ATTORNEY AT LaW,PLLC


Estate Planning

Estate planning is much more than accumulating money and avoiding taxes. It's about peace of mind. It's about protecting your family and your legacy. Our estate planning practice focuses on maximum conservation and protection of our clients’ estates and related assets – with minimum taxes and other adverse consequences.

By their nature, estate planning services are individually tailored to the requirements of each client. Depending upon client needs, our attorneys can advise on a single estate planning issue or can assist on a broad range of personal and business goals, and implement the steps necessary to achieve those goals.

Estate Planning Essentials

A last will and testament directs the disposition of your estate when you die. Without a will, the State of Texas substitutes its own formula for distributing your assets, which creates additional cost and uncertainty for survivors. Our Firm creates a will that specifies beneficiaries and who gets what, appoints guardians for minor children or adult disabled children, and names a trusted executor to settle your estate.
Powers of attorney give control to an individual (usually a spouse) or a successive order of individuals to manage your personal and financial affairs if you are incapacitated by dementia, illness or injury. We include special provisions so that your appointee can handle all transactions in your name, including Medicaid planning actions such as gifting of assets to heirs. We typically recommend a durable power of attorney that is effective today rather than commencing upon disability — otherwise who decides and defines when you are "disabled?"
A living will, or advance directive, clarifies your desires regarding life support and end-of-life care. This guides physicians and spares your loved ones from agonizing decisions about "pulling the plug." We take a more detailed approach than most law firms, including a provision to continue pain medications to the end. We identify four medical situations and 13 medical procedures. Most firms identify only one situation.
HIPAA release will grant all applicable family members access to your medical records and updates of your condition.

We consider all the what-ifs when we drafts wills, powers of attorney and health care directives, and we can advise on sophisticated trusts to bypass probate, reduce estate taxes or provide for a disabled child.

Cost of Estate Planning Package

The fee for our standard Estate Planning Package starts at $750.00 for individuals and $1,250.00 for married couples and includes:

  • Last Will and Testament,
  • Medical Power of Attorney,
  • Statutory Power of Attorney,
  • Living Will (Advance Directive),
  • HIPAA Authorization,
  • Funeral Directive, and
  • Declaration of Guardian.