Law Office of Ronald Cameron Jackson, Pllc
Estate Planning Services
Estate planning is simply making a plan now to take control of what happens with your car, home, other real estate, checking and savings accounts, investments, life insurance, furniture, personal possessions and additional assets if you become unable to do so.
Estate Planning Benefits Everyone
Estate planning isn’t just for the wealthy or for retirees. Life is unpredictable. Illness and accidents happen to people in all ages and stages, but estate planning helps you prepare for the unexpected and inevitable.
Too Many People Don't Plan
The numbers fluctuate from year to year, but a huge percentage of Americans have no will or estate plan. Estate planning helps you achieve your goals, while failing to plan leaves things outside your control.
texas last will and testament
Making a Will
Wills have no legal effect until death and probate. Wills are legally mandated instruments to pass on your property after your death. Only about 30% of Texans have them. If you don’t decide for yourself where your things go, the state will decide for you. Like all things dictated by government entities the results are unlikely to be entirely satisfying.
texas trust attorney
Setting Up a Trust
Trusts are legal fictions similar in type to corporations or foundations. Unlike wills, trusts have legal effect upon inception. Similar to wills, they can dispose of your property at death. However, trusts are far more flexible and have far greater utility in that they can create asset protection, estate tax reduction, disability planning and much more while remaining private and escaping probate.
common questions
FAQ
We have answered some of the most frequently asked questions about estate planning, wills and trusts here. Plus, we’re available by phone Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Fridays from 9 a.m. till noon if you’d like to schedule an appointment.
An estate plan is like a safety net that allows you to:
- Ensure your chosen beneficiaries receive your assets
- Plan for medical care you need at the end of life
- Plan for what happens with your investments in the future
- Set up trusts
- Choose who will be the guardian for minors in your care
- Designate your executor
- Protect your assets and make sure your wishes for your business are followed
In Texas, if you die without a will, you’re said to have died intestate. In that case, Texas law dictates how your assets will be distributed and to whom. To ensure your wishes are followed instead of having it decided by the State, it’s essential to have a valid Texas will.
Anyone can benefit from estate planning. Having an estate plan takes a huge burden off your family members and gives you peace of mind. It’s a part of good financial planning because it addresses what happens to your assets and your loved ones when you die.
A will is a document with a set of instructions that only take effect when a person dies. A will does not avoid probate court or address what happens if you become incapacitated. Wills are also public documents.
A trust is a legal entity set up to control your assets, and it’s set up while a person is still alive. As long as they are able, they control the trust and the assets it contains. A trust generally includes your legal power of attorney, which can be transferred if you die or become incapacitated.
Everyone’s situation is different, and that’s where working with an experienced estate planning attorney comes in. Cameron Jackson Law has decades of experience helping East Texans with the broad spectrum of managing the full array of a lifetime’s productivity and accumulation.
Contact the Law Office of Ronald Cameron Jackson, PLLC
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