Aging is inevitable and, unfortunately, aging is also expensive. For many people, getting older means acquiring more medical needs and different life circumstances. Many of our clients, for example, transition to long-term care facilities or nursing homes once they get older. Planning financially for whatever might come your way can…
Houston Estate Planning and Elder Law Attorney Blog
Estate Planning and Tax Season: What You Need to Know
As we move past tax season, it is an apt time to think about the crossover between estate planning and tax filing. For many individuals, filing taxes can bring up important questions about updating an estate plan. On today’s blog, we review some of the advantages of using tax season…
Three of the Most Common Mistakes People Make When Creating DIY Wills
In Texas, “DIY wills” are not uncommon. A DIY will is a will drafted and finalized entirely by the person planning for his or her death. At our firm, we often say that DIY wills work until they don’t work. While they can end up being a fine option for…
What Should You Do if You Don’t Have a Trusted Person to Oversee Your Affairs?
Part of drafting a last will and testament is naming an executor, or a person appointed to carry out the terms of the will. Oftentimes, the author of the will chooses to name a family member or close friend as the executor, leaving his or her estate plans in the…
Guardianship FAQs
Sometimes, during an individual’s court proceedings, the court will decide that the litigant needs a guardian to look out for his or her best interest. When this happens, the court makes a finding on the record that the individual at issue is incapacitated, finds a guardian to care for that…
When Should You Start Preparing to Apply for Medicaid in Texas?
In Texas, the state provides Medicaid to those considered “low income” that meet certain threshold requirements. To qualify, you must be a low-income resident of Texas in need of heath care, and you must either be: pregnant, responsible for the care of a child, blind, disabled or caring for a…
How to Ensure Your Wishes Are Honored After You Are Gone
Oftentimes, the most difficult part about estate planning is reckoning with the fact that by the time your documents are executed, you will be long gone. As sobering as this reality can be, it is also a reminder that your estate plans should be legally valid, thorough, and clear regarding…
Should You Create Your Own Estate Plan with Online Resources?
It can be tempting to use online resources to create an estate plan – the resources come at a low cost (or at no cost at all), and they offer an easy, seemingly efficient way to get your plan together. As a group of Houston estate planning attorneys, we often…
Choosing a Houston Estate Planning Attorney: What You Need to Know
If you are on the lookout for an estate planning attorney that can help you craft a plan that’s right for you, there are many factors to consider and many options to weigh. Today, we review some of the basic things you should be looking for as you are searching…
When is it Time to Update Your Estate Plan?
If you have worked with an attorney to create an estate plan, congratulations – you have completed what many consider to be the hardest part of the estate planning process! At this point, it is natural to wonder if (and when) you might need to update the plan. Today, we…