John Wick - What You Need To Know about the Corporate Transparency Act
Once Removed Episode 24: Expressing Goals and Intent for the Trust
Once Removed Episode 23: Naming Guardians for Minor Children
Once Removed Episode 22: Building Flexibility into the Estate Plan
Once Removed Episode 20: Helping a Beneficiary Purchase a Home
Life After Love Gone Wrong Podcast: Season 3, Episode 6 - Reshaping Your Legacy: Estate Planning After Your Divorce
Charitable Planning With Guest Stephanie Hood: Navigating Complex Rules and Traps for the Unwary
A Primer On Trusts - A Podcast with Janathan Allen
Once Removed Episode 13: It’s 5 o’Clock: Do You Know Where Your Will Is? A Lesson From Aretha Franklin
Once Removed Episode 12: SLATs and the Case of McKim vs. McKim
Once Removed Episode 11: Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts, or SLATs
Digital Planning Podcast Episode: Family Office Technology Solutions
Digital Planning Podcast Episode: The Uniform Electronic Estate Planning Documents Act
What is a self-proving affidavit?
The Importance of Beneficiary Designations
Taking the Sting Out of Death Taxes with Dylan Metzner, Jones & Keller
Basics of Estate Planning
The Case of the Disappearing Trust
Protecting Your Estate Plan from Challenges: No-Contest Clause Explained
The Secret Child
The period after a spouse passes away is an emotional time of mourning. However, there are a handful of estate planning adjustments that you should make to protect your estate under the new conditions....more
Dear Jonathan: I am thinking about preparing my own estate planning documents, including a will, powers of attorney and a trust. A close friend of mine just went through this process and it cost her thousands of dollars and I...more
This is the first of a four-part series focusing on estate planning for founders. In this series we will cover why, as a founder, you need an estate plan. The right planning can save your family significant sums of money in...more
Individuals are often interested in ways to transfer their assets at death without having those assets go through a probate proceeding. Those same individuals are also often interested in accomplishing this without having to...more
When thinking of creating an estate plan, here are a few things to consider before finalizing your final wishes: Should you create a Will or a Trust? The essential difference between a will and a trust is that a...more
Many think estate planning is only a concern for those who are later in their stage of life or wealthy. They put it off for years, or entirely. Estate planning is for everyone and essential to maintain financial security...more
Planning ahead for the unknown can be frightening and intimidating. However, our team is here to expel the spine-chilling misconceptions of advance directives, estate planning, and estate administration. Sally Brewer,...more
A power of attorney is among one of the most important incapacity planning documents you can have. It designates someone you trust with taking care of your affairs if you become unable to do so....more
Perhaps you drafted your will years ago and it references many of your existing assets, including retirement plan accounts and life insurance policies. But you also have paperwork on file with the applicable financial...more
It is highly likely that if you’re going through a divorce, your estate plan is going to be the last thing on your mind. However, this is an imperative time to make sure you have the necessary documents in place to protect...more
The idea of a visit to an attorney for your estate planning can be daunting. Below is a list of to-do items or at least items to think about before your visit. MAKE A LIST OF YOUR ASSETS AND AN ESTIMATED VALUE OF THE...more
Quick quiz – What do Michael Jackson, Prince, Heath Ledger, Amy Winehouse, Chadwick Boseman and Avicii have in common? Yes, they are all famous people who died unexpectedly at a fairly young age, but they have something else...more
Client Question: “What area of law do you focus on?” Attorney Response: “Trusts and Estates.” Client Response: “I’m still young, I don’t need to worry about planning for when I’m gone. I’ll call you when I’m older...more
Congress instituted National Estate Planning Awareness week in 2008 to help Americans understand estate planning and its role in a person’s financial well-being. It’s a great reminder to organize, review and update your...more
Our attorneys field questions every day about the nuanced estate planning issues that arise due to a client's unique circumstances, but there also are many fundamental estate planning considerations that apply "across the...more
Margot and Tony Wendice seem to have it all – they are young, beautiful, and in love. However, much like pyrite, not everything that glitters is gold. Before their marriage, Tony was a successful tennis player. It...more
When you’re in the throes of a separation or divorce, it is easy to forget the importance of updating your will and your estate plan. With so much happening in the here and now, things like beneficiary designations and...more
If you are single, you may not think you need to plan your estate, but single people are in as much need of a plan as anyone else. Estate planning not only involves determining where your assets will go when you die -- it...more
In general, estate planning benefits not only the principal’s life, but also the lives of their family members and agents. Prior planning includes wills, trusts, health care proxies, advanced health care directives and...more
In Moore v. Estate of Moore, a decedent’s wife claimed that she had an interest in an oil and gas lease formerly owned by her deceased husband. No. 07-20-00019-CV, 2021 Tex. App. LEXIS 6142 (Tex. App.—Amarillo July 30, 2021,...more
Planning for the end of one’s life, or potential incapacity, is probably something an individual in their 20’s, 30’s, or even 40’s does not want to contemplate. Even those in their later years might find it a difficult topic...more
As an estate and trust attorney who has been practicing for over 20 years, I never lose sight of the difficulty we all face when losing a loved one. Often when I meet a client, sometimes for the very first time, the initial...more
Many people believe that once they have executed their estate planning documents, those documents can remain in the safe deposit box until the day when they may be needed. However, your estate planning documents should be...more
Q: What is estate planning? Johanna Wise Sullivan: Estate planning entails planning for the care of your family and your assets in the event of your death or incapacity as efficiently and seamlessly as possible. This includes...more
In In re Estate of Klutts, a son held his mother’s power of attorney when he assisted in securing a new 2008 will, which enhanced his share of the estate. No. 02-18-00356-CV, 2019 Tex. App. LEXIS 11063 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth...more