Estate Planning, Wills & Trusts

A Will or Trust is the cornerstone of any estate plan. We can help you decide which is best for you, whether it is a simple Will or a more complex Trust or both depending on your goals with respect to your assets during your lifetime and the remaining assets that will ultimately be for the benefit of your beneficiaries. A well drafted Trust can protect your assets and maximize the inheritance that you leave for your loved ones. We will help you to protect your loved ones by preparing a comprehensive estate plan, including customized wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and beneficiary designations.

 Losing a loved one is difficult, especially when trying to settle your loved one’s estate while grieving. Let us guide you through the process by allowing us to review the estate and help you find the most efficient process to transfer ownership of the assets from your loved one’s estate. We can assist you in probating a Will or in determining the heirs. If you have been appointed to serve as the executor or administrator of an estate, we can represent you and help you navigate the court system and guide you through the entire process. 

In addition to Wills and Trusts, Texas law offers many tools for an efficient transfer of your property after your death, without having to go through the court system. We utilize all the legal devices that Texas offers, such as a Transfer on Death Deed or TODD, to allow an immediate transfer of your real property upon your death. 

Preparing for your potential disability and the management of your health and assets is as important as planning for your death. Let us prepare the legal documents that will allow an agent to conduct financial transactions for you in the event that you cannot do so for yourself. This includes a statutory durable power of attorney. We will also prepare legal documents to appoint an agent to make medical choices for you if you become incapacitated. These documents include a Medical Power of Attorney, a HIPAA Release, and a Directive to Physicians that will allow you to express your wishes in case you require life support. 

We can help develop a strategy to protect your valuable personal and business assets, whether through the formation of one of more entities, such as a limited liability company, by crafting a Trust specifically suited to your needs, or by assisting you with a marital or co-habitation property agreement. This includes representing you or your business in real estate transactions whether you are a seller, buyer, developer, or party to a lease. We can guide you through your transaction from contract negotiation to closing, including reviewing appraisals, surveys, and title commitments.

Property agreements are an integral part of any long-term relationship, even for those couples who have chosen not to marry. In either case, a property agreement between a married couple or a cohabitation agreement between a non-married couple can provide the legal protections that you desire for your loved one while setting out the guidelines for division of property at the termination of the relationship, whether by death or by divorce.

 Jessica Warren and Gregory S. Kazen are also each available to act as a private fiduciary, such as a Trustee under a Trust or Executor under a Will, when a named fiduciary is unable or unwilling to act or when there are no family members willing or able to step into the role. We also provide general advice to fiduciaries about aspects of administration, including creditor issues and the sale of business, real estate, and other complex assets.