Will Forms, Free to the Public

Will Forms, Free to the Public

The State of Texas has created will forms that are free and available for public use. Opinions differ on whether this is a good thing. Legislative mandate A state law from 2015 requires the Texas Supreme Court to create simple will forms. After much effort, draft...
Family Allowance to Surviving Spouse

Family Allowance to Surviving Spouse

The family allowance is paid from estate funds to the surviving spouse and sometimes to other qualified dependents.  In most estates, the allowance is not a factor because all or most of the estate goes to the surviving spouse.  The spousal allowance usually comes up...
Larry King Estate Battle

Larry King Estate Battle

Larry King died in 2021 at age 87 after a hospitalization for COVID-19. He hosted the “Larry King Live” show on CNN for 25 years.  King interviewed countless people on 6,000+ episodes of the show from 1985 to 2010. King’s will King’s net worth was estimated at $144...
Britney Spears Guardianship

Britney Spears Guardianship

Britney Spears reached the top of the pop music charts in 1998 at age 16. In 2008, a guardianship was set up that controlled her finances and personal life for the next 13 years. The guardianship, called a conservatorship in California, came after Spears experienced a...
Divorce at Death, IRA Impact

Divorce at Death, IRA Impact

A Texas appellate court recently included the surviving spouse’s IRA in the probate inventory and awarded half of it to the heirs of the deceased spouse. At death, the community estate divides 50/50 between the surviving spouse and the deceased spouse’s estate. That...