With more people than ever with personal information online, Texans may have questions about how to incorporate this information into their estate plan. Can another person take over their accounts after they pass away? Even if someone provides their account information to another, can they legally access the accounts? As…
Houston Estate Planning and Elder Law Attorney Blog
Risks of Handwritten (Holographic) Wills
There are two primary types of wills under Texas law: 1) holographic and 2) non-holographic wills. Non-holographic wills are typed, witnesses, and attested wills. In contrast, holographic wills refer to entirely handwritten wills. In Texas, holographic wills are only enforceable when the entire document is written in the testator’s handwriting.…
Generational Approaches to Texas Retirement Planning
Like with music, pop culture, and politics, members of different generations tend to approach issues differently than others. Generations also approach retirement differently—both in how they are planning for retirement, along with their expectations about retiring. Some generations are more optimistic about retiring at an earlier age, while simultaneously changing…
Cryptocurrency and Texas Estate Planning
With the rise of cryptocurrency, many Texans are curious about how cryptocurrency can be implemented into various aspects of their lives—be it estate planning, investing, or other methods—along with its potential stability in the future. However, other individuals do not know the basics about cryptocurrency, including what it is or…
Critical Mistakes to Avoid in a Texas Estate Plan
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…
What is a Texas Living Trust?
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…
How to Discuss Texas Estate Planning With Your Parents
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…
Does My Older Loved One in Texas Need a Guardian?
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.…
Avoiding Common Texas Estate Planning Mistakes
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…
How to Incorporate Bypass Trusts in Texas Estate Plans
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…