Deferring, minimizing, or avoiding estate taxes altogether is often an important estate planning goal for married couples. However, uncertainty surrounding what the estate tax laws and the value of their accounts and property will be at the first spouse’s death can leave a couple feeling that they need a crystal ball to make the right decisions. […]
A number of married couples think about their accounts and property as “yours, mine, and ours,” especially if either or both spouses have gotten or will be getting remarried, married late in life, or have brought or will be bringing significant amounts of money and property into the marriage. Deciding what should happen to all of […]
Divorce is more common now than it was in the past, as is remarriage. Depending on how long a prior marriage lasted, the former couple may have engaged in certain levels of estate planning together. When that is the case, it is important to understand how a subsequent marriage (or even a remarriage between spouses) can […]
Marriage as a legal institution has taken a variety of forms throughout history. As society evolves, how we identify marriage in our society also changes. While not lawful everywhere, in Texas a couple may be deemed married without having participated in judicial or religious ceremonies. These marriages are called common law marriages. Their existence creates some […]
The Obergefell decision of 2015, which legalized gay marriage in all 50 states including Texas, greatly impacted estate planning for same-sex couples. Married gay couples are now able to take advantage of the estate planning techniques that had previously only been available to heterosexual married couples. However, despite the change in the law, a smaller percentage […]
Your wedding is over, and the day was absolutely perfect. You went away on your honeymoon with your new spouse and had the time of your lives. Now you are post-honeymoon and can breathe a sigh of relief and watch the rest of the years ahead unfold before your eyes. Well, not so fast. Now that […]
