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Recent U.S. Supreme Court Case highlights importance of updating beneficiary designations after divorce from Austin Estate Planning Lawyer Liz Nielsen

Last week, the United States Supreme Court issued a ruling on a case involving life insurance beneficiary designations after divorce. Mark Sveen had named his wife as the beneficiary of his life insurance policy. They got divorced, but Mr. Sveen did not update the beneficiary. Court ruled that divorce invalidated the beneficiary designation in favor […]

Steps For Starting the End-of-Life Conversation from Austin Estate Planning Lawyer Liz Nielsen

No one wants to discuss death and dying. And yet, it’s a critical time in everyone’s life and one for which we know we need to prepare. While many people have the desire to share their wishes, something is preventing people from having end-of-life conversations with their families. As an important part of estate planning, […]

Video

John Oliver Explains Guardianship and How to Avoid It from Austin Estate Planning Lawyer Liz Nielsen

On his HBO show, Last Week Tonight, John Oliver recently provided a scary, funny, and occasionally explicit explanation of how guardianship works. The video is embedded above, and we encourage you to watch it (as long as there aren’t any children around!). What is a Guardian? As explained in the video, a guardian is […]

The Biggest Threats to Successful Estate Planning from Austin Estate Planning Lawyer Liz Nielsen

Poor estate planning is a recipe for disaster. Look no further than Dickens’ Bleak House—or a telenovela—to witness the tragedy and melodrama inadequate estate planning can cause. While having your estate planning documents prepared is the first hurdle to overcoming these types of disasters, there are several threats that lurk around the corner that might derail your wishes. A little planning can help you avoid these threats to successful estate planning.