Working with an attorney to draft a trust agreement for estate planning purposes is an important step. But just getting the document drafted and signed is not enough. For any trust to be effective, you must complete the process of trust funding as soon as you can. But what exactly is funding? A common way […]
property
Is Our Home Community Property or Separate Property, and Why Does It Matter? from Austin Estate Planning Attorney Liz Nielsen
When two people get married, the property they obtain during their marriage is called marital property. This includes anything from real property like homes and rental properties, stock options, investment accounts, heirlooms, and employment income. A common assumption is that spouses want to share their property once they’re married. This assumption is not always true, […]
Defining “Fair Market Value” from Austin Estate Planning Attorney Liz Nielsen
When reading through a will or trust agreement, you may see language that grants a right to an individual to purchase certain property from the estate or trust at “fair market value.” At first glance, this phrase may seem a perfectly reasonable method of setting a suitable purchase price for a property to be sold. […]
Severing Joint Ownership of Property from Austin Estate Planning Attorney Liz Nielsen
One of the most common forms of property ownership in the United States is joint tenancy with rights of survivorship (JTWROS or joint tenancy). But what is joint tenancy? Joint tenancy is a legal right to property that provides the owner an undivided right to the enjoyment of the property. In other words, one joint […]