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Estate Planning Resources
Articles and guides to help you understand your options for protecting your family and your assets in Texas and North Carolina.
Answers parents' questions about using a special needs trust to supplement a child's care while preserving eligibility for SSI and Medicaid, including trustee, funding, and trust-type decisions.
- Rania Combs
Explains the legal requirements for a valid Texas Will, including legal and testamentary capacity, intent, writing, signatures, witnesses, holographic Wills, notarization, and self-proving affidavits.
- Rania Combs
The article explains how the 2016 Special Needs Trust Fairness Act allows mentally competent individuals with disabilities to create first-party special needs trusts for their own benefit while preserving potential Medicaid and SSI eligibility.
- Rania Combs
A Lady Bird Deed transfers real estate to beneficiaries at the owner's death without probate while preserving the owner's control during life, though mortgage and title insurance issues may arise.
- Rania Combs
A Texas Will can leave separate property and a deceased spouse’s share of community property to others, but surviving spouses may retain homestead, reimbursement, exempt property, family allowance, and retirement account rights.
- Rania Combs
This article explains why same-sex couples should maintain Wills, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, beneficiary designations, and parentage protections despite nationwide marriage recognition.
- Rania Combs
This article explains North Carolina’s requirements for a valid Will, including capacity, testamentary intent, writing and execution formalities, witnesses, notarization, and self-proving affidavits.
- Rania Combs
This article compares Texas Lady Bird Deeds and Transfer on Death Deeds, including their requirements, control during life, creditor and title issues, and relationship to a Will.
- Rania Combs
This article explains how Section 309.056 of the Texas Estates Code can let an independent executor use an affidavit in lieu of a public inventory when statutory conditions are met, while allowing interested persons to
- Rania Combs
Estate planning matters even without a taxable estate because it lets you choose beneficiaries, guardians, trustees, agents, and healthcare instructions while protecting your family and preserving your wishes.
- Rania Combs
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Topics
- Estate Planning122
- Wills62
- Probate and Estate Administration46
- Powers of Attorney46
- Intestacy34
- Gift and Estate Tax32
- Trusts28
- Newsworthy25
- Choosing a Guardian25
- Wacky Wills22
- Odds and Ends17
- The Risk of DIY Planning16
- Special Needs Trusts13
- Transfer on Death Deeds13
- Retirement and End of Life Planning13
- Incapacity11
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