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There are many factors to consider when creating a will or a living trust. From the accommodations that need to be made to deciding what to leave behind and to whom, it may be challenging to pinpoint where to start.

When a person dies, their estate—in most cases—must go through probate court for administration for the payment of debts and taxes and the distribution of assets according to their last will and testament.

Estate planning may be the most important legal step you can take to provide for your family and loved ones, yet year after year people put off this essential task or worse—they think they can do it by themselves.

Suddenly warring siblings, or even children from a previous marriage, can make life difficult for you as the executor. How do you resolve these spats and finish the job that the decedent entrusted to you?  Probate is a hard enough process without heirs and beneficiaries arguing over who gets what and challenging you as the executor for trying to follow the instructions of the last will and testament in distributing assets.

Creating a well-detailed estate plan involves more than drafting your will or naming beneficiaries. A crucial part of your estate planning is making adequate provisions for contingencies in the event of an unforced medical emergency. Through a HIPAA Authorization, you can authorize your doctor or healthcare provider to disclose information about your health condition to family members. An experienced Texas estate planning attorney can educate you about how HIPAA authorization relates to estate planning.

Eligibility for Medicaid in Texas is based on several factors, including your residency status, age, income, and asset value. Unfortunately, having substantial assets can make it difficult for you to meet Medicaid's asset limit.

In Texas, assisted living is available to seniors and older adults who require various levels of personal and medical care but want to maintain a level of independence.

In the first part of this series, we discussed the vital importance of having updated advance directives in place in light of COVID-19. Here, we'll look at several additional provisions you should consider adding to your directives to address potential contingencies related to the pandemic.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage the country, doctors across the nation are joining lawyers in urging Americans to create the proper estate planning documents, so medical providers can better coordinate their care should they become hospitalized with the virus.

If you're counting down the days to your wedding, divorce is probably the last thing you and your fiancé want to be thinking about, and yet you might be rightfully concerned about what would happen to your assets in the event of a divorce—or your death.