When you die, the assets you’ve accumulated during your lifetime have to be distributed. If you don’t make a plan, your family may be left to clean up a legal mess, quarrel amongst themselves, or watch as a long-lost family member is given everything by a court decision. An estate…
If you are among the millions of Americans who prefer to lease a car rather than buy it, you have obligations that are spelled out in the lease agreement. That contract and the laws of your state direct what happens, when a lease owner passes away. What if the salesman…
Digital property needs to be addressed in your estate plan just as tangible assets like real estate. Not planning for a digital afterlife is increasingly important. How many hours do you spend on your smart phone, laptop or desktop, busy with work emails, personal emails, social media platforms, gaming, networking…
Estate planning requires making some of the most important decisions a parent can make for their child’s well-being. Single parents need to plan in advance for what will happen to their children, whether they are minors or adults. That includes preparing for the parent’s incapacity, as much as it does…
Asset titling is the sticking point, where many estate plans fail. The best plan can be undone, if assets are not retitled or accounts are not funded. Retitling assets means just that—changing the name of the asset, whether it’s a deed to a home or a name of an insurance…
This grim topic deserves your attention. If you haven’t made plans for what will happen after you die, your loved ones will have to pick up the pieces. Here’s the nice part about this serious subject: once you have created an estate plan, you will have a clearer understanding of…
People think of estate plans as one-off documents, but they should think of them more like cars. Estate plans need maintenance, oil changes, tune-ups and if there’s an accident, repairs. As life progresses, you’ll go through a number of stages, from being a teen to an adult, getting married, retiring,…
If your will does not address this issue, then your state’s laws will be applied. Speak to an experienced Houston estate planning attorney to see about Texas heir laws. Estate planning attorneys deal with unexpected issues all of the time, and by their nature, some of them involve sensitive and sad topics.…
The swiftness of fires and flood in the news in recent months, even in places that have never experienced dramatic disasters, puts a spotlight on the need for preparedness. That includes your estate plan. The evening news presents enough reminders about the need to plan for disasters. However, many people…
The co-founder of Microsoft serves as an excellent example of advance planning, maintaining privacy and creating a legacy. Through a trust established years ago and several companies, Paul Allen began building his legacy of philanthropy long before his death. His last will and testament was a simple six-page document, according…