Making decisions about medical care can be a daunting proposition – we know this from our own experiences. Start with the sophistication of diagnoses, add the complexity of medical procedures, and top it off with a menu of treatment options. Deciding what to do can be a recipe for anxiety, paralysis and/or self-doubt – even […]

Here’s a quick question: right now, today, is your firm earning enough revenue and do you have the time you need to do the things you want – both in and out of the office? If the answer is “no,” indulge me for a few minutes. Grab a pen and a piece of paper and […]

In my last post, I talked a little about intergenerational joint tenancy. Although it seems like an attractive strategy to some clients, adding children to assets as joint tenants in an effort to avoid probate has enough unintended consequences – both during a client’s lifetime and after – that it’s rarely the best option. One […]

Here Are Critical Questions to Ask and the Tell-Tale Signs (Part II) Can I look you up on a Financial Dunn & Bradstreet report or Hoovers? Are they financially stable to do business with? If they are not, they may tend to cut corners to make money. They might have to in order to survive. Not on your dime, […]

Our Houston law firm received several emails today from a person who allegedly resides in Japan, who claims to earn $32.2M per year in income from his “business empire,” and who is seeking our assistance to handle his estate planning. He requested an engagement letter and the retainer amount in order to proceed with an […]

What should you say when a client wants to leave everything in joint tenancy with their kids? To the layperson, this can seem like the perfect quick fix. Mom adds her children to all her assets in joint tenancy, the kids get rights of survivorship, probate is circumvented, and everyone is happy – right? Joint […]

The recent death of Steve Jobs really made me stop and think about how I will be remembered long after I’m gone. I think this is a fundamental question that we all have. We all want to be remembered well and not just be another faceless name on a family tree or a name on […]

Email marketing can be a valuable, low-cost tool to help you keep in touch with your clients as well as potential clients. But it has to be managed in accordance with the email industry’s established rules and “best practices.” Perhaps the most important thing to pay attention to is your list itself. If you haven’t […]

As estate planning attorneys, we are well aware of the need to do estate planning. Because we are so immersed in our practice area, it can be easy to forget how many Americans remain in the dark on the issues we help people with every day. Back in 2008, Congress took a look at the […]

On Halloween, October 31, we celebrate ghosts and scary things. The spirits of the deceased are remembered on November 1 and 2, All Saints Day and All Souls Day, respectively, also known as the Day of the Dead celebration. Yet, you might not know this October 30 is the 12th annual Create a Great Funeral […]