Estate Planning Resources

Articles and guides to help you understand your options for protecting your family and your assets in Texas and North Carolina.

Who Are The Heirs of a Single Person With No Surviving Parents or Children Who Dies Without a Will?

When an unmarried person dies without a Will in Texas, the Texas Intestacy Statutes control how their property will be distributed. The intestacy statutes are the Texas legislature’s best guess on how a Texan would

What is a Laughing Heir?

I heard about “laughing heirs” for the first time during my Wills, Trusts, and Estates class in law school. A laughing heir is an heir of an estate so remotely related to a decedent that

Will Transferring My Homestead to a Revocable Trust Prevent Me From Qualifying For Medicaid?

Medicaid is a means-tested benefit that provides health insurance for Americans with limited financial resources and income. To be eligible for Medicaid coverage, applicants can have no more than $2,000 in countable resources. However, not

What are Valid Reasons to Contest Will in Texas?

His dad had been sick and weak. He didn’t even have the strength to write his own name. Nevertheless, after his father died, his stepmother produced a deathbed Will for probate that left all her

Your Estate Plan May Need To Be Tweaked: The SECURE Act Has Passed

Rania Combs discusses how the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act) may require changes to your estate plan.

Happy Holidays!

One of my favorite poems is one Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote about success. Although many in our world define success by how much money one earns, the size of one’s house, or the make of

Must a Court Honor Parents’ Appointment of Guardian?

The issue that drives most parents to engage in estate planning is appointing a guardian for their children. Texas gives parents to right to appoint a guardian for their children in a Will or a

Can I Revoke A Transfer On Death Deed By Will?

Suppose you signed and recorded a Texas Transfer on Death Deed naming your girlfriend as the beneficiary of your house. You had been together for several years and thought she was the love of your

Wacky Wednesday: Wills That Make You Go “Hmmm…: Reuben John Smith

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 posts here. Reuben John Smith wanted to make sure he

Is Married Beneficiary’s Interest in a Trust Separate or Community Property?

Texas defines separate property as property owned before marriage or acquired by gift or inheritance. For example, if you purchased a house before you were married, the house would be your separate property. Likewise, if

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