Austin Estate Lawyer, Texas

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Frank E. Scofield Lawyer

Frank E. Scofield

VERIFIED
Estate, Real Estate

A fourth-generation Texan, Frank E. Scofield was born to ranch work and the outdoors. Prior to completing undergraduate studies at UT Austin, he worke... (more)

William T. Peckham Lawyer

William T. Peckham

VERIFIED
Bankruptcy & Debt, Foreclosure, Lawsuit & Dispute, Estate, Credit & Debt

Richard  Pena Lawyer

Richard Pena

VERIFIED
Accident & Injury, Employment, Personal Injury, Workers' Compensation, Wills & Probate

Richard Pena is president and CEO of the firm. He was elected by his peers to serve as the President of the State Bar of Texas from 1998-1999. He serv... (more)

Matt  Mahoney Lawyer

Matt Mahoney

VERIFIED
Estate Planning, Personal Injury, Insurance, Employment, Health Care

Matt Mahoney graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2001 with a Degree in Applied Mathematics in Engineering, and he graduated from N... (more)

FREE CONSULTATION 

CONTACT

512-769-4670

Philip Mcduffie Wilson Lawyer

Philip Mcduffie Wilson

VERIFIED
Divorce & Family Law, Estate

Philip "Mick" Wilson's unique educational and legal background permits a fresh take on many legal cases, particularly family law matters. His history ... (more)

Mike  Massey Lawyer

Mike Massey

VERIFIED
Accident & Injury, Estate

Hundreds of your neighbors have given us 5 Star reviews. Estate Planning: Don't you want to make sure that your life savings goes to the right people ... (more)

FREE CONSULTATION 

CONTACT

737-234-9666

Terry L. Belt Lawyer

Terry L. Belt

VERIFIED
Estate, Power of Attorney, Elder Law, Wills & Probate, Commercial Real Estate

Terry Belt arrived in Austin in 1965 from the little German town of Weimar, Texas, where he learned to haul hay bales for the local farmers. He attend... (more)

Les David Romo Lawyer

Les David Romo

VERIFIED
Wills & Probate, Business, Lawsuit & Dispute, Real Estate, Litigation

Attorney Les Romo graduated from Southwestern University here in Georgetown and went on to earn his Doctorate of Jurisprudence at St. Mary’s Univers... (more)

Derek Robert Van Gilder Lawyer

Derek Robert Van Gilder

VERIFIED
Divorce & Family Law, Estate, Real Estate

The attorneys at the Law Office of Derek R. Van Gilder bring decades of experience and success to the table representing individuals and businesses in... (more)

Sandra Marie Lefler Lawyer

Sandra Marie Lefler

VERIFIED
Estate Planning, Construction, Insurance, Personal Injury, Federal Appellate Practice

Sandra Lefler understands that when people hire an attorney, they are often experiencing very complicated and stressful situations. It's at times like... (more)

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Lawyer.com can help you easily and quickly find Austin Estate Lawyers and Austin Estate Law Firms. Refine your search by specific Estate practice areas such as Estate Planning, Trusts, Wills & Probate and Power of Attorney matters.

LEGAL TERMS

INVESTOR

A person who makes investments. An investor may act either for herself or on behalf of others. A stock broker or mutual fund manager, for instance, makes invest... (more...)
A person who makes investments. An investor may act either for herself or on behalf of others. A stock broker or mutual fund manager, for instance, makes investments for others who have entrusted her with their money.

PROPERTY CONTROL TRUST

Any trust that imposes limits or controls over the rights of trust beneficiaries. These trusts include (1) special needs trusts designed to assist people who ha... (more...)
Any trust that imposes limits or controls over the rights of trust beneficiaries. These trusts include (1) special needs trusts designed to assist people who have special physical, emotional or other requirements, (2) spendthrift trusts designed to prevent a beneficiary from wasting the trust principal; and (3) sprinkling trusts that allow the trustee to decide how to distribute trust income or principal among the beneficiaries.

CERTIFIED COPY

A copy of a document issued by a court or government agency guaranteed to be a true and exact copy of the original. Many agencies and institutions require certi... (more...)
A copy of a document issued by a court or government agency guaranteed to be a true and exact copy of the original. Many agencies and institutions require certified copies of legal documents before permitting certain transactions. For example, a certified copy of a death certificate is required before a bank will release the funds in a deceased person's payable-on-death account to the person who has inherited them.

EXECUTOR

The person named in a will to handle the property of someone who has died. The executor collects the property, pays debts and taxes, and then distributes what's... (more...)
The person named in a will to handle the property of someone who has died. The executor collects the property, pays debts and taxes, and then distributes what's left, as specified in the will. The executor also handles any probate court proceedings and notifies people and organizations of the death. Also called personal representatives.

LIFE INSURANCE

A contract in which an insurance company agrees to pay money to a designated beneficiary upon the death of the policy holder. In exchange, the policyholder pays... (more...)
A contract in which an insurance company agrees to pay money to a designated beneficiary upon the death of the policy holder. In exchange, the policyholder pays a regularly scheduled fee, known as the insurance premiums. The purpose of life insurance is to provide financial support to those who survive the policyholder, such as family members or business partners. When the policyholder dies, the insurance proceeds pass to the beneficiaries free of probate, though they are counted for federal estate tax purposes. group life insurance Life insurance available through an employer or association that covers participating employees and members under one master insurance policy. Most group life insurance policies are term insurance policies, that terminate when the member or employee reaches a certain age or leaves the organization and do not accumulate any cash surrender value. term life insurance No-frills life insurance, with neither cash surrender value nor loan value (an amount that can be used as collateral for a loan). Term life insurance provides a pre-set amount of coverage if the policyholder dies during the period of time specified in the policy. Policyholders usually have the option to renew at the end of the term for the period of years specified in the policy. Unlike whole life insurance, premiums generally increase as the insured person gets older and the risk of death increases.universal life insurance A type of whole life insurance that offers some additional features and advantages. Like whole life insurance, universal life insurance accumulates cash value through investment of the premium payments. The unique feature of universal life insurance is that it has variable premiums, benefits and payment schedules, all of which are tied to market interest rates and the performance of the investment portfolio. Also, universal life plicies normally provide you with more consumer information. For example, you are told how much of your policy payments goes for insurance company overhead expenses, reserves and policy proceed payments, and how much is retained and invested for your savings. This information isn't usually provided with whole life policies.variable life insurance A type of whole life insurance in which the amount of death benefits varies, depending on the performance of investments. The insurance company places some or all of the fixed premium payments into an investment account; some companies let the insured person decide how the money is invested. The policyholder bears the risk of investment losses, though there is a guaranteed minimum benefit payment. One benefit of variable insurance is that interest and dividend income from the investment account is not taxed until it is paid out to the policyholder.variable universal life insurance A type of whole life insurance that provides greater potential for financial gain--and brings greater risks. Like universal life insurance, variable universal life insurance offers flexible premiums, payment schedules and benefits. But variable universal life policies are riskier because the premiums are invested in stocks, rather than more predictable money market accounts and bonds. Also called universal variable life insurance.whole life insurance Life insurance that provides coverage for the entire life of the policyholder, who pays the same fixed premium throughout his or her life. The policy builds up cash reserves that may be paid out to the policyholder when he or she surrenders or partially surrenders the policy or uses the cash reserves to fund low-interest loans. The annual increase in the cash value of the policy is not taxed. If the policyholder surrenders the policy, a portion of the payment is not taxable. Also called straight life insurance or ordinary life insurance.

NONPROBATE

The distribution of a deceased person's property by any means other than probate. Many types of property pass free of probate, including property left to a surv... (more...)
The distribution of a deceased person's property by any means other than probate. Many types of property pass free of probate, including property left to a surviving spouse and property left outside of a will through probate-avoidance methods such as pay-on-death designations, joint tenancy ownership, living trusts and life insurance. Property that avoids probate is sometimes described as the 'nonprobate estate.' Nonprobate distribution may also occur if the deceased person leaves an invalid will. In that case, property will pass according to the particular state's laws of intestate succession.

MARITAL LIFE ESTATE TRUST

See AB trust.

SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE

The person or institution who takes over the management of trust property when the original trustee has died or become incapacitated.

QTIP TRUST

A type of trust for wealthy married couples that allows a surviving spouse to postpone estate taxes. A QTIP trust allows the surviving spouse to make use of the... (more...)
A type of trust for wealthy married couples that allows a surviving spouse to postpone estate taxes. A QTIP trust allows the surviving spouse to make use of the trust property tax-free. Taxes are deferred until the surviving spouse dies and the trust property is received by the final trust beneficiaries, who were named by the first spouse to die.

SAMPLE LEGAL CASES

In re Estate of Tyner

Lacey Westbrook appeals from an adverse summary judgment rendered in the declaratory judgment action she initiated to have JW Tyner's will construed. Westbrook contends the trial court erroneously determined that she is not a beneficiary under the will, set the wrong postjudgment ...

In re Estate of Rhea

In October 2005, Charlotte and Trenton notified Charles of their intent to remove Wanda's personal property from the marital home. Charles labeled some of the possessions in the home to mark his own separate property, then left the house from November 11 through November 14. ...

In re Estate of Gaines

In eight issues, appellants argue (1) the trial court improperly disqualified Davis from serving as the independent executor because no motion to disqualify or opposition was filed, (2) the trial court erred in requiring Davis to turn over funds, (3) the trial court erred in denying ...