The Importance of Beneficiary Designations
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Did you know that as soon as your child turns 18, you lose automatic access to their health, school, and financial information? When a child turns 18 and becomes a legal adult, it’s a momentous occasion—filled with...more
Married couples often have wills naming one another as their primary beneficiary. People also often name their spouse as beneficiary of retirement accounts and life insurance policies. Upon commencing a divorce action,...more
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
Many people fear the word probate, and it is not without reason. Probate can be a tedious, expensive and lengthy process, where you are at the whim of the court’s timeline. But what is probate? Probate is when you must...more
Today on “Splitting Heirs,” host Warren Racusin speaks with Molefi McIntosh and Mavis Gragg about the “heirs’ property problem--” or what happens to real estate when it is passed down within families without benefit of a...more
Let's be honest. Legal documents are not written in anyone's love language. On Valentines Day, we undoubtedly would prefer to exchange thoughtful presents, enjoy an intimate meal with our significant other, or blush at the...more
One of the most common questions we hear from our clients is “do I need a revocable living trust?” While in some states a revocable living trust is a vital component of any estate plan due to those state’s probate laws,...more
During the divorce process, one often overlooked area is updating your estate plan. Divorce can impact beneficiary designations on life insurance policies, retirement accounts, and other assets and can also have tax...more
Back on July 26 we wrote about how trusts have become a new territory within the divorce landscape. At the time the press was just starting to write about California Senator Diane Feinstein’s troubles with the trust her...more
I am often asked about the difference between wills and revocable trusts, so I thought it important to explain the purpose of each. Wills and revocable trusts basically do the same thing – each is a document in which you...more
Benjamin Franklin once said that nothing is certain except for death and taxes. For many people, the awareness of the first certainty spurs them to make an estate plan, which necessitates several important decisions. In...more
In Mittelsted v. Meriwether, the decedent changed his will and beneficiary designations on bank accounts to leave everything to his half-brother. No. 14-21-00755-CV, 2023 Tex. App. LEXIS 1020 (Tex. App.—Houston February 16,...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
Charities sometimes spar over entitlement to bequests and other planned gifts. Occasionally, their disagreements become epic legal battles that span many years. In Breathe Southern California v. American Lung Association...more
Margaret Schlegel and Ruth Wilcox bond over Christmas shopping, their shared attachment to their respective childhood homes and familial loyalty. Ruth enchants Margaret with stories of her ancestral home, Howards End. Ruth...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
Forgive the title but this is written amidst the Eagles-Vikings game and on the same date as Queen Elizabeth’s funeral. Commentators noted that the Queen’s final event was more than a generation in the planning and was...more
Almost any type of asset you might have can have a beneficiary designation associated with it. Beneficiary designations supersede the designation in a will or trust and your failure to update them can lead to complications...more
In re: Estate of Robert Scott Masters, Deceased reveals the price to be paid for failing to timely admit a will to probate or as a muniment of title. Know this about Texas probate law - The Estates Code requires...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
Estate planning is important no matter the size of your estate. Properly planning your estate will allow you to be in control of who inherits your assets, who raises your children, and who is in charge of administering your...more
The recent Supreme Court opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization dismantles 50 years of legal precedent concerning reproductive rights. In overturning Roe v. Wade, the majority in Dobbs writes, “nothing in...more
Your will is the foundation of your estate plan. Notably, it provides for the disposition of your worldly possessions, including your house, investments and other property. These go to the beneficiaries named in your will. In...more
If your estate has to be probated, in a perfect world everything will go without a hitch and the assets are distributed to beneficiaries in a timely manner. Everyone is satisfied with their inheritance and family harmony is...more
The primary reason most people engage in estate planning is to name who they want to receive their assets when they pass away. Beneficiaries can be named in a will, a trust or pursuant to a beneficiary designation. When...more