Austin estate planning

Austin Estate Planning Laywer

The truth is, no one wants to talk about what happens after you die. The topic is uncomfortable for most of us, and broaching it has generally been reserved for silver-haired folks looking toward retirement, and then only in hushed and serious tones. But today, careful planning means you can enjoy everything you've built — your family, your career, the home you share with the people you love — with a clear certainty that your wishes will be carried out no matter what might happen. And regardless of the size of your estate, your age, or your marital status, everyone can benefit from estate planning.

Careful estate planning today can insure clear advantages for the future, including:

• Giving your wishes the authority of law. Through legal tools such as wills, medical directives and guardian designations you get to name the people to whom you wish to give your assets, decide who will care for your children, and plan for what medical measures you want taken in the event you're seriously injured or facing a life-threatening illness.


• Minimizing the tax burden for your loved ones. Keep in mind that the laws governing estate planning continue to evolve. The sweeping changes of the Tax Relief Act of 2001 made a complex legal area even more complex, especially in light of the fact that many of the changes it enacted are set to expire in 2010. By using sound legal strategies today to plan for the distribution of your estate "someday," you can both minimize the gift and estate tax burden for your beneficiaries and insure that your estate planning remains up-to-date with changing legislation.


• Protecting the people you love. Perhaps one of the most difficult issues surrounding the death of someone you love is dealing concurrently with the myriad of emotional and legal hurdles, from medical decisions to funeral arrangements to the distribution of precious mementos. With estate planning, you have the peace of mind of knowing that during an already difficult time, your loved ones will not have to face the uncertainty of making these tough decisions under pressure or worry about them trying 'to do the right thing' amid their grief and confusion. In addition, you can rest assured that you are not bequeathing a costly administrative nightmare unto your family and loved ones.

We can thoroughly explain and assist you in preparing:

• Wills
• Guardian Designations for Minor Children
• Medical Powers of Attorney
• Durable Powers of Attorney
• Advanced Directives (a/k/a 'Living Wills')
• Revocable Living Trusts
• Testamentary Trusts
• Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts
• Special Needs Trusts
• Guardianships for Incapacitated Individuals

To learn more about how to begin planning for your estate, including how much you can expect to pay for these and other vital legal tools:

Download "Estate Planning FAQs"
Download "Estate Planning Fee Index"
Download "Initial Questionnaire for Individuals"
Download "Initial Questionnaire for Married Couples"
Download "Initial Questionnaire for Non-married Couples"