Planning for emergencies is a key part of thinking through your long-term care needs. Importantly, naming an individual to make medical decisions on your behalf, in the event of your inability to make decisions for yourself, is a good way to ensure that you have a solid plan in place…
Part of the estate planning process necessarily involves difficult conversations and difficult decisions. One topic that many individuals can be hesitant to discuss is the “disposition of remains” document. While sometimes unpleasant to talk about, this document can be a key part of your estate plan that requires careful care…
As many individuals in Texas know all too well, the probate process can be long and drawn out. Waiting for a decedent’s assets to be distributed can take months, which often makes things difficult for beneficiaries who might need more immediate access to their loved one’s funds. In Texas, however,…
Among the many tools available to those sorting through a loved one’s estate, the affidavit of heirship can be particularly useful for individuals whose loved ones might not have left behind a will. In Texas, the affidavit of heirship can be an incredibly practical way to transfer property ownership from…
Sometimes, a decedent leaves behind property, and it is unclear who the property belongs to after the decedent is gone. Under the right circumstances, interested parties in Texas can file an affidavit to determine heirship, which allows the probate court to sort out who should get the property in question…
Both fortunately and unfortunately, the Texas probate process can be very complex. This is fortunate for many clients because it gives them different tools to creatively and efficiently create an estate plan that works for them. It is unfortunate, though, because many of these tools require significant amounts of time…
For many of our clients and potential clients, trusts are a somewhat foreign concept and are thought of as inaccessible tools only for the uber-wealthy. Fortunately, this is a misconception, and individuals with all different kinds of estates, assets, and debts are able to benefit from establishing a trust. In…
What do you think of when you hear the words “estate plan”? For most people, estate planning brings to mind wills, trusts, and perhaps the probate process. There are, however, many other tools available to you in Houston, Texas, when you create your estate plan. Here, we outline five of…
One common mistake we see in the greater Houston community is that many individuals assume estate planning is only for the elderly. This can, unfortunately, leave many families without a plan when their loved one dies, and it can leave others without the ability to take advantage of important benefits…
By definition, Medicaid is a government benefit that is available to individuals with lower incomes that need to pay for long-term care. It was created in 1965 and provides coverage to millions of Americans, including pregnant women and older people who need health insurance. Despite its widespread availability, it can…