Posts Tagged ‘Estate Planning’
Family Conversations About Your Estate Plan
With holidays upon us, you’ve got a lot on your mind, right? Turkeys and ham don’t make themselves, and the longer you put off gift shopping, the more stressful that affair becomes. And then, of course, the house needs to be cleaned, family visits need to be scheduled, Christmas lights need to go up, and…
Read MoreTough Conversations About Estate Planning Around the Holidays
In a world driven by social media, it’s easy to feel as if, despite all the insight we have into each other’s lives, our loved ones are further away than ever. And indeed, the data bears this out. A recent study shows the average modern family is spread 2,077 miles across the world and most adults have…
Read MoreIf Only Anne Heche Had Drafted an Estate Plan…
Anne Heche was an Emmy award-winning actress, well-known for her roles in such blockbuster hits as Donnie Brasco and I Know What You Did Last Summer. Well, we know what Heche didn’t do last summer: draft an estate plan. The actress lost her life in a car crash in August, 2022…leaving behind two sons, a…
Read MoreHow Living in a Community Property State (Like Texas) or a Common Law State Affects Your Estate Planning
Every state has unique statutory requirements for creating, integrating and implementing its estate planning laws. Every state, likewise, has unique marital interest laws that affect an estate plan. Therefore, if you are married or plan on being married, it is imperative that you consider the impact of your state’s marital interest laws on your plan. …
Read MoreDon’t DIY It: Why Online Wills and Trusts Might Not Hold Up
In recent years, it seems like DIY estate planning services are popping up everywhere. These providers allow you to prepare your Wills and Trusts online at a considerably lower cost than it would take to hire an estate planning attorney. Sounds great, right? Then, let’s consider the old adage “you get what you pay for”.…
Read MoreEstate Planning Trends: Generational Differences in Estate Planning
Believe it or not, your birthday probably has a big effect on how you think about estate planning. However, we are not talking astrology. A Scorpio with a moon in Gemini isn’t more likely to draft a Will than any other sign. But, think about it: if you were born in the 1950s, you came…
Read MoreThis is So Unfair: Let’s Talk About Unequal Inheritance
Fair doesn’t always mean equal. If you’re out for dinner with your kids aged two and ten, you’re not going to order them the same meal. Likewise, if you’re at a CrossFit class with a friend who’s never lifted more than your spirit, you’re not going to squat the same weight. Fairness means treating people…
Read MoreProtecting Your Family’s Security: Integration of Your Estate Plan and Your Financial Plan
If you’ve been following our blog, you know that estate planning is an important step in protecting your family’s financial security. Whether drawing up a Will or establishing a Trust, an Estate Plan is an essential tool to ensure that your assets find their intended recipients after you pass. Likewise, perhaps in your financial plan…
Read MoreFour Simple Steps to Take the Pain out of Probate Court
If there is not a good reason to probate an Estate (and, sometimes, there is) probate court is one of those places you don’t want to visit. Surprisingly, compared to other states, the probate process in Texas is not overly complicated…however, this does NOT mean that your estate administration efforts will be painless. For most…
Read More3 Easy-to-Overlook Estate Planning Considerations
People avoid Estate Planning, either because they never outgrew that teenage feeling of invincibility, or because they overestimate the complexity of the task. Yes, drafting your Estate Plan is one of the most important things you will ever do…but that doesn’t mean it’s hard. A good estate planning attorney will walk you step-by-step through the…
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