What is a Power of Attorney? A power of attorney is a document that designates another person as “attorney in fact” or “agent” to act on behalf of a named principal. The power is limited when the principal becomes incapacitated or deceased unless a durable power of...
The temptation is there. A fill-in-the-blank will is cheap—sometimes even free, while will drafted by lawyers generally costs four to five hundred dollars. But which really costs more? The Gamble In truth, using a fill-in-the-blank will is a gamble. If you decide to...
Contrary to what you may believe, you and everyone else you know will have an “estate” when you die. Simply put, an estate is a collection of all your property you own at the time of your death. The area of law that deals with what happens to your belongings after...
What are Powers of Attorney? In Texas, you can give another person the ability to handle certain legal affairs for you with documents referred to as “powers of attorney.” Powers of attorney are granted when you, the “principal” sign a document which specifies you are...
The question is often asked, “How do I know when I need to update my estate planning documents?” While it is good practice to review and reevaluate your estate plan every year and no less than every five years, Houston attorney James E. Brill has provided the...
When a person has a will, that person’s property will pass through probate upon his/her death. There are certain estate planning tools, however, which allow individuals to bypass the probate process. The transfer on death deed is one such tool. A transfer on death...
