Most Texans have inadequate income and resources or lack long-term care insurance to pay for the cost of long-term care (such as nursing home and assisted living care or care at home). As a result, they often use long-term care Medicaid to help pay for...
It is not unusual for family members to fight over personal property items of value (sentimental or financial - such as jewelry, guns, art, tools, furniture, silverware and china, etc.). After famous comedian Robin Williams died, his Will left his homestead to his wife, but there...
Although you would think the rich and famous would be the last to make estate planning errors, but they make mistakes (from which we can learn) like others. Here are some celebrity estate planning mistakes: No Estate Plan. Famous singers Prince and Aretha Franklin failed to...
Divorces are often draining – financially and emotionally. As a result, many do not want to incur more costs or even think about different financial arrangements. However, anytime there is a significant change in your family (death, divorce, disability, births, etc.), your estate plan should be at...
The coronavirus pandemic has not only resulted in the stark realization of our mortality resulting in a surge in the preparation of wills and trusts, but it has also caused the necessity for review or consider changes to the most basic estate planning documents including...
Under Texas law, a surviving spouse has a life estate in the homestead of their deceased souse (see our article entitled “Surviving Spouse Homestead Rights – I Never Want to Fall in Love Again” by clicking here). A life estate gives the surviving spouse the right...
“They chopped his head off, burned his body, put it in a box and sent it to my house,” stated Kurt Pilegram who has sued cryogenics firm, Alcor Life Extension Foundation (“Alcor”), for a million dollars for emotional distress for what they did to his...
As Americans continue to live longer, many have decided to cohabitate with a significant other (rather than marry) due to complications. These can include kids from a prior marriage or relationship or wealth accumulation by one or both parties. From a financial perspective, sometimes it...
Former Attorney General Janet Reno (appointed by President Clinton) created and funded a revocable living trust prior to her death in 2016. She was not married and had no descendants. Her trust had a specific bequest of her mostly underdeveloped four acre ranch home in...
A trust protector is a person or entity appointed by the one who establishes the trust (the “trustor”) to protect the trust assets and beneficiaries in the event the law changes or circumstances change and the trustor is unable to make such changes. Here are...
