Do I really need a will? What does it mean to be appointed executor in someone’s will? What legal steps should I take when a family member dies? The Austin Bar Association has started a video program on their website called The People’s Law School to answer these and other questions of interest to the read more...

Understanding testamentary and non-testamentary assets and why your will is not the only document that passes your assets read more...

An unexpected trip to to the emergency room. A very dear and longtime friend goes in to the hospital unexpectedly. I go to the hospital as soon as I find out and the nurse asks me if I know what medicines my friend is taking. I have no idea. My friend, although alert, is not read more...

This is Max. He is a pit bull mix we adopted from the Austin Animal Shelter at eight weeks. He is two now and has not lost any of his enthusiasm for life and various pieces of furniture. He is, for good (most of the time) or for bad (only some of the time), a read more...

It is a sign of the times: simplify, simplify. It is why the life-changing magic of tidying up book is a best seller. But occasionally the benefits of something “not simple” are worth considering.  Trusts are not simple but the benefits may outweigh the added complexity. One often overlooked area where a trust can be read more...

“Avoid costly probate! Save taxes! Protect your family!” At least every three or four months, I either receive a mailing or see an advertisement inviting me to a seminar on the benefits of creating a living trust. Headlines scream out the benefits, creating the impression that only a fool would not attend the seminar and read more...

One of the more difficult challenges my sister and I dealt with as my mother began to show signs of Alzheimer’s Disease was finding the balance between respecting my mother’s dignity and autonomy and keeping her safe and secure. This last spring, the Texas Legislature added an additional tool to help maintain that balance. It read more...

It was one of the most challenging decisions my wife and I had to make early in our marriage. It was after the birth of our second child. The decision was who would take care of our children - who would be the children’s guardians - if the unthinkable occurred and neither of us were there or we were incapacitated. read more...

It is easy to underestimate the economic and sentimental value of your online life. Just like any other assets of great value, you need to protect these digital assets after death with proper planning and instruction. read more...

Open casket, closed casket? Burial, cremation? Asking loved ones to make those decisions for you at a most difficult time doesn't seem fair, does it? But there is a way to make that one last gift. read more...