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Who Should Be the Trustee of a Third-Party Special Needs Trust (SNT)?
May 15th, 2024
Family members with special needs may require assistance throughout their lives. If you want to ensure that a loved one with a disability is taken care of after you are gone, you can help manage resources for them by using a third-party special needs…
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Do I Have to File a Will with the Court?
May 8th, 2024
Death is a personal and private affair that affects the deceased’s close family and friends. However, there is at least one aspect of death that may require state oversight: probate. Probate with a will is usually much more straightforward than wit…
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What to Do When Incapacity Throws Your Estate Plan into Chaos
May 1st, 2024
As poet Robert Burns mused centuries ago, the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry. Despite thoughtful effort and a concerted strategy, you cannot prepare for every emergency in life. A car accident, sudden illness, workplace injury, or chro…
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Who Will Care for Your Child When You Cannot?
April 24th, 2024
As a parent, you are responsible for the care of your minor child. In most circumstances, this means getting them up for school, making sure they are fed, and providing for other basic needs. However, what would happen if you and your child’s other…
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How to Choose the Right Agents for Your Incapacity Plan
April 17th, 2024
Many people believe that estate planning is only about planning for their death. But planning for what happens after you die is only one piece of the estate-planning puzzle. It is just as important to plan for what happens if you become unable to man…
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Five Essential Legal Documents You Need for Incapacity Planning
April 10th, 2024
Comprehensive estate planning involves more than just planning for your legacy after your death, avoiding probate, and reducing taxes. Good estate planning also addresses incapacity and appoints people to make legal, financial, and medical decisions…
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Will and Estate Administration Details that TV and Movies Get Wrong
April 3rd, 2024
While television and movies provide great entertainment, they are not always factual. Even shows based on real events are not entirely accurate. Creators of television programs and movies will often alter details of a story or situation to provide an…
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Don’t Let This Crucial Question Derail Your Estate Plan: Outright or in Trust?
March 27th, 2024
Sitting down to create or update your estate plan can be overwhelming. Crucial to a successful plan is your ability to address two major questions: Who will get your stuff when you die, and how do you want those individuals or charities to receive th…
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Demystifying Probate and the Executor’s Role
March 20th, 2024
When creating a last will and testament (commonly known as a will), one of your most important considerations is who to choose to serve as the executor (also called a personal representative) of your estate. As the name implies, the role of the execu…
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Beware of Nonlawyers Acting Like Lawyers
March 13th, 2024
Contributor: Jana R. McCreary
When people think about creating an estate plan, they may think it just involves getting a set of forms that convey their wishes regarding their finances, health, and what will happen to their stuff when they die. Although the documents that comprise…
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Attorney Jana McCreary
Houston Estate Planning Attorney Jana R. McCreary has been an attorney for over twenty years, a career move she made after working for over a decade with adults and children with intellectual disabilities and mental illness. Graduating summa cum laud… Read More