Where there is a will there is a way (and even if there is no will, there is a way – it’s just more costly). The probate process is designed so that an executor or administrator can pay the debts of the deceased and distribute the...
Aretha Franklin died in 2018 leaving 2 handwritten wills resulting in an expensive legal battle between her children over which will would prevail. In July 2023, a Michigan jury decided her most recent handwritten will (written by her in 2014) found in a spiral notebook...
The opioid crisis is real. Fentanyl is in the news seemingly on a daily basis. Drug and alcohol addiction of a family member or relative is an issue often discussed in estate planning. A beneficiary with an addiction who receives assets outright will often simply...
The ownership of a series of sketches (worth many millions of dollars) entitled “So you want to see the President” by famed American artist Norman Rockwell, that was originally published in the Saturday Evening Post, has resulted in an estate battle approximately 75-80 years after...
Although it is normally not recommended that a 96-year-old buy any type of annuity, the facts below illustrate how a 96-year-old was willing to bet his money on a plan that included the purchase of a Medicaid-compliant annuity that saved him $6000 a month for...
Texas estate planning attorneys often disagree about what is the best option in estate planning. Sometimes it is best to have a will to transfer your assets and pay your debts after death. Sometimes it is best to have an irrevocable trust for numerous reasons....
Perhaps the most important will to be written is neither a last will and testament (which determines who is to receive your assets, when it is received and how it is received) nor a living will (an end-of-life directive describing whether you are to be...
There is often confusion as to who is the beneficiary of a bank account when an owner of the account dies. The type of account selected on a signature card determines how the account passes at death. Texas has a law on the seven (7) types...
Americans, particularly workers with lower earnings, are not saving enough for retirement as many live paycheck to paycheck. As part of the spending bill signed by President Biden on December 29, 2022, there are various incentives ranging from emergency savings options to tax incentives and...
Guardianship is often needed for an incapacitated person, but it is an expensive legal process which should be avoided if possible. Thus, planning should be considered as an alternative to guardianship. Texas law defines an “incapacitated person” as: 1) a minor; 2) an adult, who...
