Living Trust Attorney in The Woodlands, TX
Decide who inherits your property and who manages it if you can no longer manage it yourself. A properly funded living trust can keep the property it holds out of probate. We prepare your Texas living trust, record the deed transfer included in your plan, and explain the account changes you need to complete.
Trust-based estate plans generally range from $2,500 to $5,500. Your first consultation is free. You'll receive a fixed quote before work begins.
Meet at our office in The Woodlands or by video. Legal services in English and Spanish.
Work with James and Mireya Dickey
We founded Dickey Law Group in The Woodlands. We explain your options, prepare your documents, and walk through them with you before you sign.
We provide legal counsel in Spanish, from the consultation through signing. Tell us your preferred language when you request an appointment.
What goes into your trust plan
Your family, property, and goals determine the documents and work in your fixed-fee quote. A trust-based plan brings together:
- ◆A revocable living trust that names your beneficiaries, sets inheritance instructions, and identifies a successor trustee, with a certification of trust;
- ◆Pour-over wills to direct property passing under your will into the trust;
- ◆Statutory durable and medical powers of attorney, a directive to physicians (living will), and a HIPAA release, for decisions the trust doesn't cover;
- ◆An appointment of guardian form, if applicable, and a memorandum regarding personal property;
- ◆One general warranty deed to transfer your home into the trust, with recording fees included; and,
- ◆Instructions for coordinating bank and investment accounts and beneficiary designations with the trust.
Each additional deed is an added fee, quoted at your consultation.
The usual range is $2,500 to $5,500, depending on complexity. We'll explain the scope and fee before you decide to proceed.
Decide how your family inherits
You may want your spouse to stay in the family home, your children to inherit at different ages, or someone you trust to manage property during an illness. A living trust can put those instructions in writing.
With a revocable living trust, you can serve as trustee and keep managing the property it holds. You can change or revoke the trust while you have legal capacity. A successor trustee you name can take over under the trust's terms if you're unable to manage it, and carry out your instructions after your death.
Property properly transferred into the trust can pass to your beneficiaries without probate. That's why the transfers deserve as much attention as the trust document.
We prepare and record your trust deeds
Your trust plan also needs to address the title to your home. We prepare and record the deed transfer included in your plan with the appropriate county clerk. Each additional deed is quoted at your consultation.
Bank and investment accounts have their own procedures. We provide instructions for the changes your plan calls for; you complete the financial institution's required steps. Retirement accounts and life insurance need separate attention to beneficiary choices, rather than a blanket instruction to move everything into the trust.
If you own property outside Texas, we recommend you consult an attorney in that state to make sure its requirements are met.
Start with a conversation about your family
- 1
Discuss what you want the plan to do. At your free consultation, we'll talk about your family, property, and the people you'd choose to act for you. Bring an existing will, trust, or deed if you have one.
- 2
Review your options and fixed quote. We'll explain whether a trust fits your goals and what the proposed work includes. A will-based plan or other transfer arrangements may be enough for some families.
- 3
Review, sign, and fund the plan. We prepare your documents and explain them before signing. The deed work and account-transfer instructions help you put the trust into effect.
You don't need to choose a trustee or settle every inheritance question before contacting us. Those are decisions we can discuss together.
Questions about living trusts in Texas
Does a living trust avoid probate in Texas?
A properly funded living trust can keep the property it holds out of probate. Property outside the trust may still need probate, although beneficiary designations, and survivorship arrangements can provide other ways for some assets to pass.
Do I still need a will and powers of attorney?
A trust-based estate plan generally includes both. A pour-over will directs property passing under the will into your trust; that property still goes through probate. Powers of attorney address financial and medical decisions beyond the trustee's role. Parents can name a preferred guardian in a will or separate declaration, with the final appointment made by a court.
Can I keep my homestead protections if my home goes into a trust?
A properly structured trust can preserve Texas homestead protections and the residence-homestead property-tax exemption. The rules differ, so the trust, deed, your right to live in the home, and any appraisal-district requirements need review before a transfer.
Will a living trust protect my assets from creditors or estate tax?
A revocable living trust doesn't, by itself, protect your assets from your own creditors or remove them from your taxable estate. Irrevocable trusts involve different rules and tradeoffs. If creditor protection, estate tax, or long-term care is your main concern, explain that at the consultation.
Is a living trust private?
A living trust can keep your distribution instructions out of a routine probate filing. Recorded deeds are public, and a court dispute can expose trust information. A trust doesn't guarantee that every detail stays private.
Request your free trust consultation
Tell us how to reach you. We'll contact you to arrange a consultation and discuss what you'd like your estate plan to accomplish.
Prefer to call? (832) 521-4414
Dickey Law Group, PLLC2001 Timberloch Pl #500The Woodlands, TX 77380Office or video consultations. English and Spanish.
About Texas trust law
Creating and changing a trust · Transfers outside probate · Homestead protection for qualifying trusts · Residence-homestead tax exemption · Federal estate tax
General information, not legal advice for your circumstances.