If you’ve been appointed an executor of a loved one’s estate, or a successor trustee, and that person dies, your grief – not to mention your to-do list, including tasks ranging from planning the funeral, coordinating relatives coming in from out of town and (eventually) meeting with a trust administration or probate lawyer – can […]
Probate
What the heck is a Muniment of Title and When Can It Be Used? from Austin Estate Planning Lawyer Liz Nielsen.
What is a Muniment of Title? A Muniment of Title allows a document, such as a Last Will and Testament, to be treated as proof of title to property. This procedure to settle estates is unique to Texas. A will admitted to probate as a muniment of title serves to act as a link in […]
Is a Handwritten Will Effective in Texas? From Austin Estate Planning Lawyer Liz Nielsen
After the 2018 passing of the legendary singer Aretha Franklin, her family and lawyer initially thought she had died without a will. But earlier this year, three handwritten wills — two from 2010 that were locked in a cabinet and one from 2014 that was hidden under a couch cushion — were found in Franklin’s […]
Surprise! You Can’t Easily Disinherit Your Spouse in the U.S., from Austin Estate Planning Lawyer Liz Nielsen
Believe it or not, in the U.S. it isn’t easy to disinherit your spouse. But the same is not true for other family members — generally, you can use your estate plan to disinherit your brothers and sisters, your nieces and nephews, or even your very own children and grandchildren. However, in the majority of […]