If your elderly parents have not yet drafted an estate plan, you may be in store for some headaches after their death. In addition to having to deal with family disputes, you may be at risk of losing out on some or all of your inheritance. As individuals age, they...
What should you do with superseded drafts of your will?
If you have written a will to describe how you want to distribute your property after your death, you are doing better than most Americans. After all, as a recent survey found, almost 70% of individuals across all age groups have not yet created even a bare-bones...
Proving undue influence is often a challenge
A Texas will is not legally valid if the actions or threats of one or more other parties had an undue influence on the person executing the will. However, mere suspicion of undue influence is not enough. To invalidate a will on the grounds of undue influence the...
3 common reasons for contesting a will
Individuals often assume that creating a will guarantees that their assets will distribute to designated parties seamlessly. However, for a will to be legally binding, the document must meet certain strict legal requirements. For instance, a will must include...
What are the three options for handling your business after your death?
Ensuring that your estate plan covers every aspect of your life is essential to prevent issues after your death. While you may find it easy to assign assets to heirs, there is one asset that often creates the most complicated situation. Deciding what to do with your...
What should you never do as the executor of an estate?
After a loved one appoints you as the executor of the will, you have a lot of responsibilities. To ensure that the process rolls forward smoothly, you need to secure the assets, probate the will, notify beneficiaries and more. With a long to-do list, Forbes also has a...
Contesting a will
Many people die before they have created an estate plan, which can lead to confusion and heartache for those left behind. Sometimes there is confusion and heartache even with a last testament in place. The testator, or creator of the will, may make mistakes while...
Is it time to update your estate plan?
Texas residents like you have a lot of ground to cover when working out your estate plan. Creating the first draft often takes many months to perfect. After you finish, it may feel tempting to leave it as-is. But you must update your estate plan somewhat frequently....
What is a no-contest clause?
It is not uncommon to have concerns regarding what will happen with your estate after death. Particularly if you believe that your heirs may challenge any will that you put forth, you may be looking for ways to prevent this. The most common way to prevent any...
When sibling rivalries cause disputes over a will
Will contests come up for different reasons, whether a family member believes that their loved one was under the undue influence of another or the executor is accused of failing to distribute assets appropriately. However, some wills are disputed because of sibling...
