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 […]
Trusts
Planning for Stepchildren and Step-Grandchildren, by Austin Estate Planning Lawyer Liz Nielsen
The structure of families has changed in the United States: According to statistics cited by the Pew Research Center, six out of ten women who remarry are in blended families, and in about half of those remarriages, stepchildren live with the remarried couple. If you or your grown children are part of a blended family, […]
The ABCs of RLTs, by Austin Estate Planning Lawyer Liz Nielsen
You may have heard of a revocable living trust (RLT), which is a commonly used estate planning solution. But what exactly are they, who is affected by them, how can they be changed, and what do they accomplish? What Are They? Trusts, which are legal entities that hold title to property for the benefit of […]
Even Vampires Need Estate Planning by Austin Estate Planning Lawyer Liz Nielsen
Yes, even the undead need an estate plan. Go ahead and laugh. But as we’ve learned from the likes of The Vampire Chronicles, the Twilight saga, and HBO’s True Blood, vampires aren’t immortal. They do die, and it’s usually unexpected and messy. While vampires aren’t necessarily good candidates for life insurance and probably don’t need […]