blog & insights

Wills, Trusts & Dying Intestate: How They Differ

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Most people understand that having some sort of an estate plan is, as Martha Stewart would say, a “good thing.” However, many of us don’t take the steps to get that estate plan in place because we don’t understand the nuances between wills and trusts –and dying without either. Here’s what will generally happen if…

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Why a Trust Is the Best Option for Avoiding Probate

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As Ambrose Bierce once darkly observed, “Death is not the end. There remains the litigation over the estate.” Obviously, ideally, when someone passes away, the paperwork and material concerns associated with the estate are so flawlessly handled (thanks to excellent preparation) that they fade into the background, allowing the family to grieve and remember in…

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The Grace Period Conundrum in Texas Residential Lease Agreements

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If you’ve been a renter under a residential lease in Texas, chances are you have come across language something this: After reading something like this in a lease agreement you are very likely to think, “OK cool, I have until the 3rd of the month to pay my rent each month without anything bad happening…

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Not Just Death and Taxes: 5 Essential Legal Documents You Need for Incapacity Planning

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Comprehensive estate planning is more than your legacy after death, avoiding probate, and saving on taxes. Good estate planning includes a plan in place to manage your affairs if you become incapacitated during your life and can no longer make decisions for yourself. What happens without an incapacity plan? Without a comprehensive incapacity plan in…

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How to Pick a Trustee, Executor, and Agent Under a Power of Attorney

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While the term fiduciary is a legal term with a long history, it very generally means someone who is legally obligated to act in another person’s best interests. Trustees, executors, and agents are all examples of fiduciaries. When you pick trustees, executors, and agents in your estate plan, you’re picking one or more people to…

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