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What Happens to Real Estate With a Mortgage When I Die?
February 14th, 2024
Your mortgage, like the rest of your debt, does not simply disappear when you die. If you leave your home that has an outstanding loan to a beneficiary in your will or trust, your beneficiary will inherit not only the property but also the outstandin…
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Celebrating International LEGO Day Jan 28
January 28th, 2024
Mark your calendars: January 28 is International LEGO day, which celebrates the date when the patent for the globally famous plastic brick system was filed. Since the 1940s, people have been creating their own worlds, brick by brick, with LEGOs. With…
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Categories: Estate Planning, General News, Miscellaneous, News, Planning for Minor Children, Trusts, Wills
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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The Testamentary Trust: The Best of Both Worlds
January 17th, 2024
You have several different options when it comes to creating the right estate plan. Some people believe that a revocable living trust is the best way to go, while others think that a last will and testament (commonly known as a will) is best under ce…
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What Do I Do If I Want to Undo My Revoked Will?
November 8th, 2023
When life circumstances change, you may alter the decisions you have made in your estate planning documents. You might choose to revoke your will at some point. But what if you have a change of heart and want to reinstate it? There are different ways…
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Sometimes Stuff Is the Most Important Part of Your Estate Plan
October 18th, 2023
Most people usually think about who will receive their retirement and bank accounts, life insurance proceeds, real estate, and other valuable possessions upon their death. However, a person’s personal property (their stuff) can also be a source of…
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When Families are Estranged: What is the Impact on Estate Planning?
October 11th, 2023
Unfortunately, rifts sometimes arise between family members that are much more serious than just temporary squabbles. The result may be estrangement, defined as “the state of being alienated or separated in feeling or affection; a state of hostilit…
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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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Collecting A Debt on Behalf of Your Deceased Loved One
September 20th, 2023
People often engage in transactions that result in money being owed to them, such as loaning money to a friend or business partner or renting a house to a tenant. But what happens if someone passes away before they receive payback of that debt, the m…
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Why You Want to Avoid Intestacy
August 9th, 2023
About two out of three Americans will die without a will. This is known as dying intestate. While the reasons for not having a will vary, the end result is the same for everyone: they do not get to choose who receives their property when they die. In…
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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