Nowadays, divorce is a common occurrence. In 2020, the National Center for Health Statistics reported 2.1 divorces per 1,000 in Texas. If you have gone through a divorce and remarried, it is crucial to update your estate planning documents to reflect your changed circumstances. Failure to do so can lead to a nightmare scenario for … Read more
Estate planning for single people is an important aspect of safeguarding your future, ensuring that your assets, healthcare wishes, and loved ones are well taken care of even when you’re no longer around. Planning for the future can sometimes make you feel overwhelmed, especially when you’re single and navigating life on your own. You may … Read more
Before you head off on your next adventure ask yourself – Is everything handled and up-to-date? Your normal life seems a million miles away. This is the first time you have been able to go away together, just the two of you. It seems like just yesterday the kids were chasing fireflies in the back … Read more
We look around us and we see the changing face of America. Americans are living longer now than ever before. According to the National Center for Heath Statistics, the average life expectancy at birth is now 77.2 years. The life expectancy has ratcheted up gradually from 59.7 years in 1930. This, combined with an increased … Read more
Each of us daydreams of an easy way to become rich. Maybe we will come into some unexpected money. We dream of winning the lottery, hitting a slot machine jackpot, or winning a game show. We wonder if there may be some lost relative ready to leave us their fortune. So, let’s say you do … Read more
Taking the time to update the charitable bequests in your trust or Will can seem tedious when compared to the constant, busy buzz of everyday life; however, the consequences of not making necessary changes can be severe. It is likely A.B. Branan did not foresee that the charitable bequest provisions would remain unresolved for years … Read more
You and your spouse live your lives as one. You’ve been together for years. It seems the simple solution is to just leave everything to each other upon your deaths. Unfortunately, in this situation, the simplest solution may not be the best. First, if you leave everything to your spouse, they will be estate taxed … Read more
As dawn breaks over the ranch, you think of the chores that await you: tending the cattle; repairing the equipment; buying feed and supplies. The life of a rancher is not easy, but it has its rewards: a life close to family and nature. But, as you age and nature takes its course, how will … Read more
You are a responsible person. You go to the physician and dentist periodically. You stay active and watch what you eat. You went to an attorney and did an estate plan. Unfortunately, professionals, like the rest of us, have changes in their lives. Perhaps they moved. Perhaps they fell ill or became disabled. Perhaps they … Read more
Anyone who may die or become incapacitated (in other words all of us) needs to plan their affairs. But, who actually does it? The American Association of Retired Persons conducted a survey of people aged fifty and over on that very topic. It found that sixty percent had at least a will, forty-five percent had durable powers … Read more