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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.

People frequently delay drawing up a will or other pieces of an estate plan because of concern for the cost. However, the cost of preparing a simple estate plan package is very reasonable. Compared to the expense to handle your estate without a will or other estate planning documents, it is a bargain.

This is a very uncertain time for employers in Texas. One of the key issues employers are facing is how to pay employees who cannot work because they have the coronavirus, have to self-quarantine, have been ordered to shelter in place, or have children at home because school and daycare have been suspended. Guidance on these issues is coming forth daily.

If you have ever gone through a hospital admissions process, you've likely been asked if you have a living will (also known as a directive to physicians) and a medical power of attorney. If you answer no, they may let it slide and not require you to produce one. Or, they may give you a pre-printed form to fill out. This may suffice for an emergency situation, but having an attorney review what you need for a living will and medical power of attorney is still preferable. The medical power of attorney is needed for many healthcare treatment providers. You may still be asking yourself, What are a living will and medical power of attorney? And why would I need them?

If you are considering starting a small business, you're most likely trying to sort out the different types of businesses and trying to decide which type is best for you.

Tragedies like the recent death of Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, the other young parents, and some of their children bring home the tragedy of thinking you are too young to do estate planning. Hopefully, these parents had done estate planning to protect the settlement of their estates for the loved ones left behind. So many times, however, that has not happened because the parents didn't believe they were old enough to think about this. Or, commonly, younger people believe estate planning is too expensive for them to take on at this stage in their lives. Neither of these things are true!

The good news is that the lien foreclosure gives you a process to recover some or all of the money still owed you. The bad news is that you are going to have to deal with very complicated, tricky legal foreclosure steps to get there.

I have written about how a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement can be an element in an effective financial plan or an estate plan. Many people believe that it is very expensive to have a prenup or postnup drawn up. The expense will depend totally on the situation, and may not be nearly as large as you might think.

With so many lawyers out there, it’s difficult to know which is the right one for you. But you don’t have to settle for an attorney who isn’t a good fit for you or your legal matter.

The time of year is coming up for holiday travel and family gatherings. Holiday travel frequently causes clients to make a desperate last minute call to my office to make estate plans. If the call comes very close to the holiday travel date, it may not be possible to get the documents drafted in time. Attorneys like to take time off to enjoy the holidays too.