bizarre, bequests and stipulations. You can see all these…

Choosing a Guardian

People Ineligible To Be Appointed As Guardian

When appointing a guardian for a child, the court will consider what is in the child’s best interest. According to the Texas Estates Code, certain people are…

FAQs About Wills

What Happens If A Beneficiary Of A Will Dies First?

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…

Newsworthy

The Virtual Law Practice

When I opened my virtual doors a year and a half ago, very few lawyers operated in the virtual realm. But the virtual law practice model…

FAQs About Trusts

When Should I Use a Revocable Trust?

A couple of weeks ago, I explained that probate recently got more private in Texas. In the past an estate’s representative was required to file an…

FAQs About Wills

When Equal Is Not Equitable: How To Give One Child Less

Parents often go to great lengths to make sure they treat their children equally, not only during their lifetime but also by leaving them an equal share…

FAQs About Probate, FAQs About Wills

Probate Just Got More Private In Texas

One factor that often motivates people to choose revocable trust-based plans as opposed to will-based plans is the privacy trusts afford. Assets within a trust pass…

FAQs About Powers of Attorney and Directives

Who is an Incapacitated Person?

The Texas Estates Code specifically defines who is an incapacitated person. According to the Code, an incapacitated person is: A minor; An adult individual who, because of a…

How Property Distributed When Someone Dies Without A Will

The Price of Not Having a Simple Will

I read an article by Don McNay recently, which highlights the complexities, expense and unwanted results that can arise in cases of intestacy. McNay is a…