by Keith Hajovsky | Sep 5, 2025 | Estate Administration, General Estate Planning, Probate, Wills
Are handwritten wills legal in Texas? Handwritten wills, also know as holographic wills, can be legal in Texas if written properly. It can be better than not having a will at all. But it’s certainly not the best way to have a will. For a handwritten will to be legally...
by Keith Hajovsky | Aug 13, 2025 | General Estate Planning, Wills
A few years ago I took a trip to Peru, and on that trip I took some of my father’s ashes with me. He had recently passed away, and he had made it very clear to us that he wanted to be cremated rather than buried. He likewise let it be known that he wanted his ashes...
by Keith Hajovsky | Jul 30, 2025 | Asset Protection, General Estate Planning, Medicaid
A Medicaid Trust, also known as a “Miller Trust” or “QIT”, helps someone who wants access to Medicaid benefits when that person’s income exceeds the income cap. And the typical person looking to do this is an elderly or disabled adult trying to access affordable...
by Keith Hajovsky | Jul 23, 2025 | Asset Protection, General Estate Planning, Marital Assets, Probate, Wills
What is considered a homestead in Texas can have a very big effect on your estate planning needs as well as many other aspects of your life. The Texas Constitution lets a person establish a homestead which is basically a certain piece of real estate that is exempted...
by Keith Hajovsky | Jul 15, 2025 | General Estate Planning, Medicaid, Non-probate Assets, Probate
I have counseled several clients to use a what is called a Lady Bird Deed to protect a home from Medicaid recovery. [also see What Is A Transfer on Death Deed] The typical situation is that a parent or other loved one is elderly and has become so sick with an ailment...
by Keith Hajovsky | Jul 9, 2025 | Estate Administration, General Estate Planning, Intestate - Dying Without A Will, Probate, Wills
I have written about dying without a will before, but I’ve had two particular clients contact me with difficult stories that I wanted to share on this subject. In both cases, a simple, inexpensive will created by an estate planning attorney could have saved the...
