There are different ways that people in Texas can leave their property to their loved ones after they pass away. One is by simply allowing their property to pass according to the intestate laws. However, people can also dictate where their property goes by drafting a...
Estate Planning
How divorce affects one’s will or trust
Many people in Texas have wills or trusts drafted during their lives to help ensure their property goes to the people they want after they die. Throughout people's lives, circumstances change, and life may be very different than when people originally drafted their...
Review of advance medical directives in Texas
A previous post on this blog talked about how some Texas residents may choose to execute what is often referred to as a health care proxy but may also be referred to as a medical power of attorney. To review, the health care proxy is a document a Houston resident can...
The formalities of a valid will in Texas
Most of us understand the importance of having a valid will, but very few understand the requirements upon which a will's validity depends. A will must satisfy two kinds of criteria to be valid. First, the will must satisfy the formal requirements of execution and...
Living together has legal risks as a couple ages
More and more Texas couples are choosing to live together without getting married, especially if one or both partners are over the age of 50. This choice has many reasons, but according to several studies, the most prevalent reason is the memory of a difficult divorce...
What is a transfer-on-death deed?
Many Houston couples reside in a house or condominium that is owned by only one of them. In most cases, the person who owns the real estate wants to ensure that title to the property passes to the other member of the couple, if the owner should be the first to die.In...
What is a Texas special needs trust?
Texas parents with special needs children are constantly faced with the question of how to provide for the child's expenses. This question is especially vexing when the issue is estate planning. Special needs children often rely on a variety of state and federal...
Estate planning and annual gifts
Recently on this blog, we discussed the federal estate tax and noted that its exemption is now set at $11.4 million. Since Texas has no state estate tax, and few Texas individuals leave behind an estate worth more than $11.4 million, most Texas families need not...
Clearing up some estate tax myths
Estate planning and probate are subjects that can profoundly affect people's lives, and yet they don't come up very often in conversation. One of the few occasions on which the popular news media will discuss the subjects is when there is a courtroom battle over a...
How often should I update my estate plan?
Your will is meant to be the last statement of your intentions about how to distribute your property after you are gone. However, a lot can happen in your life after you sign your name on your finished will. If you don't update your will to reflect these changes, you...