Estate Planning

The word “estate” sounds lofty, bringing to mind manicured gardens and wood-paneled libraries. But in the legal world, your estate just refers to everything you own, like your house, car, investments, and even your furniture and other personal possessions. Estate planning, then, is the process of deciding how you’d like your assets to be dispersed – and who should receive them – after you pass away.

At a glance

We hope this page helps you outline everything you own and how it fits within an estate plan with tools like wills, trusts, guardian designations, and powers of attorney to control how assets are distributed. We will walk you through our four-part process (questionnaire, consultation, drafting and review), highlight typical costs, and emphasize our holistic approach to reduce taxes and protect families.

Why it matters

Making smart, meaningful estate-related decisions in the present can act as a buoy in the face of life’s eventualities.

Through legal tools such as wills, trusts, guardian designations, powers of attorney and medical directives, you can decide who will receive your assets and care for your children in your absence as well as minimize potential tax burdens and plan for what medical measures you want taken in the event you’re seriously injured or facing a life-threatening illness.

Making smart, meaningful estate-related decisions in the present can act as a buoy in the face of life’s eventualities and a personalized road map for navigating whatever comes next.

Discuss Your Estate Plan

common estate planning tool

Wills

Conventional wisdom tells us that a will is an essential legal tool, yet the majority of us postpone confronting this delicate and often stressful issue, sometimes indefinitely. The good news is that drafting your will with the help of our estate planning attorneys can be a fairly simple and straightforward process.

To begin, you should know that a will is the foundation of any Texas estate plan. Due to the current estate tax laws, the disposition of a small or moderately-sized estate can typically be handled with a simple will. Everyone benefits from the protection afforded by a will – even a person with a small estate. This is primarily because a will is much more than an allocation of assets. A will is your final voice, a way to elect who will carry out your wishes, and who will take care of your children. It is also the final say in important issues such as a minor’s inheritance and how the distribution of family heirlooms will be handled.

We will help you evaluate whether your estate planning needs should include tax planning and how your unique circumstances can be addressed with other estate planning tools. In addition to giving your wishes the authority of law, having a will streamlines the probate process for your loved ones.

Trusts

In order to work properly, many estate plans require the incorporation of some type of trust. There are several types of trusts that can be incorporated into your estate plan to further protect your interests and effectively pass on your assets to those you love. It’s important to note that these are complex legal instruments and that in order for them to be effective, you should consult one of our attorneys who can thoroughly explain them to you and advise you on how they can serve your specific needs.

All of these tools work together to build a solid plan that can (1) ensure your property is in the right hands — either during your lifetime or upon your death, (2) guarantee that your money and property are used for the purposes you intended, (3) potentially save your estate a significant amount in estate taxes, and (4) ensure your loved one qualifies or continues to receive public assistance monies for which they become eligible.

Special Needs Trusts

These types of trusts help a loved one preserve his or her right to need-based public benefits in Texas such as Medicaid or SSI despite an inheritance. In situations where the beneficiary of an estate is disabled or suffers from chronic illness, a special needs trust is a way of ensuring that if they were to receive an award, settlement or disposition of assets through the death of another, they do not inadvertently disqualify themselves from receiving the public benefits to which they are otherwise entitled. A special needs trust will allow you to put your assets into a self-funded trust or give assets to someone you love through a third-party funded trust either during your lifetime or upon your death. In essence, this type of trust allows the special needs person to have many of the “extras” that the government will not otherwise pay.

Marital Property Agreements

Planning for your future together? Marital property agreements are powerful tools for couples looking to define their individual and shared assets. Whether you’re planning a marriage or are already in one, these agreements can clarify ownership, outline financial responsibilities, and prevent future disputes. Our estate planning attorneys are able to draft these documents for you, or review and edit an already drafted version.

Resources

At Hardie Alcozer, we are committed to providing clear, practical information to help you better understand your legal options and feel confident in the decisions you make. In addition to the guidance offered on this page, we have gathered a selection of materials designed to further support you throughout your legal journey.

These resources are intended to answer common questions, clarify complex legal concepts, and give you a better sense of what to expect at each stage of the process. Whether you are exploring your options or preparing to take the next step, having access to reliable information can help you make more informed and confident decisions.

Estate Planning Details

Everyone! Whether you just got your first job or bought your first house, or are worth $200 million or more, we craft a personalized estate plan for you.

Every estate plan comes with a will, a medical power of attorney, a financial power of attorney (also called statutory durable power of attorney), living will (aka Directive to Physicians), HIPAA authorization, declaration of guardian for minor children (if applicable), declaration of guardian in event of subsequent incapacity, and an appointment of agent for disposition of remains. Some plans include one or multiple trusts.

The average estate planning investment ranges from $3,000+ for will-based plans to $5,000+ for trust-based plans, with final pricing provided after an initial meeting.

Step 01: Get in Touch

To get started, fill out our online contact form to briefly tell us about your situation. Our intake coordinator will review your submission and send you the appropriate questionnaire to complete.

Step 02: Submit the Questionnaire

Once you’ve completed the questionnaire, our intake coordinator will use that information to match you with the right attorney on our team and reach out to schedule your consultation.

Step 03: Schedule a Consultation

Our intake coordinator will coordinate a free or paid consultation, depending on your situation. During this call, you’ll have the opportunity to get any initial questions answered and learn more about what the process might look like. If you choose to move forward, we’ll send along a contract and request any relevant documentation we might need from you.

Step 04: Connect With an Attorney

You’ll meet with one of our attorneys virtually or at our Austin office to discuss your situation in depth. Once we have analyzed the specifics of your case, the attorney will walk you through your legal options and their potential outcomes. From there, we’ll build a strategy and outline clear next steps.