We’ve all seen those tragic turned inspirational movies where parents die and leave behind an orphan – insert just about any Disney movie. Sometimes it’s a more thought-provoking flick where an adult has lost their ability to care for themselves. Either way, this is a tale as old as time, yet so little is known about guardianship. A "guardian" is someone who is chosen or appointed to make legal decisions for another Read More
Travel Safely with an Estate Plan in Place
Putting your affairs in order with an estate plan will make for a smoother transition to the loved ones you leave behind. This is especially important if you plan to travel. Before you hit the road or jet set away this summer, make sure you’ve got these essential documents in order. The preferred ending to your trip is a return home with some new wonderful memories. However anything can happen while traveling, and Read More
Debbie Shares her Wisdom with Channel 5 News
Debbie Cunningham was recently interviewed by Channel 5 news to share her wisdom and knowledge about estate planning. Click on the image below to watch the full story! Read More
Transfer On Death Deeds: Another Way To Avoid Probate
Creating an estate plan isn’t just for the rich and famous. Every individual should have an estate plan that fits his or her specific needs. This includes planning for future incapacities with a financial power of attorney, a medical power of attorney and a directive to physicians (often known as a living will). Estate planning also involves making a plan to distribute your assets upon your death. The most common Read More
Three Safety Measures in Place for Surviving Spouses
Texas is a community property state. This means that all property amassed during the marriage is equally owned by each spouse, subject to certain exceptions. However, what happens when there is an agreement in place that divides up the marital property unevenly, or when all property owned at the time of passing was separate property held by only one spouse? Does the surviving spouse have any rights to the property or Read More
Digital Asset Series Part IV: Estate Planning for Digital Assets
Welcome to Part IV of our series on digital assets. The previous blogs have explained what constitutes a digital asset and discussed some of the most common types. Our final article in this series focuses on options and suggestions for incorporating digital assets into your estate plan. Since there is no standard policy to plan for digital asset succession after death, each asset should be examined on an individual Read More
Digital Asset Series Part III: Additional Types of Digital Assets
In Part II of this series, I discussed some of the most common types of digital assets. Today we are going to cover financial accounts, business accounts, domain names or blogs and an assortment of other digital assets. Like the previously discussed assets, some institutions have policies in place for accessing the assets of a deceased individual, however, most do not. Let’s look at these digital assets in a little Read More
Digital Asset Series Part II: The Most Common Types of Digital Assets
In Part I of this series, I defined and provided examples of digital assets. Today we are going to focus on the two most popular categories of digital assets: personal and social media. Some sites, like Facebook and Gmail, have specific policies in place for handling your digital assets after your death. However, many digital sites and services have yet to develop such policies. Despite that fact, there is still a Read More
Digital Asset Series Part I: What are Digital Assets?
As little as 25 years ago, digital assets were only talked about by those immersed in the emerging tech world. Today most people have smart phones that allow us to access our e-mail wherever we are, online sites to upload our photos to share them with family near and far and a slew of social media sites so that we can stay connected and voice opinions with the those all around the globe. Your e-mails, photos, Read More
Challenges of the Probate Homestead
Debbie Cunningham recently wrote an article for Headnotes, a publication by Dallas Bar Association, titled “Challenges of the Probate Homestead.” You can click on the link for the full article or continue reading below. On the face of the issue, the probate homestead is quite simple and straightforward. Estates Code Chapter 102 provides clear direction on how to handle a decedent’s homestead. In summary, the Read More
