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My Spouse Died . . . and Now I Have My Own Survivor's Trust?
January 31st, 2024
Many married couples share almost everything, including finances. This may be reflected in their estate plan by using one joint living trust instead of two separate trusts. Separate trusts can provide greater flexibility, but a joint trust can be str…
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What Is the Last Surviving Spouse Rule in an Estate Tax Situation?
January 24th, 2024
Estate planning can be a significant part of successful financial management, especially for married couples. One key consideration is minimizing any estate tax, which can substantially affect the distribution of money and property to a married coupl…
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Will the Corporate Transparency Act Apply to You?
November 29th, 2023
Starting on January 1, 2024, under a new law called the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), owners of certain business entities must file a report with the federal government including details regarding the ownership of their entity. The CTA was enacte…
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Beware of Unequal Contributions When Buying a Home
October 4th, 2023
At a time of record home unaffordability, more people are teaming up with friends and relatives to realize the home ownership dream of buying a home. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), more than 75 percent of homes on the market…
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What Happens to Your Venmo, PayPal, and Apple Pay Accounts at Your Death?
July 12th, 2023
It has been said that nothing ever dies on the Internet. While this dictum is typically used as a warning that what we put online may come back to haunt us, it is also true that our online accounts can outlive us, and even live in perpetuity. Having…
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Four Important Considerations If You Win the Lottery
July 5th, 2023
On February 14, 2023, California state lottery officials named the winner of the largest lottery prize in United States history: Edwin Castro won an eye-popping $2.04 billion in a November 2022 lottery drawing, choosing a lump sum payment of $997.6 m…
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Was Your Loved One a Book Lover? Think Twice Before You Throw Those Books Out
June 14th, 2023
An individual’s belongings—such as jewelry, furniture, photographs, and books—sometimes slip through the cracks of their estate plan. While certain books may be gifted to a beneficiary in a loved one’s will, a book lover may leave behind othe…
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Why Deathbed Planning Might Give You Additional Grief
June 7th, 2023
None of us likes to think about our own death or enjoys planning for that occasion. However, if you do not create an estate plan or if you fail to update it regularly, you are likely setting your loved ones up for even more stress and grief after you…
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National Home Remodeling Month: How Remodeling Your Home Could Impact Your Estate Plan
May 31st, 2023
Spring is associated with renewal, and as the weather gets warmer, many homeowners turn their attention to renovation projects. Each May, the home remodeling industry and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) celebrate National Home Remode…
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Planning a Barbecue Is Like Planning Your Estate
May 24th, 2023
For many, Memorial Day weekend signals the beginning of summer and enjoying warm-weather activities, including backyard barbecues with friends and family. Although a cookout may be an informal affair, planning is crucial to its success. This is true…
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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