The national unemployment rate has remained stubbornly high since the recession, even though some states are reporting lower unemployment. While many argue the unemployment rate does not accu...
This question comes up in estate cases quite frequently. Many people keep important documents in their safe deposit boxes, along with valuables, and a will is undoubtedly one of the most important documents you can have. But, unless...
Texas business owners are waiting to see if the Obama administration will follow through on recent promises to change overtime rules. Specifically, he wants to raise the national income threshold which helps define which employees are sal...
A surprising number of families have wondered what will happen to the family home if their parents die without a will — especially when an adult child or other relative calls the place home as well. ...
Think of a letter of instruction as sort of a combination personal farewell note, to-do list and asset map. Depending on how close your relationship is with the person you've selected to be your personal representative, ...
The general rule of thumb is that you should review your will to see if you should update your will every time you experience a significant life event, or at least every five years. Your will may be perfectly fine the way it is until the next event ...
Estate planning is not just for the old and wealthy. Even if you are young and have just a few assets, an estate plan can help minimize taxes, provide for yourself and loved ones and ultimately distribute property according to your wishes wh...
Probating an estate in Texas is a fairly easy process if you follow the right steps. Normally, the next of kin or person named as the executor in a will hires an experienced probate lawyer to prepare the paperwork and appear in court...
While Texas has not yet legalized medical marijuana, many of the banks operating in Texas also have branches and ATMs in states which do allow marijuana use for medical or recreational purposes. Until recently, banks we...
Make a Living Will and Hope You Never Need It Practically every person in Texas and many more around the world know the story of Marlise Munoz, the Texas woman who was taken off life support last month, even though she was pregnant with a living fetus. The hospital she was taken to after ...
Most people named as an executor in someone's will fall into one of two categories — either they've never served as a personal representative, or they didn't even know they had been selected for the job. If you fall into one of those...
Benefit corporations, often referred to as B-corporations, have been around for a few years in some states, but are still a new concept in the big picture of business organizations. Traditionally, a corporation's board of director was bound to make ...
The vast majority of trusts are managed properly and most estates are settled and closed out without any problems. Sometimes, however, beneficiaries of a trust or those entitled to inherit from a deceased loved one are ...
Many people have the mistaken impression that if they create a will, their estate will not need to go through probate upon their death. However, this is not necessarily true; even an estate with a valid will may need to be probated, as will be seen. If you are an ...
Last week, we wrote about the matter of recently deceased Harold Simmons' estate, and the estate attorneys' attempts to seal the case. As it turns out, Probate Judge Michael Miller decided there was no compe...
This is something not many people give much thought to, but a person's will, like most other court filings, generally becomes a matter of public record after it has been submitted to the probate court. With few except...
Clients who want to avoid the probate process and those who want to minimize tax liability may benefit from creating a living trust to transfer property during their lifetimes while still maintaining the use and benefit of the property. What is a livi...
If you are taking care of future planning and thinking about who will handle your affairs in the event you are absent or incapable of conducting business on your own, you may think a power o...
Losing a beloved family member or dear friend can be devastating, especially if the death was unexpected. Memorial services may be especially hard to get through, but some comfort can often be found when friends and families come together to s...
Over the last ten years or so, elder abuse has evolved from being the dirty secret no one wanted discussed over Thanksgiving dinner to a recognized social problem affecting every segment of our nation's population. The National Center on E...
A new tax law goes into effect this year which will benefit small businesses in Texas whose gross annual receipts exceed $1 million. Prior to the change, businesses faced what was known as the “cliff.” If a business ...
When your hard work and investments pay off or an inheritance comes in that you don't need right now, a charitable remainder trust can provide income to your during your lifetime and leave a portion of the remainder to the charity o...
Among the most fundamental questions facing a person who is starting a small business is what form it should take. Sole proprietorships and limited liability companies are by far more common than corporations for the small business, and each has bo...
The government's Small Business Lending Fund's (SBLF) participating banks in Texas outpaced lending projections by $1.12 billion since the program's creation in 2010, according to a recent report by the U.S. Treasury Department. What is...
Anyone who has engaged in a real estate transaction can attest that the process is very complex, and the amount of paperwork is monumental. This is all the more true in Texas, which has laws governing sale of property not existent in many other ...