Total Estate Value The value of your estate is determined by the value of assets held in your individual name, the proportionate interest of assets owned jointly by you with others, and the death benefit value of life insurance on your life. Assets can include but are not limited to real estate, retirement accounts, bank accounts, brokerage accounts, life insurance, business interests, and valuable jewelry and collectibles. The value of the assets in your estate will be fixed as the fair market value of the assets as of the date of your death.
Your Contact Details Your legal name is needed for your estate planning documents. This is your name as it appears on your driver's license, passport, or social security card.
Your Spouse Information Your legal name is needed for your estate planning documents. This is your name as it appears on your driver's license, passport, or social security card.
Living Trust Living Trust
Children and Beneficiaries If your children are under the age of 25 a trust will be created in your will to provide for them. A trust created in a will is a “testamentary trust.” The testamentary trust does not exist until the person who created the will dies and the will is validated through the Texas probate process. The testamentary trust directs the trustee to manage the trust assets for the benefit of your children. The persons you name as Trustee will serve until your children reach the age of 30 after which your children will serve as Trustee of the trusts created for them until they reach a certain age. If your children are over the age of 25 you may choose to create trusts for your children or you may prefer to leave your estate to your children outright and free of trust. Back Next
Beneficiary Information Name beneficiaries if you have no children.
Children Select the options that apply to you. For children under 18, you will be required to select a guardian and trustee. If your children are over 18 or you do not wish to leave a trust, then you your children will receive your estate outright.
Guardians for Your Minor Children Guardian is a person who takes care of the physicall needs of your child until they turn 18. If you have step children, then the surviving bioligical parent is presumed to be guardian, unless their rights have been legally teminated. You can overwrite primary Guardian
Children Information Name your children and/or step children. Determine how to distribution your estate and when you would distributed.
Trustee A Trustee is the person who manages the assets held in trust for your spouse and or child(ren). If you give your estate to your spouse in trust (called a “marital trust,”) he or she will be named Trustee. If you do not create a trust for your spouse, if your spouse does not survive you, or upon the death of your spouse the successor Trustee(s) will manage the assets of the estate for the benefit of your children. We recommend you name at least two successor Trustees.
Executor The Executor is the person appointed by the Probate Court to locate the deceased person's assets and deliver those assets to the beneficiaries as dictated by the Will. They have an obligation to the protect and preserve the deceased person's assets, pay the deceased person's debts, and expenses of the estate such as funeral and burial costs. The Executor's role requires some organizational and financial skills. You may want to consider naming someone who is good with finances knows when to get professional help to guide them so that they can make prudent and reasonable decisions. If you choose to have your agents serve jointly, your agents will have to make decisions together by majority decision. In choosing whether your agents should serve jointly, you should consider whether your agents would be able to get along and make decisions together. If you select that you would like your agents to serve jointly, the system will default to all three agents serving jointly. If you wish to have only two agents serve jointly and another agent to serve individually, please unselect the box next to the agent you wish to have serve individually.
Executor - Spouse/Partner The Executor is the person who administers the estate. Its common to have the same person be the Executor and Trustee" our Spouse will be your default Executor. You can name an alternative trustee should you spouse or primary trustee not survive and you can overwrite primary Executor.
Power of Attorney A Power of Attorney Agent is the person you name in your Power of Attorney to step into your shoes to handle (financial matters for you) .When the Power of Attorney Agent has power to act, they then have legal authority to carry out what is authorized in the document without the need of court involvement. A Power of Attorney Agent can only act in their capacity as agent for you. When picking a Power of Attorney Agent, since this is a financial role, your analysis of who it should be is very similar to how you chose who should serve as your Personal Representative. In a way, they can be similar roles – it’s just that the Power of Attorney Agent can only act on your behalf during your life and the Personal Representative can only act when appointed by the Probate Court after your death. Because of this, it’s not uncommon to have the same helper serving in both roles. If you choose to have your agents serve jointly, your agents will have to make decisions together by majority decision. In choosing whether your agents should serve jointly, you should consider whether your agents would be able to get along and make decisions together. If you select that you would like your agents to serve jointly, you will want to select the “serve jointly” button next to each agent who you wish to have serve jointly. If you wish to have only two agents serve jointly and another agent serve individually, please only select the box next to the two joint agents and leave the box unselected next to the agent you wish to serve individually.
Financial DPOA-Spouse/Partner Name someone (agents) you trust to make financial decisions on your behalf in the event you are unable to do so yourself.
Health Care Power of Attorney Your Health Care Agent will make medical decisions for you if you are incapacitated and unable to do so yourself. When picking a Health Care Agent, pick someone who would be comfortable serving in this role. Also, consider whether that person would have similar ideas as to you regarding medical care. If your doctors ever need to say that there is nothing further they can do except to keep you hooked up to machines, and you would not want that, don’t pick someone who would feel the opposite or too burdened to have to make those kind of decisions. If you choose to have your Health Care Agent serve jointly, your Health Care Agents will have to make decisions together by majority decision. In choosing whether your Health Care Agents should serve jointly, you should consider whether your Health Care Agents would be able to get along and make decisions together. If you select that you would like your Health Care Agents to serve jointly, you will want to select the “serve jointly” button next to each Health Care Agent who you wish to have serve jointly. If you wish to have only two Health Care Agents serve jointly and another Health Care Agent serve individually, please only select the box next to the two joint Health Care Agents and leave the box unselected next to the Health Care Agent you wish to serve individually. Back
HIPAA Agents Federal law under the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) prohibits your medical providers from disclosing medical information to anyone other than you or individuals you have authorized. Your documents will include a HIPAA Authorization authorizing your medical providers to communicate with your health care agents under your Health Care Power of Attorney. In addition, it will also authorize communication with your trustees and/or financial agents under your Durable Power of Attorney as your trustees and/or financial agents may encounter HIPAA issues when handling your health insurance or medical bills. In some instances, you may wish to add additional individuals to your HIPAA Authorization. For example, perhaps you have other family members that you would wish to be able to communicate with your health care providers about your situation even if they are not your health care decisionmaker
Health Care POA - Spouse/Partner Name someone (agents) to make medical decisions on your behalf in the event that you are unable to make those decisions for yourself
Directive to Physician A Directive to Physician also known as “Living Will” is a general declaration regarding your end-of-life wishes if you are unable to communicate them yourself. In other words, if you treating physicians advise your Health Care Proxy Agent that there is nothing further they can do to help you recover, this would be your written declaration that you would not want any further extraordinary measures, having a Living Will take the pressure off of your Health Care Proxy Agent from having to make that decision for you.
Signing Your Documents: Texas law requires that certain parts of your health care documents be notarized and witnessed by two disinterested individuals. This means that the notary and two witness must not be an agent or beneficiary in your documents. If the documents are not signed properly, there is a risk that they will not be legally valid documents. To best assist you in making sure your documents are signed properly, we have designed two options that you can choose from to have your documents executed: Sign at our office You may choose to come to our office where our team will have all your documents printed and ready for your signatures. We provide the notary and two witnesses. All you have to do is schedule a time and come visit!
Engagement Letter Thank you for submitting your information. In order to become a client of our firm, please scroll to review our Engagement Letter. You will be emailed an executed copy and will be directed to our payment portal.