Estate Planning
Professional, customized estate plans.
You may have heard “you should have an estate plan” and not been sure where to start. Or perhaps you have a will from many years ago when your family included young children, and now your children have families of their own. Maybe you have moved to Texas from another state and aren’t sure if your plan still works. We are here to guide you through the estate planning process.
Estate Planning Questionnaires
The questionnaires available for download will provide you with a preview of the topics we would cover in an initial estate planning meeting.
If you schedule a meeting with us, we will ask you to complete a questionnaire and return it to help us understand your unique situation.
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Planning for death or incapacity can save your family thousands of dollars in taxes, administrative expenses, and litigation costs.
A properly planned estate can help ease your loved ones through a difficult transition.
The lawyers at Karisch Jonas Law have the experience to handle a wide range of planning challenges. They give personal attention to each client to assure that the estate plan is customized to fit that client's unique situation.
We also work with clients whose circumstances present special planning challenges, including:
Prenuptual/pre-marital property agreements
Post-marital property agreements
Cohabitation agreements
Blended families/second marriages
Same sex couples
Special needs trusts/planning for disabled or challenged beneficiaries
Planning for the terminally ill
For families with simpler, smaller estates, Karisch Jonas Law works hard to provide a complete and versatile plan at a reasonable fee.
These plans are likely to include most or all of the following:
A will
A statutory durable power of attorney for property
A medical power of attorney
A directive to physicians and family or surrogates (a "living will")
A declaration of guardian if the need later arises
A declaration of guardian for minor children
A HIPAA (medical information) authorization
A funeral directive
Instructions on coordinating non-probate assets like life insurance and retirement plans with the rest of the estate plan
For more complex, larger estates, Karisch Jonas Law will help you explore more sophisticated options, including:
Revocable inter vivos trusts ("living trusts")
Marital trust/qualified terminable interest property (QTIP) trust
Bypass/credit shelter trust planning
Life insurance trusts
Irrevocable trusts for gifting and business ownership
Family limited partnerships and LLCs
Qualified personal residence trusts (QPRT)
Grantor retained annuity trusts (GRAT)
Charitable remainder unitrusts (CRUT)
Charitable lead annuity trusts (CLAT)
Tax-motivated gift-giving program
Generation-skipping transfer (GST) planning
Dynasty/lifetime trusts for descendants
Planning for IRAs and qualified retirement plans
Asset protection
Contact Karisch Jonas Law to discuss how we can help with estate planning projects.
You can also review the frequently asked questions on Preparing for the Estate Planning Process, Wills, and Living Trusts.