Estate Planning Attorneys Serving Arlington And Neighboring Communities
Planning for the future involves making important decisions today to protect your loved ones and your legacy. At Brandy Austin Law Firm, PLLC, we provide personalized estate planning services to ensure your wishes are honored, your family is cared for, and potential legal issues are minimized. We know that estate planning can seem daunting, but we are here to make the process as smooth and straightforward as possible.
Our Estate Planning Services
We help you develop a custom estate plan that reflects your goals and unique life circumstances. Our services cover:
- Wills and Trusts: Secure your assets and assign beneficiaries to avoid probate complications.
- Power of Attorney: Appoint trusted individuals to make financial and healthcare decisions if you become incapacitated.
- Healthcare Directives: Specify your medical wishes through living wills and medical powers of attorney.
- Guardianship Plans: Designate caregivers for minor children or dependents.
- Business Succession Planning: Ensure continuity by developing a strategy for passing your business to the next generation.
- Tax Planning: Mitigate estate taxes through strategic planning, trusts, and charitable giving.
Our goal is to anticipate potential issues, reduce family conflicts, and protect your estate from unnecessary taxation and probate costs.
Why Estate Planning Matters
Estate planning isn’t just about what happens after you pass away. It involves creating a framework for financial and healthcare decisions in the event of incapacitation. By taking proactive steps, you can:
- Ensure that your final wishes are respected
- Appoint guardians for minor children
- Minimize taxes and administrative expenses
- Prevent disputes among family members
Without an estate plan, Texas law will dictate how your assets are distributed, which may not align with your personal wishes. Our firm works closely with you to establish a comprehensive plan that reflects your priorities.
Trusts: A Powerful Estate Planning Tool
Trusts are a flexible way to protect assets, avoid probate, and set conditions for distributions. We offer guidance on creating different types of trusts, including:
- Revocable Trusts: Modify or revoke the trust as your circumstances change.
- Irrevocable Trusts: Protect assets from creditors and estate taxes.
- Charitable Trusts: Leave a lasting impact by allocating funds to charitable causes.
- Special Needs Trusts: Provide for a loved one with disabilities without affecting government benefits.
Trusts are particularly useful for complex estates and high-value assets. We’ll help you determine if a trust is right for your situation and guide you through the creation and management process.
Life Changes? Update Your Estate Plan
An estate plan should evolve with your life. Major events—such as marriage, divorce, the birth of a child, or a move to another state—may require updates to your documents. Regular reviews ensure your plan continues to meet your needs and complies with current laws.
At Brandy Austin Law Firm, we recommend reviewing your estate plan every few years or whenever you experience significant life changes.
Avoid Probate Complications
While probate is a common process, it can be time-consuming and costly. We offer solutions to help your loved ones avoid unnecessary probate issues. With tools like trusts and beneficiary designations, you can streamline asset distribution and spare your family from legal delays.
Working With Brandy Austin Law Firm
We pride ourselves on building lasting relationships with our clients. Estate planning is a deeply personal process, and we are committed to providing compassionate guidance every step of the way. Our experienced attorneys take the time to understand your goals and craft a plan tailored to your unique situation.
Whether you are just starting your estate plan or need to update existing documents, we are here to help. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and take the first step in securing your legacy.
How Do I Disinherit Someone?
An estate planning lawyer understands that many families have issues that cause arguments and disagreements. But sometimes, those fights become so intense that family members can become estranged. When this happens, the hope is that reconciliation can someday take place, but in many situations, this never happens.
At the Brandy Austin Law Firm, we have been assisting clients with estate litigation issues for many years and understand how some family disputes over a loved one’s will and other estate plans can happen. We have worked with clients who have made the difficult decision to exclude a child or children from their will and know that there are important steps to take in order to make sure this decision cannot be contested later on. If you have estate litigation issues you would like assistance with, please contact our office.
If you have made the decision to intentionally leave a child out of your will, you will want to make sure to have a qualified estate planning lawyer execute the will. Attempting to do draft your own will, or using online websites, when you plan on leaving family members out of it is almost a guarantee that family member will contest the will and question its validity. Instead, if you are planning on disinheriting someone who is expecting to inherit, having a skilled lawyer who is well versed in probate law ensure the will has been correctly drafted, contains the proper signature, witnessed, and notarized to make the will contest-proof.
You will also want to make sure to discuss your decision with family members, even the child you are disinheriting. This allows you to fully explain your decision, as well as save other family members from being direct targets of the anger and confrontation that the family member who is being left out of the will may react with when they learn they have been disinherited. Also, by expressing your wishes and the reasons behind it to other family members, you are also leaving proof that you knew what you were doing should that decision be contested after you pass away.
In the event you are not disinheriting the person entirely, but aware they may feel they are entitled to more, you could have your Arlington TX estate planning lawyer add a no contest clause to your will. This means that if any beneficiary contests your will, they would lose their right to any inheritance that was designated for them.
Another option you have is to designate beneficiaries on your financial accounts, such as savings and retirement accounts. When you designate a beneficiary, the account does not become part of the estate when you die but instead goes directly to the person you have named, therefore, the decision cannot be challenged in court like a will can.
Start Planning Today
Don’t wait until it’s too late to get your affairs in order. The earlier you start, the more control you have over your future. Let us help you create an estate plan that provides peace of mind for you and your loved ones.
At Brandy Austin Law Firm, PLLC, we’re ready to assist you with all your estate planning needs. Call us today to schedule your consultation.
Client Review
“This law firm is exceptional at being a one stop law firm. They handle all your legal needs in one place. From divorces, child custody, estate planning, Trust, Litigation, Personal injury, Civil matters and probate. They offer free consultations & the staff is always friendly & eager to assist.”
