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Board Certified, Estate Planning and Probate Law - Texas Board of Legal Specialization
Av Preeminent rated, Martindale Hubbell
Why online services?
I have been practicing as a Board Certified estate planning and probate lawyer for over 30 years. Over the past several years I became aware that many of my comfortable but middle-class clients could no longer easily afford my traditional estate planning services.
As we all know, legal service are expensive, particularly those who have special knowledge and expertise in particular practice areas. For my clients with substantial assets and complex problems, this cost is justified. For my other clients, it is less so.
I was concerned with this problem for several reasons. First, as tax law has changed over the years, fewer and fewer families have tax planning needs that formerly justified the expense involved in traditional planning. Second, less than 20% of the middle-class clients I work with have complex dispositive needs, such as mixed families, special needs children, non-traditional relationships, or the need to plan for support of aging parents. Third, the expense of representation was causing many people to seek out less than satisfactory do-it-yourself forms not specifically designed for Texas, engage less skilled representation, or worst, put off doing appropriate planning at all.
What is needed, in consultation with their other advisors, is some way to determine whether their planning needs are complex enough to justify traditional representation, and if not, the ability to produce a high-quality Texas Will, Durable Power of Attorney, and Medical Power of Attorney, all at minimal cost.
I am pleased to announce that it is now possible to meet these needs through our online services.
Why only Texas residents?
Each state has different requirements for each of the documents which can be prepared using this system. Although a valid Texas Will will be honored in other states, it is better to have a Will or other document drafted taking into account those specific requirements.
Each state also presents other opportunities and planning considerations.
For example, only in Texas may a person making a Will make the executor under the Will an Independent Executor. An Independent Executor performs the duties of the executor--determining assets in the estate, paying valid bills, and distributing assets to those entitled to them--without court supervision. This opportunity is not present in any other state. Thus it is very important to use a Will prepared specifically for Texas.
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