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Foster Children in an Estate Plan
January 14th, 2026
A foster child may come into your life through the court system, an agency, or your own extended family. However it begins, the relationship can grow into something deeply personal, with the unshakable feeling that this child is yours. However, the l…
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Committed, Protected, Prepared: Estate Planning Tips for Unmarried Couples
January 7th, 2026
More couples than ever are building deep, lasting relationships without ever walking down the aisle and staying as an unmarried couple. Whether by choice, circumstance, or principle, many Americans are opting out of marriage—but not out of commitme…
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Categories: Estate Planning, Health Care Surrogates, Living Will, Powers of Attorney, Probate, Property, Trusts, Wills
Parental Warning: If You Own Your Property This Way, You May Accidentally Disinherit Your Own Children
November 19th, 2025
Do you own your home, other property, or a financial account with someone else, such as a spouse or an adult child? If so, you might be surprised to learn that a common way of owning property could cause problems for your loved ones in the future. Jo…
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If I Leave Someone My Home, What Do They Really Get?
November 5th, 2025
Your home is likely one of the most valuable assets you own, if not the most valuable. Calling it an asset can sound cold. A home is far more than an assortment of materials and possessions. It is also a place to live, gather, create life stories, an…
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How to Help Your Loved Ones Avoid Probate (Spoiler: Fund Your Trust!)
October 22nd, 2025
Today, many people use a revocable living trust instead of a will, joint ownership, or beneficiary designation as the foundation of their estate plan. When properly prepared, a trust avoids the sometimes costly, always public, and often time-consumin…
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What to Do After a Loved One Dies
October 15th, 2025
If you have been named the person responsible for settling a deceased loved one’s affairs, commonly called an executor or personal representative (if your loved one had no estate plan or had a will) or a successor trustee (if they had a trust), you…
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Categories: Probate
Probate Delays: Five Reasons Your Probate Might Be Taking So Long
October 8th, 2025
After a loved one dies, their money and property that goes through probate must be distributed to the people legally entitled to it, either according to a last will and testament (also called a will) or the state’s default distribution scheme (foun…
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Three Simple Ways to Avoid Probate Costs
October 1st, 2025
The bad news: When a person dies owning property in their sole name without a beneficiary, their loved ones will likely have to go through a court-involved process called probate to transfer the property out of the deceased person’s name and into t…
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Four Estate Planning Myths: Debunking Common Misconceptions
September 10th, 2025
Estate planning often feels complex, leading many people to rely on assumptions that can have devastating consequences for their loved ones and their legacy. From who can make decisions for you to whether you need an estate plan, common myths can sta…
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Nosy Neighbor Nellie Can Find Out About Your Probate: Keeping Your Probate Private
September 3rd, 2025
Most people think of probate (the process of collecting, managing, and distributing a deceased person’s money and property) as a private process. However, because probate involves the court system, most filings become a matter of public record, par…
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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