It isn’t uncommon for a person to try to save money by writing a will themselves without the guidance of a qualified attorney. Recently, we helped a family probate one such will. The person typed up a will using a form they bought at an office supply company and later signed a handwritten codicil that […]
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Client Stories: the client with cancer
I worked with a client who was dying of cancer. A few weeks before his death, he decided to hire me to prepare his will and powers of attorney. I traveled to him because he wasn’t in a position to leave the house, brought my portable office equipment, and we talked. He usually took pain […]
Emergency Planning during Covid-19
What can be done to complete an estate plan during this unprecedented time? Clients have been asking how they can finish a will and powers of attorney when it isn’t safe to interact with others. After much brainstorming, lawyers across Texas came up with options. So what do you do? Start regular estate planning beginning […]
What is “probate” and independent administration?
Probate is not probation. Probate is simply the legal process of transferring property after a person’s death, usually achieved through a court procedure. Probate of a will is required to occur within four years of the date of the person’s death. Spouses don’t automatically take ownership of property and must act within four years in […]
What Exactly is an “Estate Plan”?
What exactly is an estate plan? I hear it often. An “Estate Plan” is simply a plan for what you want done with your things and with you either upon your death or if you become incapacitated. An Estate Plan has at a minimum the following pieces -A will -Durable Power of Attorney -Medical Power […]
Consequence of Not Naming a Guardian for your Child
Guardianship of a child is a critical component of an estate plan and often a triggering event in a person’s life. Often the arrival of a child is what brings young clients into the office. It is so important for you to declare who you wish to serve as the caretaker of your children because […]

Why Do People Wait?
He Waits for the Muse Artist: DeLoss McGraw (American, born 1945) Date: 2002 Met Museum Online Collection People confess to me that they don’t have a will and they keep putting it off, often a look of guilt in their eyes. Why, if we feel guilty, do we wait so long? Sometimes 30 years after having children […]