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Disinheriting a Spouse: Can I Leave My Spouse Out of My Estate Plan?
August 21st, 2024
The relationship between spouses is special in all contexts, not the least of which is the estate planning context. In many instances, you can exclude people from your estate plan, including your parents, siblings, and adult children. But there are s…
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Don't Let Your Estate Plan Go Up in Smoke: Update Your Plan
July 24th, 2024
Fewer people are creating estate plans today than in years past. Research shows that, in 2024, less than one-third of Americans report having a will.[1] Every adult—whether they are 19 or 99—should have a will at a minimum. Many people can also b…
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Are You Ready to Move Away from Home?
July 17th, 2024
When you move away from home, it is a major milestone in adulthood. For the first time, you might have to secure housing, buy insurance, sign up for utilities, and manage your finances. All of this can feel overwhelming as you simultaneously adapt to…
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What to Do When Incapacity Throws Your Estate Plan into Chaos
May 1st, 2024
As poet Robert Burns mused centuries ago, the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry. Despite thoughtful effort and a concerted strategy, you cannot prepare for every emergency in life. A car accident, sudden illness, workplace injury, or chro…
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How to Choose the Right Agents for Your Incapacity Plan
April 17th, 2024
Many people believe that estate planning is only about planning for their death. But planning for what happens after you die is only one piece of the estate-planning puzzle. It is just as important to plan for what happens if you become unable to man…
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Five Essential Legal Documents You Need for Incapacity Planning
April 10th, 2024
Comprehensive estate planning involves more than just planning for your legacy after your death, avoiding probate, and reducing taxes. Good estate planning also addresses incapacity and appoints people to make legal, financial, and medical decisions…
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Four Things Your Spouse Should Know Before You Die
September 27th, 2023
It is normal for spouses to share almost every aspect of their lives with each other. But when it comes to death, even the closest couples might become tight-lipped about certain topics. According to one study, half of all couples fail to discuss the…
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Mental Health Awareness Month: How an Estate Plan Can Help Improve Anxiety
May 10th, 2023
Roughly one in five US adults experiences a mental illness each year. Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health conditions, affecting nearly one-third of adults at some point in their lives. While anxiety can be generalized and chroni…
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Categories: Burial Plans, Estate Planning, Guardianship, Health Care Surrogates, Living Will, Powers of Attorney, Trusts, Wills
How COVID-19 Might Change Your Health Care Planning and Directives
April 19th, 2021
Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, we have been forced, as individuals, to assess our values and priorities along with our overall health. The COVID-19 clinical information relating to treatment options and likely outcomes based on pers…
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Four Estate Planning Steps to Take Right After an Alzheimer’s Diagnosis
November 23rd, 2020
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, it is important to start planning immediately. There are several essential documents to help you once you become incapacitated, but if you don’t already have them in place, you ne…
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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