Estate Planning
YOUR FAMILY ESTATE PLANNING ATTORNEYS IN AUSTIN, SERVING CLIENTS THROUGHOUT CENTRAL TEXAS
Distribute Your Assets
Make sure your property ends up where it belongs by creating a comprehensive estate plan.
Leave a Bigger Legacy
Estate planning may save money during probate. Give more to your family; less to lawyers.
Organize Your Affairs
Sleep easier knowing you have a plan. Enjoy the confidence that forward-looking planning provides.
Protect The People You Love
Nominate long-term and short-term guardians to care for your minor children and incapacitated family members.
Legal Research and Opinions
A good estate plan can reduce the likelihood of legal challenges that can drain your estate and divide your family.
Give Your Family Peace Of Mind
An estate plan can ease your family’s worries and save them from having to make difficult decisions.
Protect your legacy. Plan for the future.
Many people think they can’t afford to make an estate plan when, in reality, they can’t afford not to. Estate planning is an important investment that can greatly benefit your family and loved ones. It’s about more than just money. It’s about your legacy. Clients sometimes begin their estate planning consultation by saying, “My estate is simple. I don’t have much.” That’s almost never true.
People tend to dramatically underestimate the complexity of their estate. And each client is rich with friends, family, and heritage that deserve protection.
The goal of our experienced estate planning attorneys in Austin, TX is to provide every client with unparalleled service and attention. Your family is unique – your legal documents should be also. We produce tailored versions of court-tested estate planning forms to carry out each client’s precise wishes.
We offer unlimited pre-execution revisions and a 90-day guarantee. If you sign your documents and circumstances suddenly change, or you just aren’t happy with a decision you made, Our Austin estate planning lawyers will start over from scratch – no questions asked.
WILL-BASED PLAN
price may vary based on complexity
$
900
($1,500* for couples)
- Last Will and Testament (simple or with testamentary trust)
- Financial Power of Attorney
- Medical Power of Attorney
- Directive to Physicians
- HIPAA Waiver
- Final Disposition Instructions
- Guardianship Nominations for Minor Children (if applicable)
- Estate Planning PortfolioNominations for Minor Children
- –
- –
TRUST-BASED PLAN
price may vary based on complexity
$
1,800*
*(price may vary based on complexity)
- Revocable Living Trust
- Trust Funding Instructions
- Pour-Over Will
- Financial Power of Attorney
- Medical Power of Attorney
- Directive to Physicians
- HIPAA Waiver
- Final Disposition Instructions
- Guardianship Nominations for Minor Children (if applicable)
- Estate Planning Portfolio
ESTATE PLANNING MADE SIMPLE WITH MASSINGILL
Many people believe that estate planning simply means preparing your will. While a will is certainly an important part of an estate plan, there is much more to it than that.
Your estate is your legacy, and it’s never too early to start thinking about how you want to manage it. Preparing a forward-based estate plan is a great way to do so. Your estate plan doesn’t have to be set in stone; in fact, many estate plans live and evolve along with you. Our Austin, Texas estate planning attorneys can help you assess what you have and plan for the future.
Estate planning means preparing certain legal documents that explain how to preserve and distribute your assets after your death. In addition, many Texas estate plans cover your powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and guardianships. Each plays an important role in protecting and preserving your legacy for your family.
The short answer is yes. Having an estate plan ensures that your assets will be properly managed when you’re gone. Many clients underestimate the complexity of their estate until it comes time to put it all on paper. Hiring a Texas estate planning attorney will help you plan for the future and take care of your loved ones.
Having a forward-looking estate plan can also save your family money in the long run. Probate proceedings can be expensive and may significantly cut into the value of your estate. A will expertly drafted by an estate planning attorney helps minimize these costs. As an added bonus, thorough and properly executed wills also minimize the risk of legal disputes concerning your estate.
Finally, an estate plan gives peace of mind that your family will be taken care of if something happens to you. You can designate a guardian for your children and someone to care for you when you can’t care for yourself.
WHAT GOES INTO AN ESTATE PLAN?
At the least, an estate plan should include your will, trust documents, and powers of attorney. However, estate plans also often include a healthcare directive, a HIPAA waiver, and guardianship nominations if you have minor children.
WILL AND TRUST DOCUMENTS
Wills and trusts are equally important in planning your estate. Many estate plans use both, and choosing which one to base your estate around is a fundamental decision. A will is a legally enforceable document giving instructions on how to handle your assets after your passing. There are specific formalities wills must meet under Texas law to be valid. Proper execution of your will is especially important because dying with an invalid will is the same as dying with no will at all.
A trust provides an alternative method for transferring your assets. A fiduciary manages the assets you place in the trust for the benefit of your beneficiaries. There are different types of trust depending on how much control you want to retain over the assets in it. Our estate planning attorneys provide the information you need to decide which one is best for your needs.
POWERS OF ATTORNEY
A power of attorney is a legal document that allows you to appoint someone else, called your agent, to act on your behalf. A durable power of attorney remains effective even if you lose the capacity to make decisions on your own.
A financial power of attorney gives your agent the ability to make financial decisions, while a medical power of attorney covers the same authority for medical decisions. Your agent should be someone you trust with your life. An estate planning attorney can advise you on the types of decisions agents are normally called upon to make.
DIRECTIVE TO PHYSICIANS AND HIPAA WAIVER
A directive to physicians allows you to provide specific instructions about continuing or removing life support. The directive to physicians and medical power of attorney work hand-in-hand with the HIPAA waiver, which allows healthcare providers to disclose your medical records to your family or agent.
TALK TO AN ESTATE PLANNING PRO AT MASSINGILL
Massingill provides estate planning services to families in the Greater Austin, Texas areas. Our 5-Star Google rating is the result of our personalized approach to answering your questions and making you comfortable with the estate planning process. Contact us today or give us a call at (512) 337-4398 to schedule your consultation.
Explore Estate Planning Articles & FAQ
Does Texas Require an Attorney for Probate? (9/30/2022)How to Revoke a Power of Attorney in Texas (9/9/2022)What Questions You Should Ask Your Estate Planning Attorney (9/5/2022)What’s the Difference Between Drafting a Will and Estate Planning in Texas? (7/8/2022)Texas Estate Tax: Everything You Need to Know (4/11/2022)Holographic Wills in Texas: What You Should Know (12/14/2021)What Are an Estate Executor’s Responsibilities in Texas? (12/14/2021)What Are the Requirements of a Valid Will in Texas? (11/15/2021)What Is a Bequest in a Will in Texas? (11/15/2021)Six Estate Planning Tips for Small Business Owners (10/13/2021)
