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Estate Planning for DFW Families
A plan your family can count on.
A complete Texas estate plan is not just a will: it is the set of documents that keeps decisions in your family's hands if you become ill, and carries out your wishes when you are gone. We prepare them at a flat fee, quoted in writing, with plain-English guidance from an attorney at every step.
If you die without a will in Texas, state law decides who inherits, and in blended families the result routinely surprises people. A complete plan covers both death and incapacity: a will, financial and medical powers of attorney, a HIPAA release, a directive to physicians, and guardian designations for minor children. Most plans are finished in two or three weeks at a flat fee.
What a complete Texas estate plan includes
We build plans around six core documents. Your will names who inherits, who serves as executor, and who raises your children. A statutory durable power of attorney lets someone you trust handle finances if you cannot. A medical power of attorney names your healthcare decision-maker, and a HIPAA release makes sure doctors can talk to your family. A directive to physicians (the living will) records your end-of-life wishes so nobody has to guess. For parents of minor children, a declaration of guardian and a contingent trust inside the will keep both the children and the money protected.
What happens without a plan
Texas intestacy law fills the gap, and it does not always do what people assume. In blended families, a share of the community property can pass to children from a prior relationship rather than to the surviving spouse. Without powers of attorney, your family may need a court-supervised guardianship just to manage your accounts during an illness. These outcomes are avoidable with documents that take a few weeks to put in place.
When a trust makes sense
We will give you a straight answer here: Texas has one of the most efficient probate systems in the country, so a revocable living trust is not automatic the way it is in some states. A trust earns its keep when privacy matters, when you own property in more than one state, when a beneficiary needs structure around an inheritance, or when avoiding probate entirely is worth the setup. If a simple will-based plan serves you better, that is what we will recommend.
How it works
- Talk. A free consultation about your family, your property, and what you want to happen.
- Draft. We prepare the documents and walk you through every choice in plain English.
- Sign. One signing appointment with the witnesses and notarization Texas law requires, done correctly so the documents hold up.
Is it time?
Moments when a plan stops being optional.
- You have children and no document naming who would raise them.
- You bought a home or your savings have grown past what a form template should handle.
- You married, remarried, or divorced and your documents do not reflect it.
- You own a business and nothing says what happens to it.
- A parent's illness showed you what happens when there are no powers of attorney.
- Your will was signed in another state or more than five years ago.
Common questions
Straight answers.
What happens if I die without a will in Texas?
State intestacy law decides who inherits. For married couples with children from prior relationships, part of the community property can pass to the children instead of the surviving spouse. A will replaces the statutory default with your actual wishes.
What is the difference between a will and a living trust?
A will takes effect at death and passes through probate; a revocable living trust holds assets during your lifetime and passes them outside probate. Texas probate is comparatively efficient, so many families are well served by a will-based plan. We will tell you honestly which fits your situation.
Do my spouse and I each need our own will?
Yes. Texas does not use joint wills; each spouse signs their own. We prepare coordinated plans for couples so the documents work together.
What are the powers of attorney for?
They cover incapacity during life. The statutory durable power of attorney lets your agent manage finances; the medical power of attorney names who makes healthcare decisions. Without them, your family may need a court guardianship to act for you.
How often should I update my estate plan?
Review it after any marriage, divorce, birth, death, move to another state, or significant change in what you own, and every three to five years otherwise. Small updates are usually quick.
How much does an estate plan cost?
It is a flat fee based on what your plan includes, quoted in writing before any work begins. The initial consultation is free, and there is no fee surprise at the end.
Related services
Planning and family matters, under one roof.
Take the first step
Two or three weeks from now, this can be done.
One free conversation tells you exactly what your family needs and what it will cost.