Because your estate plan will be among the most important legal documents you create during your lifetime, choosing the right attorney to help you with your estate plan is essential. Moreover, given the fact that your estate plan will grow and evolve over the course of your lifetime, the relationship you have with your estate planning attorney should also grow and evolve. At the Pasadena, Texas Mendel Law Firm, L.P. we understand the important role your estate plan will play in protecting you, your assets, and your loved ones which is one reason why we would like to have the honor of assisting you in the creation of your comprehensive estate plan.
History of Pasadena, Texas
Before the Europeans arrived, the area around Galveston Bay was settled by the American Indian tribe of Akokisa. After its declaration of independence from Spain the new nation of Mexico sought to colonize Texas by offering land grants to settlers both from within Mexico and from the nearby United States. After several conflicts, the final battle of the Texas Revolution took place in modern Pasadena on April 21, 1836. Because this was the last battle before Mexico surrendered, Pasadena became nicknamed the “Birthplace of Texas”. Following the war Sam Allen started a ranch in 1843 with 350 acres. This became known as the Allen Ranch which occupied what is now western Pasadena all the way to Harrisburg, Texas.
By 1888, the ranch contained acres in Harris County, Brazoria County, Texas with grazing lands in Galveston and Fort Bend Counties. The Galveston, Harrisburg & Houston Railroad also ran through the Allen ranch. There was a problem with cattle being regularly killed on the tracks so Allen built a 19-mile fence along the railway to keep the cattle off the tracks. The fence ran from Harrisburg to League City and had a top rail wide enough to walk on.
The 1900 hurricane that destroyed Galveston also damaged Pasadena; however, the city also received a population boost as a result of the Galveston refugees who relocated to the mainland following the devastating storm. Donations by the brand new American Red Cross, including millions of strawberry plants to Gulf Coast farmers, helped revive the community. The donated relief strawberries coupled with the establishment of a major strawberry farm in the area by Texaco founder Joseph S. Cullinan resulted in Pasadena becoming a major fruit producer. Around the same time, the Texas oil boom occurred and by 1920 refineries began appearing along the Pasadena landscape.
By the mid-20th century Pasadena’s economy had become strongly tied to petroleum and other heavy industry. NASA’s Johnson Space Center, however, was established near Pasadena in 1963, helping to diversify the economy. The city, however, was suffering from corruption, as was often the case during that time period. Soon thereafter, Houston Post reporter Gene Goltz Received the Pulitzer Prize for his exposure of government corruption in Pasadena, Texas, which resulted in widespread reforms.
Pasadena, Texas Today
Located just a few miles southeast of Houston, the City of Pasadena, Texas is part of the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the city’s population is 149,043, making it the seventeenth most populous city in the state of Texas, as well as the second-largest city in Harris County. The Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area, however, has a combined population of over six million residents, making it the fifth-largest metropolitan area in the United States and the second-largest in Texas. The City of Pasadena is considered a largely working class suburb of Houston with a 60 percent Hispanic population.
The city’s key economy remains based in petroleum and gas, maritime shipping, aerospace, and healthcare. For art lovers, Pasadena has several museums, including the Pasadena Historical Museum, the Bay Area Museum and Armand Bayou Nature Center. Nature lovers will also enjoy the Armand Bayou Nature Center where you will find lush Wetlands, prairies and a forest offering guided canoe tours, owl prowls, and guided photo hikes.
The Mendel Law Firm in the Pasadena, Texas Community
Founding partner Stephen A. Mendel is a lifelong resident of the “Lone Star State” having completed his undergraduate degree in Architecture at the University of Texas at Austin and then continuing on to finish his legal studies at South Texas College of Law 1987. Attorney Mendel made the decision many years ago to focus his legal talents on helping his Pasadena friends and neighbors with legal issues relating to wills, trusts, and estates, incapacity planning, retirement planning, and other closely related matters.
Creating your estate plan is not something that occurs in a single visit. On the contrary, a well thought out estate plan takes time, and trust, to create. Establishing a solid ongoing relationship with your estate planning attorney is crucial because as you grow and mature, so does your estate and, consequently, so do your estate planning needs.
While your estate plan may initially focus primarily on protecting you and your young family from the financial devastation your unexpected incapacity or death could cause, your estate plan should expand and grow as the years go by and your needs change. For example, your plan may eventually include components that will help grow and protect your estate, such as retirement planning, business succession planning, and tax avoidance. You may also start to include strategies in your estate plan that will help your estate avoid probate as well as ensure that you can afford long-term care should you need it in the future.
Eventually, you may decide to incorporate advanced directives and funeral planning into your estate plan to provide you with peace of mind knowing your wishes will be honored and your loved ones won’t have to endure added stress while grieving your loss. At The Mendel Law Firm, L.P. we would look forward to helping you create an estate plan that protects you, your family, and your assets.
Contact a Texas Estate Planning Attorney Now
If you would like to get started on your estate plan, contact the experienced Pasadena, Texas estate planning attorneys at The Mendel Law Firm, L.P. by calling (281) 759-3213 to schedule your appointment today.
