Estate Planning Resources

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

The Five Basic Estate Planning Documents Every Adult in Texas Needs

The article explains how five Texas estate planning documents address property distribution, incapacity, medical decisions, medical information sharing, and end-of-life wishes.

Don’t Let Outdated Estate Planning Documents Haunt You

The article explains how to review wills, revocable trusts, beneficiary designations, property titles, and fiduciary appointments after life changes or several years have passed.

Estate and Gift Tax Changes for 2026

The article explains that the federal estate and gift tax exclusion will increase to $15 million per person in 2026 and outlines planning considerations for wealthy families.

Can I Make Handwritten Changes To a Typewritten Will?

Under Texas law, handwritten changes to a signed typewritten Will generally are invalid unless they meet the formal requirements for a new Will or codicil.

What are the Inheritance Rights of Half-Siblings When Someone Dies Without a Will?

The article explains how Texas intestacy laws treat half-siblings, full siblings, and step-siblings when someone dies without a Will and how a Will or Trust can provide different inheritance instructions.

Designing a Trust if Asset Protection is Your Goal

The article explains how independent trustees, discretionary distributions, broad beneficiary classes, indefinite trust terms, and careful administration can strengthen asset protection trusts in Texas and North Carolina.

Trapped Inside Your Body: Would you Choose to Live?

Ian Berg’s story illustrates why advance directives should clearly address life-sustaining treatment, quality of life, and decision-making when someone cannot communicate.

What is the Difference Between Per Capita, Per Stirpes, and Per Capita with Representation Distributions?

This article explains how per stirpes, per capita, and per capita with representation distributions divide an estate among children, descendants, and other heirs under the examples discussed.

Choosing the Right Healthcare Agent: Lessons from The Pitt

Using a storyline from The Pitt, this article explains how advance directives, medical powers of attorney, and co-agents can affect healthcare decisions in Texas and North Carolina.

How a Spendthrift Trust Safeguards Inheritances

This article explains how spendthrift trusts can protect beneficiaries’ inheritances from misuse and certain creditor claims, including their creation and limitations under Texas law.

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