Nielsen Law

02/12/2026

👩‍🍼 Should I Include An Unborn Child in My Estate Plan?

While it might be a good idea to acknowledge future children in your estate plan, it is best to avoid getting bogged down in the details. Default language, regular estate plan reviews, and clear communication with trusted decision-makers can help strike the right balance.

👩‍🍼 Pros: If you anticipate having a child sometime in the future, you can create a flexible plan that considers the possibility and guarantees their inclusion in your estate plan, preventing their accidental disinheritance and allowing you to express your guardianship wishes. Having a plan is better than having no plan.

👩‍🍼 Cons: Planning too far in advance may be overkill if you are not currently expecting or planning to have children. It could lead to a plan that does not align with present circumstances or your future wishes and makes it harder for your executor or trustee to smoothly wind up your affairs. Flexibility and simplicity are key.

Learn more on our blog!
https://buff.ly/O8EPUZo

Estate planning is all about planning ahead, but when it comes to an unborn child or future children, it is possible to be overprepared.

02/10/2026

😕 Five Reasons Why Your Relative May Not Make a Good Trustee

Reason 1: More Stability than Your Relative Can Provide

Reason 2: Greater Impartiality than Among Relatives

Reason 3: Their “Fiduciary Duty”

Reason 4: Investment Know How

Reason 5: Resources at the Ready

Learn more about reasons you may want to consider choosing a professional or corporate trustee for your trust instead of your relatives on our blog!
https://buff.ly/WegTjFn

02/05/2026

🪙 Why Receiving an Inheritance Changes Your Estate Plan:

If you have received—or expect—an inheritance, update or create an estate plan reflecting new circumstances and goals.

🪙 Why?

1. An Inheritance Can Shift Your Financial Picture

2. Preserving Your Family’s Wealth

Learn more and explore your options for preserving your family’s legacy on our blog today!
https://estateplanatx.com/receiving-an-inheritance-3/

Receiving an inheritance can be meaningful, but without planning, it may create financial, tax, or management challenges.

02/04/2026

👩‍💻 Why Retirement Is the Right Time to Revisit Your Estate Plan:

Whether you are approaching retirement or already in it, this stage calls for fresh planning. It requires a careful look at your estate plan and timely adjustments for your next chapter.

👩‍💻 Retirement Today: Key Trends Shaping Your Estate Planning

1. Living Longer, Often with Higher Costs

2. Fixed Incomes and Savings Pressures

3. Shifting Family and Lifestyle Dynamics

4. Staying Active, Traveling, and Lifestyle Considerations

5. Thinking More Intentionally About Legacy, Gifting, and Long-Term Care

Learn more about updating your Estate Plan for retirement on our blog today!
https://buff.ly/8EuEAvQ

Whether you are approaching retirement or already in it, this stage requires a careful look at your estate plan.

02/03/2026

📙 The Power of Ethical Wills

What do you hope to leave behind for your loved ones? Beyond the financial aspect, how do you want your legacy to be felt and remembered?

📙 What an Ethical Will Is:

1. A record of your values, beliefs, and intentions—not your property
2. A guide for loved ones, offering context for decisions you have made in life and in your estate plan
3. A thoughtful tool for reflection, helping you articulate what really matters to you and what you hope to pass on beyond material belongings

📙 What an Ethical Will Is Not:

1. A legally binding document; it cannot distribute property or enforce financial decisions, which remains the role of a last will and testament or a trust
2. A replacement for formal estate planning; ethical wills complement, rather than replace, traditional legal tools
3. Something to create only at the end of your life; while many people do in fact write them later in life, an ethical will can be created at any age, updated over time, and shared whenever it feels meaningful

Learn more about Ethical Wills on our Blog! https://buff.ly/h8bFHJw

01/08/2026

Yesterday, AGE of Central Texas came to pick up all of the adult incontinence items we collected over the holidays. They where brought directly to the AGE HELP office to be given to older adults in our community. Thank you to everyone who donated! We collected even more than last year and really made a tangible difference for older adults. This is just a trial run for the AGE Dignity Drive coming this spring! 💚💚💚

01/06/2026

👨‍👩‍👧 Common Mistakes When Leaving Assets to Minor Children

1. Using a Simple Will to Leave Assets to Minor Children
2. Failing to Avoid Court Oversight of Your Children’s Inheritance
3. Using a Trust to Protect the Child and Their Inheritance

👨‍👩‍👧 We are here to help! Learn more about how to leave assets to your children on our blog!
https://buff.ly/YY5yBJq

Common mistakes can cause chaos for your family. Here is what you need to know when leaving assets for the children you love.

01/01/2026

🧓 Estate Plans Age Too

An estate plan is not something you can “set and forget.” While it offers some flexibility, it is created at a specific moment in time. As your life changes, your plan must be updated to stay effective.

🧓 Reasons you may need to update your plan:
1. Marriage, Divorce, or Death
2. Change in Financial Status
3. Birth or Adoption of a Child or Grandchild
4. Changes in Venue.
5. Outdated Powers of Attorney

And MANY more! Learn about every reason and how you can stay up to date on our blog!
https://buff.ly/4Oeb122

An estate plan is not something you can “set and forget.” As your life changes, your Estate Plans need changes.

12/30/2025

🏘️ If I Leave Someone My Home, What Do They Really Get?

The only way to ensure your gift is received as you intend is to clearly define it in a will or trust. This means considering the property itself, what’s inside, what’s attached, and any financial obligations tied to it.

🏠 Planning Steps to Ensure That “My Home” Means Exactly What You Want
1. Use specific wording
2. Clarify what is inside (and outside)
3. Address debts directly
4. Maintenance funds
5. Make contingency plans
6. Account for rights and restrictions
7. Review and update regularly

Learn more on our blog!
https://buff.ly/pZha2uE

12/23/2025

🌍 International Inheritance Laws

For US residents with international connections, whether through property, citizenship, residency, business interests, or loved ones living abroad, estate planning can become significantly more complex with international inheritance laws.

Why You Need to Know Which Laws Apply
🌍 Family or assets in multiple countries
🌍 Conflict of laws
🌍 Validity of estate planning documents
🌍 Different rules on testamentary freedom

Learn about country highlights and specific details on our blog!
https://buff.ly/qMo6mb0

12/18/2025

👩‍🍼 New Baby? Time to Create Your Estate Plan

Have you just welcomed a new baby to your family? Protecting your newborn means more than car seats and babyproofing. Creating an estate plan to protect your child no matter what life brings is an often overlooked, but important step to complete.

What do you need to do?
👩‍🍼 Provide for the New Baby’s Care
👩‍🍼 Nomination in a Last Will and Testament
👩‍🍼 Nomination in a Separate Writing
👩‍🍼 Delegation of Parental Powers
👩‍🍼 Your Children’s Inheritance

Learn more about what you need to do to protect your new baby with an estate plan!
https://buff.ly/FiRFPq5