A revocable living trust can serve as a valuable estate planning tool to help ensure that your finances remain well managed if you become incapacitated (unable to manage your affairs while you are alive) and to provide future financial security for your loved ones upon your passing. However, merely signing the trust agreement does not […]
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How to Help Your Loved Ones (and Your Life Savings) Avoid Probate from Austin Estate Planning Attorney Liz Nielsen
Ask any estate planning attorney and many will admit a main goal of clients it to avoid probate. Even in states where the process is quicker and easier, probate tends to remain something of a boogeyman. Today, many people use tools such as revocable living trust instead of a will, joint ownership, or beneficiary designation as […]
Being Deployed? Here Is What You Need to Do from Austin Estate Planning Attorney Liz Nielsen
You have just received your orders, and you will be deployed shortly. No matter how soon you are leaving, there is still time to ensure that your affairs are in order. Review or Prepare a Family Care Plan. Regardless of the branch of the military in which you are serving, you may be required to […]
Estate Tax Exemption Increased to $15 million in 2026 by Austin Estate Planning Attorney Liz Nielsen
Beginning January 1st, 2026, the federal estate tax exemption will rise to $15 million per individual and $30 million for couples filing jointly due to the enactment of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” under the Trump Administration. This marks a change that individuals should be aware of as the current estate tax exemption is […]
Planning for Real Estate in a Foreign Country from Austin Estate Planning Attorney Liz Nielsen
The allure of a foreign land—perhaps where the weather is milder, the pace of life slower, and the cost of living lower—is a dream for many Americans who want to escape our country’s fast-paced, high-cost living. That dream can become a reality, and a tangible investment, for Americans who purchase a home overseas. Wealthy individuals […]
Minimalism May Be Great for Your Life but Not for Your Estate Plan from Austin Estate Planning Attorney Liz Nielsen
In a modern world marked by information overload, overflowing inboxes, nonstop notifications, and the constant pressure to accumulate more stuff, minimalism offers a compelling counternarrative. Born from the mid-twentieth century artistic rebellion and revived in the 2010s on the back of increased digital clutter, climate anxiety, and economic strain, minimalism promises clarity and order based on […]
Your Divorce Decree: The First Step in Estate Planning from Austin Estate Planning Attorney Liz Nielsen
You and your spouse have recently divorced, and the judge has signed the divorce decree. Now what? Although you may feel that you have spent enough time and money on lawyers, there is one last attorney you need to talk to: an estate planning attorney. If you and your former spouse created an estate plan […]
Does Treating Your Children Fairly Mean Unequal Inheritances? from Austin Estate Planning Attorney Liz Nielsen
When thinking through their estate plan and how they want their assets (money and property) managed after they pass away, most parents wish to treat their children equally, often out of a sense of fairness. However, sometimes being fair or doing what is right by your children may mean giving unequal inheritances. The Key Takeaways […]
The Deaths of Gene Hackman and His Wife from Austin Estate Planning Attorney Liz Nielsen
When investigators entered the home of legendary actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Machiko Arakawa, in a gated community outside Santa Fe, New Mexico, on February 26, 2025, they found the couple dead under mysterious circumstances. Following their investigation, authorities pieced together a timeline of the couple’s last days, indicating that a period of […]
Do You Go By Different Names? Ensure That Your Estate Planning Attorney Knows from Austin Estate Planning Attorney Liz Nielsen
Your name is one of the most personal things about you. It can tell the rest of the world so much about your family, your history, and occasionally even your personality. But not everyone keeps the same name they were given at birth. If you are a beneficiary or a creditor of an estate, or if […]