The Risk of DIY Planning, Wills

You May Need More Than A Simple Will

A lawyer can advise you on how to accomplish your estate planning goals, and tailor your estate planning documents to carry out those goals.

Uncategorized

Texas Extends Rule Against Perpetuities to 300 Years

The Rule Against Perpetuities is the bane of every first-year law student’s existence. It provides: no interest is good unless it must vest, if at all, no later…

The Complexities of Intestacy in Blended Families

Intestacy Can Be A Nightmare In Blended Families

I get panicked calls virtually every week from Texans whose spouses have died without a Will. The stories are usually quite similar. The spouses lived together in…

Financial Powers of Attorney

To Spring or Not to Spring a Durable Power of Attorney

Every adult residing in Texas should have a Texas durable power of attorney. Below are answers to some commonly asked questions regarding durable powers of attorney: What…

FAQs About Estate Planning

Should I Name my Minor Children as Beneficiaries of my Insurance Policy?

If you’re like most parents, your beneficiary designation on your life insurance probably lists your minor children as the secondary beneficiaries of your life insurance policy, behind your…

Estate Planning, Planning for Special Circumstances

Consent for Treatment of Minors by Non-Parent

My youngest son is 16 years old now. Last summer, as Covid forced lockdowns, he and half a dozen of his friends planned a beach trip to celebrate…

FAQs About Trusts, Trusts

Should I Put My Guns to My Revocable Trust?

If you own guns, you may be wondering whether you should transfer them to your Revocable Trust. There are a couple of reasons why that is generally a…

FAQs About Wills

Can A Parent Disinherit An Adopted Child?

A woman’s adoptive father was dying. She was worried, but not about what you’d expect. You see, her father inherited a piece of family land from her…

FAQs About Wills

Definitions of Common Terms in Wills

Lawyers use a lot of words when talking about wills, assuming that everyone knows their meaning. But I realized early on that many people outside the…

Uncategorized

Potential Capital Gains Tax Changes Ahead for Inherited Property

Capital gains tax is a type of tax you have to pay when you sell an appreciated asset. You calculate it by subtracting your purchase price (known as…