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Has a loved one passed away without a Will? In some cases, you can avoid a lot of frustration by using a Small Estate Affidavit to legally transfer assets at very little expense to you.

People with blended families have the greatest need for estate planning in the state of Texas. Here are a few reasons why.

Sometimes, even when a person has drawn up a Will, probate of the Will may not be necessary. Advance planning with probate-alternative documents can avoid the need for probate in many cases.

I frequently am asked by prospective estate planning clients, "Do I need a trust?" The answer is the classic one: It depends.

Texas law provides for a shortened, less complicated, less expensive form of probate in specific circumstances called probate as a muniment of title. This funny-sounding procedure really means that your loved ones will is officially recognized as valid by the probate court and placed of public record as notice to third parties to honor the terms of the will for transfer of property. This is a very simple process compared to a full, regular probate.

An independent administration is the form of probate available when a will contains the proper legal provisions authorizing the independent administration of the estate. This means you can avoid extensive court supervision of the handling of the estate once the will has been admitted to probate.

Estate planning isn't just for rich or older individuals. Even young, asset-poor 20-somethings should start thinking about how their property will be distributed in the event of a tragedy. Drawing up an estate plan is not as much an action you need to take for yourself, but one you should take for your loved ones.

There are times when a Living Trust is a smart estate planning tool that can simplify or avoid probate, and save your family thousands of dollars. Below are some of the reasons a Living Trust might be a good tool for your estate planning:

Probate or administration is the legal procedure for settling and transferring a persons estate, including assets and debts. If a person owns property in a different state from that in which he or she lied at death, an ancillary probate or administration in the other state might be necessary. If there was a will, generally, a probate will be proper, and if there was no will, an administration, which is more costly and involved, may be necessary. For ease of reference, I will use the term probate to cover either procedure.

The price you pay for this advice before signing a contract can easily save you many thousands of dollars and lots of headaches and trouble in the future. A review of a standard residential purchase contract generally would not be more than a few hundred dollars. More complicated contracts, of course, would cost more to review or draft, but the cost would still be far less than any negotiation or litigation later to address problems that arise.