Probate & Estate Administration

Getting your affairs in order is a practical step to protect your family. In Texas, clear organization helps your heirs avoid the confusion, delays and added costs of the probate process. A simple plan guided by state law makes a difficult time much easier for...

Planning for your future is never easy, especially when it involves what happens after you pass away. While creating a will or a trust is a good first step, not naming an executor in these documents can create issues for your loved ones during the probate process....

If you’ve recently lost a loved one, it can be some relief to learn that they left a will or a more extensive estate plan that details how they wanted their assets to be distributed. This can save surviving loved ones the stress and cost of a long probate period –...

When a loved one passes away, their estate typically goes through a legal process called probate. It should be a system that helps ensure fairness and legal accountability. But what happens when the very person trusted to oversee the estate—the...

Many adults in Texas do not bother to create an estate plan. They procrastinate or convince themselves that they don't need written instructions to help their loved ones after they die. Even those who do create estate plans do not necessarily set their families up for...

When you pass away, your executor is the person who will be responsible for ushering your estate through the probate process. They’ll make certain that your assets are secured, your final debts are paid, your last tax return is filed and the remainder of your estate...

When siblings get along and have each other’s best interests at heart, they may happily share the burden of being the executor of a parent’s estate. When they mix like oil and water, however, having siblings as “co-executors” of an estate can be an absolute disaster....

A trustee has authority over the assets that someone uses to fund a trust. They take over the management and distribution of those assets, often for a small amount of compensation for the services that they provide. Although family members of the person who created...

Estate planning is the process of documenting your assets and last wishes in anticipation of your passing. This way your assets can go into good hands and your beneficiaries can benefit from your estate. However, many people put off estate planning. This likely...

Many people are spurred to start their estate planning when they have a child. They want to designate a legal guardian who will step in and raise them should something happen to both parents. Unfortunately, not everyone does this. They assume that because they have a...