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The Estate Planning Importance: The Risks of an Unfinished Estate Plan
June 24th, 2026
Planning for the future, especially your own mortality, is never easy. Even when you understand the importance of creating a will or trust to protect your loved ones, finding the motivation to complete an estate plan can be difficult. Yet an unfinish…
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Estate Planning Scams: What Seniors Need to Know
June 17th, 2026
In our previous article, we explored actionable strategies for initiating the estate planning conversation with your parents, emphasizing the importance of early and open communication. However, opening the door to these discussions also means ensuri…
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The “Death Box”: One Step That Can Make a Difficult Time Easier for Your Loved Ones
June 3rd, 2026
Losing a loved one is challenging enough without added complications. One way you can take some of the pain out of administering your estate is by preparing a death box, also called a death binder, next-of-kin box, or legacy folder. It serves as a ce…
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The Family Meeting: Not Just for Billionaires
May 13th, 2026
For some people, the term family meeting may not bring to mind a pleasant gathering where everyone shares fond memories and warm feelings. When someone says, “We need to talk,” it often implies that something is wrong or that tough decisions need…
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When Your Parent Plans to Disinherit Your Sibling
April 29th, 2026
Your parent has made the difficult decision of disinheriting your sibling from their estate plan. While this decision will undoubtedly land heavily on your sibling, the decision also places you in a complicated position. As the child who was not cut…
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Why Real Estate Title Matters in Estate Planning
April 22nd, 2026
Real estate can be owned in several different ways. The form of ownership, or how your real estate is titled, can determine how much control you have over it, how vulnerable your property is to creditor claims and lawsuits, and what will happen to it…
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Celebrate Your Life Your Way: How to Make Funerals and Memorials Meaningful
April 8th, 2026
Many people have a childhood memory of somebody close to them passing away. Whether the deceased was a parent or grandparent, an aunt or uncle, or a family friend, it may have been their first real encounter facing grief or attending a funeral. That…
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What to Do When Your Doctor Tells You to Get Your Affairs in Order
March 25th, 2026
Five words no one ever wants to hear from their doctor are “Get your affairs in order.” Unfortunately, 76 percent of Americans do not have a will, and it often requires a chronic disease, terminal illness diagnosis, or other life-changing event t…
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How to Own Your Real Estate
March 18th, 2026
Your real estate encompasses not only your primary residence but also any vacation homes, rental properties, or even vacant land you may own. The ideal form of ownership varies depending on the type of property and your individual circumstances. Your…
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The Hidden Gender Gap in Estate Planning—and How to Close It
March 11th, 2026
You have probably heard of the gender pay gap. But there is also another common disparity: the estate planning gender gap. Although the two are interrelated to some extent—earning less than men puts women on an unequal path to investment and retire…
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Categories: Estate Planning, Guardianship, Health Care Surrogates, Living Will, Powers of Attorney, Property, Trusts, Wills
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