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Is an Attorney Absolutely Required for Estate Planning?

I received a new client application requesting information about how to set up a power of attorney and Will. The person who submitted the application said she…

Where there’s a Will…

A few weeks ago, a journalist emailed me to ask if she could interview me for an article she was writing. The article she wrote appeared in the…

Can I Change My Will Before My Divorce is Final?

There is a Texas statute that prohibits Courts from entering any orders that prevent parties in a divorce proceeding from changing his or her Will. Section 253.001 of…

Should I Name My Executor As The Beneficiary of My Financial Accounts?

I received an email from a client over the weekend that alarmed me. So much so that called them on a Sunday afternoon to make sure remedial…

What Rights to Beneficiaries of Transfer on Death Deeds Have During the Homeowner’s Life?

A Texas transfer on death deed is a beneficiary designation for your home. It works like a beneficiary designation on a life insurance policy or a…

Should I Name My Estate as the Beneficiary of my IRA?

A client was confused. He knew that the federal estate tax only applied to estates in excess of $11 million, so he didn’t understand why significant taxes…

Avoiding Guardianship in Old Age

A few weeks ago, a client alerted me to an episode of the John Oliver show about guardianships gone wrong. A guardian is someone appointed by…

Does Your Insurance Policy Name Your Ex-Spouse As a Beneficiary?

Suppose you have a life insurance policy issued as part of an employee benefit plan which identifies your spouse as your primary beneficiary and your adult daughter…