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Kids Going Away to College? Why You Should Include College Student Estate Planning in the Preparation
August 6th, 2025
You have likely been preparing for weeks to get your new college student off to school. It is exhilarating, and your heart may be bursting at the seams. You are probably prouder than words can express but also afraid. How can you ensure your child is…
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Who Needs an Estate Plan?
March 26th, 2025
If you are reading this, you need an estate plan. Why? The short answer is that everyone age 18 and older needs an estate plan. It does not matter whether you are old or young, have built up considerable wealth or are just entering adulthood—you ne…
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Estate Plan Basics for Newlyweds: How to Prepare for the Unexpected
February 19th, 2025
Getting married is a special time in your life; you may have a beautiful wedding, a fun reception (with a delicious cake and special gifts), and a romantic honeymoon. It is also the right time for you and your new spouse to plan for your future—for…
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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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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