Wills & trusts · Serving the Greater Austin Metro
Living trusts aren’t just for the rich.
Revocable living trusts, pour-over wills, and the documents around them, for working Texas families who want to spare their loved ones probate delays and fees, keep their affairs private, and stay in control if something happens. With real help funding the trust, so it actually works.
On this page
Who it is for
- Homeowners who want their family to be able to keep or sell the house without waiting on a court
- Parents of minor children or young adults who should not inherit a lump sum at 18
- Blended families, and families with a member who has special needs
- Anyone with property in more than one state, a small business, or rental property
- Anyone who wants a plan for incapacity that keeps the bills paid without a guardianship
What a plan includes
- A revocable living trust, when it fits, with a successor trustee you choose
- A pour-over will, so anything left outside the trust ends up under the same plan
- A statutory durable power of attorney for finances
- A medical power of attorney, a directive to physicians, and a HIPAA authorization
- A declaration of guardian for you and for minor children
- A deed to the trust and a certification of trust
Not every family needs a trust. Texas also offers transfer on death deeds, payable-on-death accounts, and beneficiary designations, and for some people a will plus those tools is the better, simpler plan. The firm will tell you which fits.
Funding: where trusts fail, and how this one won’t
The most common estate planning failure is a trust that never gets funded. If the house and accounts stay in your name, the pour-over will sends them through probate anyway. Every plan includes an asset-by-asset funding checklist, the deed to your home prepared and recorded, and an inventory template built to hand to an AI agent, which can track each account, chase the institutions’ forms, and keep the family binder current while you review and sign. A follow-up confirms the trust is actually funded. Read: how working Texans can use a trust and a pour-over will.
How it works
- A free 15-minute call about your family, your assets, and your goals
- A planning meeting and a fixed quote before anything is drafted
- Drafting and review of the documents, in plain language
- A signing meeting with witnesses and a notary, and recording of the deed
- Funding, with the checklist and inventory, and a follow-up to confirm it is done
- Reviews after major life events
When the firm will refer you
Estate or gift tax planning for large estates, Medicaid and long-term care planning, contested estates, and complex special needs planning are matters the firm will refer to a lawyer who concentrates in that work. Andrew will tell you on the first call if that is the right path.
Questions about wills and trusts
Do I need a trust if I will never owe estate tax?
Estate tax is not the main reason most families use a trust. A funded revocable trust can let your family avoid probate delays and fees, keep the plan private, manage money for minor children, and keep your finances running if you become incapacitated. For some people, a will with transfer on death and beneficiary designations is enough. The free call is the place to figure out which fits.
Isn't Texas probate cheap and simple?
Simpler than in many states, but not free. In Travis County, court costs alone to file a will for probate and issue letters testamentary are $458 in 2026, and certified copies, notice to creditors, and attorney's fees add up from there, commonly into the thousands of dollars even for a simple estate, plus months of delay. Property in another state can mean a second probate. A funded trust avoids most of that for the assets it holds.
What is a pour-over will?
A will that sends anything you still own in your own name at death into your trust, so everything ends up under one plan. Assets that pour over still go through probate, which is why funding the trust during your life matters.
Can I still sell or refinance my house if it is in a trust?
Yes. As trustee of your own revocable trust, you keep control. Federal law generally prevents a lender from calling a home loan because of a transfer to a living trust where you remain a beneficiary, and Texas law preserves homestead protection and the homestead tax exemption for a qualifying trust. Some lenders ask for a certification of trust or a short form at closing.
Does a living trust protect my assets from creditors or nursing home costs?
No. Because you can revoke it, the law treats the assets as yours for creditors and for Medicaid. Asset protection and long-term care planning use different tools, and the firm will tell you if your situation calls for a lawyer who concentrates in that work.
What does it cost?
The first 15-minute call is free. After that, planning is quoted up front as a fixed block of time, including the funding checklist and a follow-up to confirm the trust is funded. You know the price before anything is drafted.
Curious whether a trust fits your family?
Start with a free 15-minute call. Planning is quoted up front as a fixed block, including help funding the trust.