Wills and Trusts

Issues

Many people including lawyers die each year without a will.  Often the lack of a will adds expense, uncertainty, and hardship to the loved ones left behind.

Without a will your property to the people the Texas Legislature has decided you would want to have your property.  For example, without a will your children might inherit instead of your wife or an irresponsible family member could receive and waste needed funds.

Making a simple will guarantees that your wishes will be followed.  With a will, you choose the person (executor) to probate the will and follow your directions in how assets will be distributed.  With a will, you select your heirs, alternative heirs or charities.  You may include a trust to handle assets for minors or others who can not handle money well.  You may tell the Court whom you prefer as a guardian for your children.

Wills in Texas are affordable both to prepare and to probate.  In a will, with the right language using statutory Probate Code, Texas probate often only requires one court appearance to probate it. 

Estates without wills can be expensive and complicated with disputes about who is entitled to inherit and who should administer the estate.

Estate planning tools and charitable giving are also important considerations in drafting a will or other inheritance documents.  Powers of Attorney Forms for Texas  including general power of attorney with durable powers can avoid the expense of elder guardianship or temporary guardianship.  Trusts can save estate taxes.

How we can help

We can easily take you through the necessary steps to make your will and plan your trust.  We can guide you through estate planning and charitable giving.  These actions can save you time, money and estate disputes.