Wills, Trusts & Estate Planning
My practice is centered on folks with busy schedules. Who has time to drive downtown, or take time away from school, the office, or taking caring care of your family?
We can meet via a phone call or Zoom, answer questions via my secure client portal, or any other method that works for you! Execution of your documents can be done after hours or on the weekend. My goal is to make this process as convenient and educational as possible.
Can you afford not to? Or worse, get it wrong?
Drafting a will may seem like a relatively simple process: Write down who should receive your property and who your executor will be. But a legally effective will has specific requirements in Texas – and just downloading a form may give you a will that is valid somewhere else, but not in Texas.
One of my first clients was the wife of a deceased engineer – a brilliant man – who thought he would “do it himself.” Unfortunately, the things he didn’t know cost his surviving wife $15,000 that could have been saved by just a consultation!
Complete Basic Estate Plans: Singles from $1,326,
Couples from $2,244
Estate planning is important no matter what your net worth is. While most people know something about a will and what it does, there is more to the process if you want to fully protect yourself and your family. That’s right! I said YOURSELF! Most of what happens in estate planning happens to you BEFORE you die!
A complete estate plan should consist of seven documents (eight if you have minor children) that answer the following questions:
- Who can doctors talk to about your health status? The HIPAA Release
- Who makes medical decisions for you if you cannot make them yourself? The Medical Power of Attorney
- Who handles your financial affairs when you can’t do it yourself? The Durable (Financial) Power of Attorney
- If you are physically or mentally incapacitated, who will take care of you? The Declaration of Adult Guardian
- Who will care for your kids if you are killed or incapacitated? The Declaration of Guardian for Minor Children
- Do you want to be kept alive using all available life-sustaining technology, or be allowed to pass naturally? The Directive to Physicians sometimes called the Living Will.
- Should you be buried or cremated? And what should be done with your remains? The Agent to Control Disposition of Remains
- Who gets your stuff? And who is responsible for making that happen? The Will
Wills Only: Singles from $918, Couples from $1,680
I realize financial constraints can be an issue, but I do not recommend doing Wills alone. Why? Because if you read carefully, you will see every other document is about YOU, while the Will is about your STUFF – and I believe people are more important than things. But I understand sometimes this is the best we can do.
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Do I need a trust?
Most people think of a trust as something for the uber-wealthy. While that may have been true years ago, today more and more families can benefit from trusts. If you can relate to any of the following, we should discuss if a trust makes sense for you:
- Blended families
- Families with closely held business or rental properties
- Families with disharmony, where a Will may be contested or with children who may try to thwart your wishes
- Families with property out of state
- Families with special needs members
- Families concerned about eldercare, Alzheimer’s, or dementia
What happens if I die without a will?
Dying without a will can be like throwing your family into what I call the Zombie Apocolypse. Learn more about what happens here.
Probating a Will
Probate is the process by which a deceased person’s estate is distributed. Learn more about it here.