Estate Planning

Estate planning is the process of arranging the management and disposal of a person’s assets during their lifetime and after their death.

Why do I need an estate plan?

An estate plan is important because it provides a comprehensive and coordinated approach to managing, preserving, and distributing an individual’s assets during their lifetime and after their death. An integrated estate plan can address various financial, legal, and personal aspects of an individual’s life, helping to ensure that their goals and wishes are carried out effectively.

What are the primary objectives of an estate plan?

The primary objectives of an estate plan include:

• Distribution of assets. Ensuring that the individual’s assets are distributed according to their wishes upon their death, either through a will or a trust.
• Minimizing taxes. Developing strategies to minimize estate, gift, income, and generation-skipping transfer taxes.
• Avoiding probate. Utilizing estate planning tools, such as trusts, beneficiary designations, transfer on death deeds, and joint ownership with right of survivorship, to avoid the time-consuming and costly probate process.
• Providing for loved ones. Ensuring that family members, especially minor children or those with special needs, are financially provided for and cared for according to the individual’s wishes.
• Protecting assets. Safeguarding the individual’s assets from potential creditors, lawsuits, or other claims through asset protection strategies.
• Managing incapacity. Preparing for the possibility of physical or mental incapacity by establishing statutory durable powers of attorney, medical powers of attorney, and advance directives to ensure that financial and healthcare decisions are made by trusted individuals.
• Business succession planning. Planning for the smooth transition of ownership and management of a family business or professional practice in the event of retirement, disability, or death.
• Charitable giving. Implementing philanthropic goals by gifting assets to charitable organizations, either during the individual’s lifetime or after their death, through various estate planning tools.
• Maintaining privacy. Using estate planning tools like trusts to maintain privacy in the distribution of assets, as trust documents are generally not public records like probate proceedings.
• Ensuring liquidity. Ensuring that the estate has adequate liquidity to cover debts, expenses, and taxes upon the individual’s death, which can be achieved through life insurance or other financial planning strategies.
• Guardianship planning and avoidance. Designating guardians for minor children or incapacitated adults to ensure their care and well-being align with the individual’s wishes. Certain estate planning tools, such as a power of attorney or trust, may also be used to minimize the necessity of guardianship proceedings.
• Fostering family harmony. Developing an estate plan that is fair, transparent, and reflects the individual’s values can help prevent conflicts and misunderstandings among family members.

What kinds of estate planning tools are available?

Estate planning attorneys utilize numerous tools and strategies to help their clients achieve their goals. Each case is different, and careful consideration must be given not only to the client’s objectives and desires, but also to their financial, health, and family circumstances, to ensure that estate plan is well-suited to their individual needs.

In Texas, some common estate planning tools and strategies used by estate planners include:

• Wills. A will is a legal document that outlines how a person’s assets will be distributed upon their death. It also allows the person to appoint an executor who will manage the estate and carry out the terms of the will. A will must be admitted to probate after the death of the person making will for it to become effective.
• Trusts. Trusts are legal arrangements that can be used to manage assets, avoid probate, minimize estate taxes, and provide for beneficiaries. Different types of trusts, such as revocable living trusts, irrevocable trusts, testamentary trusts, and special needs trusts, serve different purposes.
• Statutory Durable Powers of Attorney. A statutory durable power of attorney is a legal document that allows an individual (the principal) to appoint another person (the agent) to act on their behalf in financial, legal, and personal matters. Powers of attorney can be general or specific, and they can be limited in scope or duration, depending on the principal’s needs and preferences.
• Medical Power of Attorney. A medical power of attorney allows individuals to appoint someone to make healthcare decisions on their behalf if they become incapacitated and are unable to make decisions for themselves.
• Advance Directives. An advance directive, also known as a living will or directive to physicians, is a document that allows individuals to specify their medical treatment preferences in case they become incapacitated and cannot communicate their wishes. This includes decisions about life-sustaining treatments and end-of-life care.
• Guardianship Designations. In Texas, individuals can designate a guardian for themselves and their minor children in the event they become incapacitated or pass away. This can help ensure that the person’s wishes regarding the care and upbringing of their children are followed if guardianship proceedings are initiated.
• Beneficiary Designations. Naming beneficiaries on financial accounts, insurance policies, and retirement plans can help ensure that these assets pass directly to the intended recipients upon the account holder’s death, which may eliminate the need for probate.
• Joint Ownership with Right of Survivorship. Holding assets, such as bank or financial accounts, in joint ownership with rights of survivorship can help avoid probate and simplify the transfer of assets upon the death of one owner.
• Business Succession Planning Instruments. For individuals who own a business, having a succession plan in place can help ensure a smooth transition of ownership and management upon their retirement, disability, or death. Common tools include buy-sell agreements, cross-purchase agreements, entity-purchase agreements, family limited partnerships, key purchase insurance, and buyout provisions in the company operating agreement.
• Gifting Strategies. Gifting assets to family members or charitable organizations during one’s lifetime can help minimize estate taxes and fulfill philanthropic goals.

The importance of an integrated estate plan.

A good estate planning attorney does not use these tools isolation, but rather as part of an integrated estate plan.  When an estate plan is described as “integrated,” it means that the plan is comprehensive, interlocking, consistent, and coordinated. An integrated estate plan uses a combination of the tools and strategies described above to create a cohesive plan tailored to an individual’s unique needs, goals, and circumstances.

An integrated estate plan requires collaboration among various professionals, such as estate planning attorneys, financial advisors, accountants, and insurance agents, to ensure that all aspects of the individual’s financial, legal, and personal life are addressed in a coordinated manner. By taking a holistic approach, an integrated estate plan can provide peace of mind and help ensure a secure financial future for the individual and their loved ones.

Our customized estate plans are tailored to meet your individual needs

Every experienced estate planning attorney knows that a good estate plan cannot be crafted using templates or boilerplate forms, but rather as part of a collaborative process with their client in which their needs, desires, and circumstances are given careful consideration.  By using this interactive, attentive approach, the attorney can create a comprehensive estate plan that is custom-tailored for each individual.

To schedule a consultation with one of our estate planning attorneys, please call us today at (210) 418-1150 or send us a message by completing the intake form on our website.