by Alexander McCann | Aug 26, 2019
Effective September 1, 2019 the Texas legislature has changed the law regarding Transfer on Death Deeds and effectively deleted the fill-in-the-blank forms that many people had relied on. So what does this change mean? Let’s answer some of the most common questions....
by Alexander McCann | Jun 17, 2019
We have previously discussed on this blog how sometimes living trusts can be marketed to clients as a one-size-fits-all solution that doesn’t quite pan out. Both Paul and I have seen cases in which seniors paid high dollars to establish trusts that were not necessary,...
by Alexander McCann | Jun 3, 2019
In 1991, a man named Jack Archer executed a will leaving his entire estate to his brother and his brother’s children. Jack had four divorces under his belt, but never had any children of his own, so his brother’s family became his sole heirs. According to...
by Alexander McCann | May 13, 2019
The Texas College Savings Plan is a product established by the State of Texas, under guidelines published by the IRS. Both federal and state governments exercise a lot of influence in this area, but a qualified estate planner can help you navigate the ins and outs of...
by Alexander McCann | Feb 28, 2019
In Texas, as in many states, people often set up trusts as part of an estate plan. There are many different kinds of trusts, including real estate trusts and business trusts, but we will ignore those for the moment to talk more generally about what a trust is, and...
by Alexander McCann | Feb 21, 2019
Probate law does not often focus on current events, but a story from the headlines in 2018 is worth reviewing for the lessons it can teach people planning their estates today. Rush Enterprises (RUSHA, RUSHB) is (according to Wikipedia) a Fortune 1000 company that...
by Alexander McCann | Feb 14, 2019
Estate planning normally requires families to make lists and inventories of the accounts, valuables, properties, and other things that people will need to keep track of when loved ones pass away. But certain things can be easy to forget about because they’re not...
by Alexander McCann | Feb 7, 2019
Part of the reason to hire an attorney is to avoid the headache of trying to navigate basic questions that do not necessarily have straightforward answers. For example, to probate a will in court, where does the matter need to be filed, and with what court? At least...
