by Keith Hajovsky | Sep 10, 2026 | Estate Administration, General Estate Planning, Non-probate Assets, Probate, Wills
Key Takeaways: Transfer on Death Deed (TODD): Texas Estates Code Chapter 114 lets property owners transfer real estate automatically at death without probate. Main benefit: No need for probate. The beneficiary only needs to file a copy of the death certificate at the...
by Keith Hajovsky | Sep 3, 2026 | Estate Administration, General Estate Planning, Non-probate Assets, Probate, Wills
Executive Summary: Wills do not control all assets. Many people mistakenly believe a will dictates how their entire estate is distributed after death. Non-probate assets bypass the will. These are primarily financial assets such as checking and savings accounts, life...
by Keith Hajovsky | Aug 27, 2026 | Estate Administration, General Estate Planning, Non-probate Assets, Probate, Wills
Executive Summary: Your Will may not control your bank accounts. Certain accounts pass automatically outside of probate. JTWROS accounts pass to the surviving joint owner, while POD accounts pass to the designated beneficiary. These designations generally override the...
by Keith Hajovsky | Jun 24, 2026 | Estate Administration, Probate, Wills
With so many people moving to Texas these days I often get the question “Can my will from another state be used in Texas?” The quick answer is, yes, as long as the will was created and signed properly within the laws of that other state, then the will should be...
by Keith Hajovsky | Apr 22, 2026 | Estate Administration, General Estate Planning, Probate, Trusts, Wills
Can you avoid probate by having a living trust? (please also see Do I Need A Living Trust) Well yes and no. Yes, for all the assets that you actually place into the trust you can avoid probate for those particular assets. For example, you could deed your house to the...
by Keith Hajovsky | Mar 25, 2026 | Estate Administration, General Estate Planning, Power of Attorney, Wills
“Can my Power of Attorney take care of my assets when I die?” I get this question fairly often. And even more often than that, as I am talking to people about their estate plans I learn that many of them incorrectly assume that their Power of Attorney will still work...
