ESTATE PLANNING CHECKLIST TEXAS UPDATE

It can be tempting to shorten your process with certain clients, but in my experience approaching each client with the same degree of thoroughness is always worth it. It’s these differences, and the opportunity to provide creative solutions, that keep estate planning careers, including my own these past 25 years, particularly interesting.īut despite these differences, it’s important and helpful to define a vetted process so you don’t miss anything. Each client has different types and amounts of assets, different family dynamics, and different attitudes. We represent families throughout Texas and across the country.If you’ve practiced estate law even for just a few years, you know every client is unique in some way. We have offices in Bellaire and Carmine our attorneys can also make house calls or hospital visits in the Houston area whenever necessary. Contact our firm to arrange a consultation to discuss your probate and estate planning needs.

Whether you are planning for the future and need assistance with estate planning documents or navigating the probate process now, Wright Abshire is here to be your family’s legal advocate. How Can an Experienced Elder Law and Estate Planning Lawyer Help My Family? The probate court will supervise these repayments as well. Similarly, many individuals die with financial obligations such as personal debts that need to be repaid from estate assets. These would need to be distributed through probate.

ESTATE PLANNING CHECKLIST TEXAS UPDATE

If a deceased family member did not regularly update estate planning documents and acquired additional property near the end of his or her life, the new assets may not be covered by a preexisting will or trust. Are There Assets or Liabilities That Are Not Covered by a Will or Trust? As with wills, probate courts may oversee the administration of trusts to ensure that they are being handled properly. These trusts will often dispose of assets that are not named in the will. In addition to wills, many individuals execute trusts that provide financial assistance to named beneficiaries either during the individual’s life (called an inter vivos trust) or following death (a testamentary trust). Did My Family Member Have a Valid Trust in Place? The probate court will oversee the process of identifying heirs and distributing property.Įven when an individual does have a will, the probate court will still supervise the distribution process to ensure that it occurs in accordance with the decedent’s wishes. Texas has special rules to determine which family members inherit the estate of someone who dies intestate. If a family member dies without a will or other validly executed estate planning document, he or she is considered to have died intestate. This can include everything from houses to automobiles, jewelry and other family heirlooms. Perhaps the most fundamental estate planning document, a will dictates who receives an individual’s personal property following death. At Wright Abshire, Attorneys, we answer questions regarding the probate process and provide guidance to families who must go through probate.

Many families in Texas have questions about whether - and how much - they will have to interact with probate court following the death of a family member.

Estate planning checklist texas