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How to Help Your Loved Ones Avoid Probate (Spoiler: Fund Your Trust!)
October 22nd, 2025
Today, many people use a revocable living trust instead of a will, joint ownership, or beneficiary designation as the foundation of their estate plan. When properly prepared, a trust avoids the sometimes costly, always public, and often time-consumin…
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What to Do After a Loved One Dies
October 15th, 2025
If you have been named the person responsible for settling a deceased loved one’s affairs, commonly called an executor or personal representative (if your loved one had no estate plan or had a will) or a successor trustee (if they had a trust), you…
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Categories: Probate
Probate Delays: Five Reasons Your Probate Might Be Taking So Long
October 8th, 2025
After a loved one dies, their money and property that goes through probate must be distributed to the people legally entitled to it, either according to a last will and testament (also called a will) or the state’s default distribution scheme (foun…
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Three Simple Ways to Avoid Probate Costs
October 1st, 2025
The bad news: When a person dies owning property in their sole name without a beneficiary, their loved ones will likely have to go through a court-involved process called probate to transfer the property out of the deceased person’s name and into t…
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Do I Need a Will or a Trust?
September 24th, 2025
Yes: everyone needs a will, a trust, or both. These important tools ensure that your legacy will be carried out according to your wishes and allow you to provide for loved ones after your passing. Having a will or trust in place also saves money and…
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When a Trustee Becomes a Burden: Knowing When to Remove a Trustee
September 17th, 2025
The title of trustee implies that this position should be held by someone you find trustworthy, and for good reason. Serving as a trustee of a trust carries significant responsibility and duty not just to you as the trust’s creator but also to the…
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Four Estate Planning Myths: Debunking Common Misconceptions
September 10th, 2025
Estate planning often feels complex, leading many people to rely on assumptions that can have devastating consequences for their loved ones and their legacy. From who can make decisions for you to whether you need an estate plan, common myths can sta…
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Nosy Neighbor Nellie Can Find Out About Your Probate: Keeping Your Probate Private
September 3rd, 2025
Most people think of probate (the process of collecting, managing, and distributing a deceased person’s money and property) as a private process. However, because probate involves the court system, most filings become a matter of public record, par…
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Trust Funding: Setting Your Trustee Up for Success
August 27th, 2025
A revocable living trust can serve as a valuable estate planning tool to help ensure that your finances remain well managed if you become incapacitated (unable to manage your affairs while you are alive) and to provide future financial security for y…
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Why a Trust for Your Child Should Mature with Your Child
August 20th, 2025
From the moment a child is born, a parent feels an instinctive drive to protect and nurture. We childproof our homes, carefully choose schools, offer guidance through adolescence, support their careers, and watch with pride as they start their own li…
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Attorney Jana McCreary
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