Estate Matters We Can Handle
You can depend on Coker, Robb & Cannon, Family Lawyers for any estate matter in your life. Now that you have found our firm, you don’t have to spend another day looking for a legal professional who can guide you through whatever lies ahead.
Our Denton estate attorneys can help with all sorts of situations and cases, such as:
· Estate planning: Estate planning involves making decisions and setting up legal mechanisms that will protect your assets and ensure they are distributed according to your wishes after you pass away or when you can’t make decisions for yourself due to incapacitation. We are here to help you through all parts of this process and let you utilize all sorts of estate planning tools.
· Estate administration: If your loved one passed away and you have to make sense of their estate, allow us to help with estate administration. This process involves the management and distribution of the deceased person's (decedent’s) property or estate, which can include identifying all assets, paying any debts or taxes, and distributing the remaining assets to the beneficiaries.
· Guardianship: Guardianship is a legal process where a court appoints an individual (the guardian) to make decisions for another person (the ward) who is unable to make decisions for themselves due to incapacity or disability. You can use guardianship to establish a guardian for yourself or your children in the event that you can’t care for them yourself.
· Wills: A will is a legal document that spells out how you want your property distributed after you pass away. We can help you create a will that respects your wishes.
· Trusts: Trusts are legal arrangements in which one person (the trustee) holds and manages assets for the benefit of others (the beneficiaries). Using trusts can help your loved ones avoid probate after you pass away, they can give special protections to your beneficiaries, and they can provide for the management of assets if you become incapacitated.
· Probate: Probate is the legal process through which a deceased person's estate is properly distributed to heirs and designated beneficiaries and any debt owed to creditors is paid off. Probate typically involves proving in court that the decedent’s will is valid, identifying and inventorying the deceased person's property, having the property appraised, paying off debts and taxes as needed, and distributing the remaining property as the will (or state law, if there's no will) directs.
We have helped families just like yours through all types of divorce and family law-related matters. Find out how one of our Board-Certified Family Law Specialists can help you.
Denton Estate Planning FAQ
- Where is your office located and how can I contact the firm to discuss my estate law case?
Our Denton office is located at 3251 Unicorn Lake Blvd, Denton, TX 76210. You can contact us about your estate planning case by calling (940) 293-2313 or filling out an online contact form, whichever you prefer.
- Do I need a will if I live in Denton, TX?
You are not legally bound in Denton, TX, to make a will, but you should. Without a will, if you pass away, Texas state law will decide how your estate is distributed and inherited, which could be significantly different from what you would have preferred. The time and expense of the Probate process is also significantly increased when you don’t have a Will.
- How much does probate cost in Denton County?
Probate fees in Denton County vary depending on the details of the probate case. In most cases, fees will exceed $3,500, often exceeding $5,000.
- What are the benefits of a living trust if I live in Denton?
If you want to avoid probate altogether and keep your assets and beneficiaries private, you should consider using a living trust. With a well-written living trust, you can benefit from the flexibility a trust brings to your estate plan, the ease your loved ones who help manage your health and assets will experience, added protections from divorce and creditors for your beneficiaries, and a reduced chance of a prolonged or contested probate when you become incapacitated or pass away.
- What are some common estate planning mistakes to avoid?
One of the biggest and most common estate planning mistakes is not having an estate plan at all. Other common problems are not clearly naming beneficiaries for certain pieces of property, forgetting assets altogether, and overlooking tax implications that can occur when an estate goes through probate and is distributed.
- Are there any tax advantages to estate planning?
Using an estate plan, you may be able to reduce the federal estate taxes that affect your estate when you pass away. Many Texans use estate plans specifically for this purpose.
- I live in Denton and own a small business – how can I plan for its future in my estate plan?
You can use an estate plan to name who should inherit or run your small business when you pass away or become incapacitated. With an estate plan, you can also protect certain private property from any financial implications that can occur when owning and managing a small business.
- What are the specific procedures for contesting a will in Denton?
The Texas Probate Code allows you to dispute a will’s validity or contest it. To do so, you must file a lawsuit within two years from the date the will enters probate and an executor is appointed.
- I'm getting divorced in Denton – how will that affect my estate plan?
Any assets you left to your ex-spouse might be affected by your divorce. By default, the distribution of those assets might be blocked until the matter can be sorted out, so your loved ones, not an ex-spouse, can have a chance to inherit the assets instead. Consider whether you would like to appoint someone other than your spouse to make financial and medical decisions for you with powers of attorney if you become incapacitated during the divorce process. If you get a divorce, you should always talk to a lawyer soon after about what to do with your estate.
- My spouse and I are planning to retire in Denton – what estate planning considerations should we make?
If you are retired or will soon retire in Denton, you should think about how your retirement assets are recorded in your estate plan. For example, finances in a retirement account are unlikely to be affected by probate, but they could be subject to estate taxes. You’ll want to use a lawyer’s help to consider how your estate plan can impact or be impacted by your retirement plans.
- I'm a single parent living in Denton – how can I ensure my child's future is protected?
You can use a variety of estate planning tools to help ensure your child’s future is protected in case you are unable to care for them yourself. Wills and trusts are two examples of important tools you can use to decide how your child will inherit your assets, who will be the guardian of your child, and more.
- I have a family farm near Denton – how can I plan for its inheritance?
You should talk to a Denton estate planning attorney who can help decide the best way to set aside your family farm as an inheritance. You could have several options to choose from, such as a will or trust, and it is important to work with a lawyer who can figure out which option may benefit your situation the most.
- How can I update my existing estate plan to reflect life changes?
You can modify or update your estate plan with an estate planning lawyer’s legal guidance. For example, to update a will, you can either amend it with codicil, or you can write an entirely new will. Oftentimes, people prefer to write a new will to be thorough.
Why Choose Coker, Robb & Cannon, Family Lawyers?
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Video Consultations & Meetings Available
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Voted Best Family Law Firm & Best Law Firm in Denton County
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Working Hard to Achieve the Best Results Possible
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Deeply Committed to Listening & Helping You
