What is in a name? When you are setting up your estate plan or if you are a beneficiary—or a creditor—of an estate, your name means a great deal. For McCreary Law Office, we strive to make sure we have the legal name for any clients or beneficiar…
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Disinheritance—the intentional exclusion of a family member, usually a child or spouse, from receiving part of your estate after your death—is more common than you might think. It is also easier than you might think to disinherit a loved one, wit…
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Americans tend to bristle when any level of the government meddles in their private lives, especially with their money. Look no further than the famous “death and taxes” quote for a sense of how Americans feel about bureaucratic creep and governm…
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A common misconception is that only wealthy individuals and people in high-risk professions, such as doctors or lawyers, need an asset protection plan. However, anyone can be sued. A car accident, foreclosure, unpaid medical bills, or an injured tena…
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If you have created a trust that you intend to last for decades, choosing the right trustee is critical to ensuring the trust’s longevity and ultimate success. Initially, you may think that a family member (for example, Uncle Bill to your children,…
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A primary goal of estate planning is to provide financially for your loved ones. One way to ensure they are set up for lifelong success is to create an estate plan that allows an inheritance to help with your loved ones’ educational costs. High…
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The Federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) was enacted to provide guidelines to the healthcare industry for protecting patient information and preserving privacy. This is usually a nonissue for minors because pare…
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About half of Americans have a life insurance policy. The primary reason people purchase life insurance is to fund burial and other final expenses. However, a policy can help pay for much more, such as replacing lost income, paying off debts, equaliz…
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Estate planning attorneys are often asked where original estate planning documents—wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives—should be stored for safekeeping. While there is no right or wrong answer to the question of where you…
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Estate planning is an exercise in anticipating potential future events that could affect your plans for what happens if you become incapacitated (unable to manage your own affairs during your lifetime) and how your assets (property and accounts) will…
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Houston Estate Planning Attorney Jana R. McCreary has been an attorney for over twenty years, a career move she made after working for over a decade with adults and children with intellectual disabilities and mental illness. Graduating summa cum laud… Read More