One common goal in the estate planning process is crafting a plan that allows your beneficiaries to avoid probate. Probate can often be a long and drawn-out process, and many of our clients use various estate planning tools to avoid probate court altogether. One such tool, which we discuss on…
Medicaid estate recovery is a scary process, and it can affect families across the country during already difficult times. How can you plan ahead and help guard against Medicaid estate recovery? This blog serves as a starting point, but remember that each person’s circumstances are different, and each person might…
At McCulloch & Miller, we believe that every client’s estate plan should make things as easy as possible both for our client and for their loved ones. One tool that we often use to simplify estate planning is the payable-on-death designation or the transfer-on-death designation. These mechanisms are known for…
If you have taken the first step and created your will with the help of a Houston estate planning attorney, know that you are making important strides toward protecting your loved ones long after you are gone. Even after you write your will or estate plan, however, it is still…
Many of our clients have causes or organizations that matter deeply to them and that they want to financially support. There are many ways to incorporate charitable giving into your estate plan, and the tool you end up choosing to structure your charitable giving will depend on your own goals…
An affidavit of heirship is a relatively simple estate planning tool that can have a major impact on certain beneficiaries. On today’s blog, we review the basics around affidavits of heirship, so that you can familiarize yourself with when and how they can be used for your advantage. If you…
As part of your estate planning process, you choose beneficiaries to inherit different parts (or the totality) of your estate. What happens, though, if a beneficiary dies before you do? Today’s blog covers several different possible outcomes that your loved ones could expect in this scenario. To start, if one…
A buy-sell agreement is a legal provision of an estate plan that details how the estate owner’s business will transition to different ownership when he or she dies. Buy-sell agreements are critical for business owners’ estate plans, as they help ensure that a business can continue to thrive even if…
If you are navigating the probate process, you have likely investigated the options for legal representation and probate legal services. When choosing an attorney, we recommend looking for someone with experience, positive reviews, and a client-centered approach to their practice. It is equally important, however, to make sure you find…
Many people assume that when it comes to funding a trust, money from a bank account is the only possible source of assets. Today’s blog post serves to dispel that misconception, because there are many different options available to individuals looking to fund their trusts. There are also important procedural…