Business Law

This is a broad category of issues that come up in a typical business.  First you have to choose the best type of business entity for your particular situation, i.e., Corporation, Limited Liability Company (LLC), Partnership, etc.  I can help you with those choices.  Secondly, the typical business is going to need contracts prepared and reviewed.  And, unfortunately, at some point, the business will have problems collecting its invoices.  I can help you with these issues as well as the following:

• Collections
• Contracts
• Corporations
• Limited Liability Company (LLC)

Civil Law Matters

Civil law seeks to resolve non-criminal disputes such as diagreements over the meaning of contracts, property ownership, and damages for personal and property damage.  The function of civil law is to provide a legal remedy to solve problems.

Sometimes civil law is based on a state law such as the Texas Deceptive Trade Practice Act or federal laws.  Other times civil law is based on a ruling by the courts.

I have over 25 years experience in solving individual and business civil law matters such as:

• Consumer Law
• Contracts

Estate Planning

The key to estate planning is a well-drafted will to outline someone's desires for their estate.

In recent years, the proliferation of non-probate transfers has complicated traditional estate planning.  These transfers refer to:  life insurance, retirement plans, joint tenancy accounts, and payable on death accounts.

The money from each of these vehicles is paid out to a beneficiary upon the owner's death pursuant to the provisions of a beneficiary designation card.  Because these assets pass according to the beneficiary designation, they pass completely outside of the parameters of the Will. Many times these transfers can have unintended consequences and should be carefully coordinated with the Will and assets.

It is important to note that proper estate planning also includes Powers of Attorney for finance and healthcare, as well as a Living Will giving your doctor instructions in the event you need life support.

Powers of Attorney are used to allow you to designate another person or persons to make medical and financial decisions for you in the event you are alive and unable to make those decisions for youself.

Although the Powers of Attorney cease to be effective once someone dies, they are critical to have in place if something happens causing incapacity prior to death.

I can handle your complete Estate Planning to include:

• Durable Power of Attorney
• Healthcare Power of Attorney
• Living Wills
• Wills

Probate

Before an estate of a decendent can be distributed, it is generally necessary to go through probate.  The term probate means to "prove" the will through a proceeding in court in which many decisions pertaining to the division of the state are made, including (1) the validity of the will, (2) verification of the decendent's property, and (3) opportunity for unpaid creditors of the decendent to make a claim against the estate.

I can help you with through all the necessary steps of probate as well as administration of the decendent's estate.

• Estate Administration
• Probate