Houston TX Estate Planning Law Blog

One of the many issues that estate planning can encompass is what might happened to a beloved pet upon your death or disability. Oftentimes, Houston area pet owners would like to have a plan in place for their pet's food, shelter and care.

In order to do this, one must draft a document known as a pet trust. A pet trust can identify a guardian who will carry out the pet owner's wishes after death. Funds are usually set aside as well for the care of a pet, and details about this and the pet's care are included in the trust.

Life care planning.  What does it mean?  How do you plan for life?

Please join Tom McCulloch, JD, CPA at Houston's St. Luke's 2012 Winter Caregiver Conference where he helps family caregivers chart the navigation routes of elder care.  His presentation highlights the legal, finanical and care issues facing today's seniors and their family caregivers.  His proven holistic team-building approach addresses all aspects of aging, including family dynamics and budgets.

Additionally, Tom outlines various options for families tasked with finding, accessing and paying for quality long term care for their senior family members.  Today's senior world is an ever-changing and confusing journey for many first-time sailors, but Tom McCulloch's navigation skills sets the right course for a successful journey into elder world.

This program focuses on helping families save money and stretch funds, while learning about public benefits information such as Medicaid and Veteran's benefits.

In addition to Tom's presentation, "Life Care Planning", some of the other featured speakers will address patient rights during hospital stays, home care, lifestyle transitions, family relationships, dealing with dementia and other topics.  To register for the conference, please visit St. Luke's Caregiver Conference to register and don't forget to visit Weiner & McCulloch's booth.

As Houston residents see their parents growing older, they often become aware of a few of the legal issues that affect elder care. From planning for long term care to putting final touches on wills and trusts, there is much to consider.

There are many steps that must be taken in order to ensure that parents and elderly loved ones are respected and that they are not taken advantage of as they age. One issue that some families encounter is an elderly loved one developing an inappropriate relationship with his or her caregiver. The loneliness that sometimes accompanies growing older can make some adults fall into traps in their caregiver relationships, crossing the line into a very personal friendship or even a romance.

Readers in Houston are likely aware that estate administration is a detail-oriented affair, especially when multi-million dollar estates are involved. This has definitely proven to be the case in a probate battle that has stretched across national borders. The probate dispute involves a late boxer, his young widow, and a family that claims the widow was merely out for the boxer's money.

Arturo Gatti was a famous Brazilian boxer who passed away in July 2009. Three years earlier, he had met a young woman who was 14 years his junior in New Jersey. The two later married when the woman was just 20, and they shared a child together. However, members of the late boxer's family believe she killed him while the two were vacationing in Brazil.