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To set up an appointment today contact
me by e-mail, phone or fax.
Estate planning
Proper estate planning allows
you to provide for and protect your loved ones if you become
incapacitated or after your death. A properly drafted plan
ensures your assets are preserved for your beneficiary, your
children are cared for by the person you choose and your
estate is distributed according to your plan not the states
plan. It also allows you to communicate your wishes to
friends and family should you become incapacitated.
I want to help you provide
that secure future for yourself and your loved ones in case
you find yourself unable to do so. Although no one likes to
prepare for their death or disability it is my goal to make
this as quick and painless a process as possible.
Furthermore, your family will be grateful that you took the
time to plan for the uncertain future because proper estate
planning protects the loved ones you leave behind.
There are many estate planning
tools available to meet the unique needs of each client. A
few include wills, trusts and gifting programs. Plans can be
quite simple or very complex and I work with each client to
identify the plan that best suits their estate, family
situation and desires. Helping you achieve your goals is my
only objective. A complete estate plan will include at least
a will, medical power of attorney, general power of attorney
and a directive to physician (living will).
Wills
A will provides instruction on
how to distribute your assets upon your death. It requires
an appointment of an executor to ensure your property is
handled as you wish. Wills can be as simple or detailed as
desired. If there are minor children a will designates who
should care for your children after your death.
Failure to have a valid Texas
will places the future of your assets, who will raise your
children, and every decision regarding your estate into the
hands of the court. This results in a costly process that
may deplete all of your assets. More importantly the court
will not have any way to carry out your wishes but will be
bound by the guidelines of the state.
Medical Power of Attorney
A medical power of attorney
allows you to designate a person to make medical decisions
for you if you become incapacitated.
General Power of Attorney
A general power of attorney
allows you to designate a person to handle your financial
affairs if you become incapacitated. The power of attorney
can be limited to a specific act or acts or encompass any
activity related to your financial affairs.
Directive to Physician
(Living Will)
The purpose of a directive to
physician is to put in writing your end of life choices. A
person is designated to make decisions consistent with this
document. A directive to physician differs from a medical
power of attorney in only one regard, it is only effective
if you have a terminal or irreversible condition.
Trusts
Trusts can be used to achieve
a number of goals. They can be used to establish funds for
the future care of a disabled child or the education of a
child or grandchild. Trusts can be used to support your
favorite charity or assist with Medicaid eligibility. I will
help you determine if a trust is the right choice for your
financial or estate planning goals.
I can assist you in
determining your need for and set up of the following
trusts:
Special needs trust
Irrevocable trust
Revocable trust
Testamentary trust
Charitable trust
Education trust
Pet trust
Probate
Probate is the court procedure
where a will is submitted to prepare an estate for transfer
to the beneficiaries. In many cases this can be handled with
one court appearance.
However, even if a person dies
without a will in many cases their estate must go through
probate as well. This is necessary because certain types of
property must go through a legal process for ownership to
change. The size and nature of the estate will determine
what type of proceeding is necessary. I will work with you
to determine the easiest most cost effective way to resolve
the estate. In many cases this will be a determination of
heirship proceeding or muniment of title proceeding. These
proceedings are designed for small estates with minimal
assets.
Guardianship
Guardianship is a court
process whereby the court appoints someone who has legal
responsibility over the care and management of a person, or
the estate of an individual who cannot act for himself.
Guardianship allows you to protect your loved one by
ensuring they have food, clothing and shelter. It also
allows you to protect the assets of your loved one.
However, guardianship is usually the choice of last resort
because it can be a time consuming and costly process. I
will discuss your situation with you and search for any less
restrictive or less costly alternative than guardianship.
Then I will guide you through the appropriate legal
processes for your situation.
One avenue to avoid
guardianship proceedings is preventative estate planning.
You may be able to eliminate the need for a guardianship by
planning for a future where you are unable to make decisions
for yourself.
Business
Planning and Business Law
There are many choices facing any new business at start
up. I can assist you in determining which business entity is
most suitable to your needs. Once the selection is made I
can file the appropriate documents and draft your managing
documents. If you have already formed your business entity,
I can help with any managing documents that need to be
completed or updated.
Once your business is underway, I can help with your day
to day legal needs. These services are offered on an as
needed basis or as part of the in house counsel services. I
perform a variety of functions including drafting and
reviewing documents such as contracts or leases,
confidentiality agreements, employment contracts and
buy-sell agreements. I can help with debt collection, review
of any document that has legal significance or just answer a
question.
The “in-house counsel” service provides the small
business owner with a lawyer on retainer who is familiar
with their business and a phone call away. I work with the
business owner to prevent and solve legal issues. I am the
phone call when there is a legal need.
Mediation
Mediation is
the process where a neutral third party, the mediator, helps
disputing parties negotiate a settlement to their dispute.
During mediation each party retains the freedom to accept or
reject any offers made by the other party. Furthermore the
parties are not bound by any recommendation of the mediator.
The advantage to this procedure is each party retains
control of the outcome. Once litigation has commenced
mediation is often the last opportunity you will have to
work out a solution before surrendering the decision to the
court.
Mediation
frequently occurs once litigation has commenced. Most courts
require the parties attempt mediation to resolve their
dispute. However, mediation can be used before litigation
commences to solve a dispute. If mediation is unsuccessful
you would still be free to pursue litigation of your dispute
I work with
attorneys and individuals to resolve both family and civil
disputes.
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Areas of
practice