When people begin the estate planning process, they often worry about making mistakes and the problems this could cause down the line. And it is true, when Texans have errors in their estate plan—or do not recognize something is a mistake and purposefully include it—there can be long-term consequences for…
When beginning the estate planning process, most people begin with creating a will and other documents like healthcare directives, medical power of attorney, and funeral arrangements. However, they often forget about living trusts, which have many unique benefits. Unlike a will, a living trust allows an individual to transfer assets…
Some conversations are easier than others to have with your parents—as a child, a teenager, and even as an adult. And as parents age, there are certain aspects of life their children may be concerned about—especially when planning ahead can potentially avoid disasters in the future. One of these topics…
Parents take care of their children as they grow up and age. However, when these parents are getting older, children may get concerned about their parent’s health and well-being. In these cases, they may seek a guardian for their loved one, to take care of their personal and financial affairs.…
Many experienced estate planning attorneys have a list of the worst estate planning mistakes that Texans can make. For many attorneys, at the top of the list is inadvertently leaving money to the wrong person in their estate plan. Most people have strong preferences on who should inherit their money…
Because estate planning laws are constantly changing, individuals often wonder if they should be changing their estate plans or utilizing other strategies. Some of these changes are known—such as the reduction of the federal estate tax exemption in 2026—whereas others are passed by Congress last minute and can be difficult…
Technology is constantly changing, and sometimes it is difficult to keep up with all of these futuristic alterations. One big technology that has gripped Texas—and the nation—is digital currency and assets. Because more and more people are getting involved in digital currency, the federal government has started to regulate and…
When crafting their estate plan, many individuals want to leave assets or gifts to their children, grandchildren, or other loved ones under the age of 18. However, there can be unique issues presented when gifting assets to minors, as compared to other adults. Most people do not consider these implications…
Because there are proposed and implemented changes every year to the federal and state tax code, Texans should always be vigilant as to how these changes affect their gifting practices and their estate plans. In many cases, without the assistance of an estate planning attorney, these changes may seem minuscule…
While families usually think about creating estate plans and planning for the future as a single unit, this is not always advisable. Every individual has unique estate planning needs that may differ from their spouse or children. For example, women may want to think differently about estate planning—and specifically saving…