All parents know that not all of their children are the same. Some children just need more care and support than other children. Most parents do not try to treat their children the same. Instead, parents try to treat their children equitably. When it comes to estate planning, this often means that one child receives a larger share of the estate than another child. This can create problems between the children if the parents do not handle the situation appropriately. In some cases, it is easy to … [Read more...] about Unequal Distributions and Your Children
Texas History – How Many Counties Were in the Republic of Texas In 1836?
Twenty-three (23). In October 1836, the Texas Congress created twenty-three (23) counties based on the municipalities in existence at the time of Texas independence. As the population increased, the Republic of Texas Congress created new counties in order for the people to be better served. During the next few years, the Texas Congress divided counties with large land areas to place a county seat closer to existing communities. By 1845, Texas had a total of thirty-six (36) counties.1 Today there … [Read more...] about Texas History – How Many Counties Were in the Republic of Texas In 1836?
Famous Estates – Legacy Champ or Chump?
Sam Walton (1918-1992) - Businessman & Entrepreneur Sam Walton was the founder of the Wal-Mart and Sam’s Cub retail chains which are located throughout the United States, Mexico, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, South Korea, China, and Puerto Rico. Walton’s management style was popular with employees and some of his basic management concepts are still in use today. After taking the company public in 1970, Walton introduced his "profit-sharing plan," which was a plan for Wal-Mart employees to … [Read more...] about Famous Estates – Legacy Champ or Chump?
Thought for the Day:
Congratulations to Kyle Mendel, a cellist with the Symphony in the Valley, based in Glenwood Springs, Co, on his and the Orchestra’s December performance in Rifle, CO. … [Read more...] about Thought for the Day:
A Surprising Will
It has been said before, but it bears repeating: You do not do your families any favor if they are surprised by the details of your estate plan after you pass away. It quite often leads to problems between family members. The high-profile example of this comes from Nigeria. Leader, Dim Emeka Odumego-Ojukwu passed away and his Will was read aloud. He left most of his property to his wife, Bianca, who is the Nigerian ambassador to Spain. That might not seem all that surprising to most people, … [Read more...] about A Surprising Will
Making a Health Care Power of Attorney Useful
In an ideal world, you would always be able to make all of your own health care decisions. However, in the real world, it is possible that there will be a time when you can not. You might be under amnesia. You might have Alzheimer's. You might have had an accident and cannot communicate. Unfortunately, during these times. doctors might need to ask someone to make a decision about your care. Because you will not be able to answer the questions, you should have someone else ready to do so. You … [Read more...] about Making a Health Care Power of Attorney Useful
Texas History – Do You Know Where the First Capital of Texas Was Located?
The community of Los Adaes (in Louisiana) was the capital of Texas from 1722-1772, when the French surrendered all claims to the North American mainland. … [Read more...] about Texas History – Do You Know Where the First Capital of Texas Was Located?
Happy New Year
We have enjoyed writing this blog in 2012 and we hope that you have enjoyed reading the blog. It has been quite a year with many things going on that have an impact on estate law. There was a presidential election. The estate tax had everyone worried. There was the fiscal cliff. Celebrities passed away and people wanted to know about their estates. We don't know if 2013 will be as eventful, but we will be here to tell you about any issues that come up. If you do see something that you would … [Read more...] about Happy New Year
Is That Letter From the Lawyer Junk Mail?
No one likes getting junk mail. Our mailboxes overflow with fliers and letters from companies we've never heard of, don't do business with and will never do business with under any circumstances. It gets even worse that companies we do business with once will see that as an opportunity to send us mail for the rest of our lives. However, sometimes, what we initially think of as junk mail is actually an important piece of information that we need. If you take your pet to a vet, then you should be … [Read more...] about Is That Letter From the Lawyer Junk Mail?
Texas History – Do You Know Why Names of Any Living Person Are Banned From State Monuments?
When the San Jacinto monument was being built at the site of the battlefield near Houston, a flap arose when the Daughters of the Republic of Texas learned that the names of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Governor James Allred, and Jesse Jones were to be inscribed in 1-1/4" letters, while the names of the 1836 heroes were relegated to letters of 1/4" on the stone. A call to arms and a few meetings of the DRT at the state capitol at Austin resulted in legislation that banned the names of any living … [Read more...] about Texas History – Do You Know Why Names of Any Living Person Are Banned From State Monuments?
