For many people, the basics of estate planning are simple enough, but for those families with loved ones who are disabled or have special needs, the estate planning process is more involved – and much more critical.

Statistics have shown that at least five percent of minor children have some sort of disability, and the burden of caring for these children make estate planning essential.  In addition to specialized health care, these children usually need special schooling and intensive therapy, all of which comes at a cost.

Here are some tips for parents or care givers facing the need to plan not
only for their own financial future, but also for the future of a loved one with special needs…

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Contrary to popular belief, estate planning is not just about money or taxes.  Far from it. Today, it’s more about protecting your assets for yourself and your loved ones, achieving your financial goals, and safeguarding your health care.

Money and taxes aside, here are 7 good reasons why you need an estate plan…

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When your children were small, you no doubt endured the challenge of keeping peace in the family.  We see this same scenario play out time after time among adult siblings when a messy estate causes family rifts.

Here are 10 tips to help prevent your children from fighting over your estate…

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We all care for our families, jobs, and dependents every day. But what are the things unique to your life? What are the things that, right now, only you can provide? What would happen if you aren’t around to manage those responsibilities unique to you, your family, or your particular circumstance?

Over the course of our lives it takes us years to acquire certain skills, experience, and characteristics that govern the kinds of responsibilities we each take on, and shape the way we handle those responsibilities. It’s these personal “assets” that make estate planning so important.

Take, for example, your long-living pets. For the most part, you can set up simple pet trusts or name guardians for common pets such as cats or dogs. But what about the not so common pets? Horses, turtles, or parrots?

But what about the not so common pets? Horses, turtles, or parrots?
Do you have a cutting edge or specialized business? Who will take that over?

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Remember that old joke: How do you eat an elephant?  Answer: One bite at a time.  At the heart of that gag is the truth about how you tackle any seemingly complex task, taking it one step at a time so as not to overwhelm yourself.

Many people neglect to create an estate plan because they see it as the proverbial elephant…too big, too complex.  But approaching estate planning in a systematic fashion will take the complexity right out of it! Especially with the help of an attorney who is experienced in navigating both the emotional and legal intricacies of estate planning.

Here are some tips on how you can reduce the complexity in creating an estate plan…

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Probate is the legal process through which a deceased person’s assets are distributed to the heirs or beneficiaries, pursuant to the wishes of the deceased person as stated in his or her estate plan – or if there is none, according to Texas Law.

Yes, that sounds like a handful. So let’s break it down. Texas Probate is a court-supervised process for identifying and gathering the assets of a person who has died (the “decedent”), paying their debts, and distributing their assets to his or her beneficiaries.

So how does the probate process begin?…

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Part of the estate planning process is choosing who will serve as your representative in a number of different capacities. Your choice in representatives is just as important as your decisions on how your wealth will be distributed and who it will be distributed to.     

After all, the responsibility to effectively carry out your carefully crafted
wishes will be on the individuals you choose as your representatives or fiduciaries…

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Planning for a new baby is one of the most exciting chapters of a parent’s life. It’s a time when you’re looking forward to meeting the newest member of your family and making sure that the world they enter into is joyous and peaceful. But with all of this excitement comes the stress and pressure to fully care for another human being.

And if it’s your first child, it’ll be the first time you understand
that there is now another person who needs you- in its purest sense…

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If you have minor children and have not yet selected guardians, you are not unlike many parents who put off this critically important task. Perhaps you are waiting for the perfect Guardians to present themselves, or you and your spouse/partner cannot agree on who would be an ideal candidate, or perhaps you feel there is no one you trust enough. In this case, you must remember that done is better than perfect.

A decision is better than no decision.

If you do nothing, the decision about who would raise your children (if something were to happen to you) is left up to a judge to decide. A judge who doesn’t know you or your children, and doesn’t know what’s important to your family, will essentially make the decisions about who will care for your most precious loved ones.

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From the moment you dash out of bed in the morning to the second you place your tired head back on your pillow at night, you pride yourself in being a great parent to your children — And you are!  You’ve got an action plan for all the days’ happenings from preparing lunches to doctor visits, school projects and birthday parties.

        But what have you done to prepare for the day you can’t be there?

It’s not a pleasant topic, we know.  But although we cringe at the thought of planning for such misfortune and leaving our families behind, it lingers in our minds.  The reality is that if you don’t make decisions now, someone else will make them for you.

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