How to Pick a Trustee, Executor, and Agent Under a Power of Attorney from Austin Estate Planning Lawyer Liz Nielsen

Trustee Executor Austin Estate Planning Lawyer

While the term fiduciary is a legal term with a long history, it very generally means someone who is legally obligated to act in another person’s best interests. Trustees, executors, and agents are all examples of fiduciaries. When you pick trustees, executors, and agents in your estate plan, you’re picking one or more people to make decisions in your and your beneficiaries’ best interests and in accordance with the instructions you leave. Luckily, understanding the basics of what each of these terms means and what to consider when making your choices can make your estate plan work far better.

Agent Now Has Duty to Preserve Estate Plan from Austin Estate Planning Lawyer Liz Nielsen

Austin Estate Planning Lawyer

Imagine a situation where daughter is serving as the agent under mom’s financial power of attorney.  Mom’s estate plan provides that her estate will pass 40% to daughter, 40% to son and 20% to mom’s favorite niece.  The main asset in mom’s estate is a nice (and very valuable) Westlake home.  In order to avoid probate on mom’s death, daughter files a lady bird deed, naming daughter and son as the only beneficiaries of the family home.  Does the slighted niece have any recourse?

Organizing for Tax (and Estate Planning) Season from Austin Estate Planning Lawyer Liz Nielsen

Organizing for Estate Planning Season

It’s the start of a new year, which means tax season—and this year’s April 17th IRS filing deadline—is just around the corner. Soon you’ll be receiving tax forms such as your W-2 or 1099s, and you’ll start thinking about the life events that could affect your taxes in various ways.

This flurry of tax prep activity is the perfect opportunity to get your estate plan in order, too, and kill two birds with the proverbial stone.

Why? Because as you run down your list of “tax prep” questions, you will find that your answers could also impact your estate plan.