The death of a loved one sends a Texas resident on an emotional and stressful journey. Family members have to go through the decedent's belongings and plan their funeral all while coming to terms with their own grief. If the decedent had not outlined their own wishes for how their funeral should take place and their assets distributed, it can trigger another stressful time in the lives of the heirs.
November 2018 Archives
What are the legal requirements to contest a will?
When someone creates a will, it is assumed that it is valid and should be legally binding, as it is supposed to contain the wishes of the decedent. This is why legal challenges to the validity of the will, known as a will contest, are often thrown out of the court unless they meet stringent legal requirements.
How would an estate become depleted by nursing care?
Millenials are the butt of many jokes, but credit must be given where credit is due-according to the AARP, they are spending an average of 21 hours a week taking care of older adults. Currently, around 10 million millenials are already serving as the caretaker for an elderly loved one, such as a parent, grandparent, in-law or other adult. Over time, more people are expected to step into this role.
Timely trust modifications can avoid family disputes
Houston residents who have created their estate plans might think they have their ducks lined up, but simply creating an estate plan is not the end of the matter. It is very important to periodically review the plan to ensure that it is up to date. A lot might have changed since a trust was created or beneficiaries named, and the estate planning documents may no longer be appropriate. Things change, and so should trusts.
When your estate contains complex assets
One reason why many people postpone making an estate plan is that it often involves many complex components. Few Texas families are fortunate enough to have all their members getting along, and creating an estate plan may mean taking into consideration the special circumstances or needs of more than one person in your family.
Do my college going kids need an estate plan?
Many Houston residents may have sent off their children to college this fall and in between wondering how quickly time passes and how they are going to change the extra bedroom into a gym, they neglect to think about essential updates to their estate plan. When a child is born, parents likely update their estate plans to nominate a guardian for them in case something happened to the parents. Now that the children are older, there are a new set of issues an estate plan should consider, including how to continue financially supporting a child without letting other people take advantage of them.
