Baranski Law PC -Estate Planning

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Baranski Law PC -Estate Planning 20+ year licensed Estate planning and Elder law attorney. Licensed in TX, AR, and MO.

I have a passion for Christ and helping Texans and Arkansans save thousands $$$ by avoiding probate.

This Thanksgiving, between the turkey and the pie, there's a window most families miss: the chance to actually talk to t...
11/05/2026

This Thanksgiving, between the turkey and the pie, there's a window most families miss: the chance to actually talk to the people at the table.

Grandma's story about how she met Grandpa. Dad's memory of his first job. The recipe that came over in a suitcase three generations ago.

63% of grandparents haven't recorded their stories anywhere. When they're gone, those stories usually go with them. A phone video is a start, but here are a few easy ways to go deeper this Thanksgiving:

- Ask one great question: "What's the best decision you ever made?" or "What did life teach you the hard way?"
- Record it, with their permission, so the whole family can keep it
- Write down the stories you heard while they're fresh
- Pair it with your estate plan, so the legacy you leave includes your voice, not just your valuables

The holidays are when families are finally in the same room. Don't let the moment pass with just a food coma to show for it. 🦃

We help North Texas and Northwest Arkansas families build plans that protect both their assets and their stories. If you'd like your estate plan to carry your voice, not just your paperwork, grab a time here:
https://calendly.com/baranski92/estate-plan-solution-discussion



This is general educational information, not legal advice.

Here's a question most families never think to ask: if your mom or dad couldn't tell their doctor who they are, would yo...
11/04/2026

Here's a question most families never think to ask: if your mom or dad couldn't tell their doctor who they are, would you even be allowed to?

Not "would you know the answers." Would anyone at the hospital be allowed to hear them from you?

Without a HIPAA authorization, the answer is often no. The receptionist can't confirm dad was admitted. The nurse can't tell you what the doctor said. You can be standing in the hallway, fully willing and able to help, and legally be a stranger. And the form that fixes all of that takes about five minutes to sign.

The medical paperwork worth having in place:

• A HIPAA authorization naming the people doctors can talk to freely
• A health care power of attorney naming who makes medical decisions if your parent can't
• An advance directive, so the people making those decisions know what mom would actually want

In Arkansas and Texas, these documents are what keep families inside the room instead of outside it. And they only work if someone can sign them, which makes today the cheapest this protection will ever be.

The second part of the fix costs nothing: put the information somewhere the family can find it. The doctor's name. The pharmacy. The insurance details. In my experience, the paperwork is rarely the problem. The not knowing where it lives is.

If your parents' documents are missing or gathering dust somewhere nobody can find, let's fix that. Book a time: https://calendly.com/baranski92/estate-plan-solution-discussion

Educational information only, not legal advice.

Hospice care comes with enough paperwork to fill a folder, and right in the middle of it, someone will probably ask you ...
11/03/2026

Hospice care comes with enough paperwork to fill a folder, and right in the middle of it, someone will probably ask you to sign a bunch of forms you've never seen before. Two of the most important ones have nothing to do with the admission packet at all.

The first is a health care power of attorney: the document that names the person allowed to talk to doctors, ask questions and make medical decisions when your loved one can't. The second is the advance directive itself: the written record of what kind of care your person would want and, just as importantly, what they wouldn't.

In Arkansas and Texas, hospitals, hospice teams and care facilities will ask for these documents, and without them the people who love your person most can find themselves outside the room when decisions get made. Not because they don't care. Because nobody put it in writing.

If your parent is still doing well, this week is a beautiful time to have the conversation. Over coffee, not in a waiting room. Ask what they'd want, write it down, and put real legal authority behind it.

If you're not sure where to start, that's exactly the kind of conversation we sit down for every day. Book a time that works for you: https://calendly.com/baranski92/estate-plan-solution-discussion

This is general information, not legal advice.

"Trusts are for millionaires."That used to be true-ish. It isn't anymore.LegalShield's 2026 data shows trust requests ha...
11/02/2026

"Trusts are for millionaires."

That used to be true-ish. It isn't anymore.

LegalShield's 2026 data shows trust requests have gone up 7x in the last decade, and they now account for roughly 1 in 5 estate planning calls. The families asking aren't sitting on fortunes. They're regular folks who want one of three things:

- Control. A will hands everything over at once. A trust can stage it: the car at graduation, help with a house down payment, the rest at an age you choose.
- Privacy and speed. Wills go through probate court, which is public, slow, and open to challenge. Trusts skip most of that.
- Protection in tricky situations. Blended families, property in more than one state, or a kid whose inheritance needs a little guarding from their own bad decisions.

With the wealth transfer underway and home values climbing, a trust isn't a luxury item anymore. It's just a better tool for a lot of families.

If you've been putting it off because you thought you weren't "rich enough," let's talk. Grab a time here:
https://calendly.com/baranski92/estate-plan-solution-discussion



This is general educational information, not legal advice.

Happy Halloween from our corner of North Texas and Northwest Arkansas! 🎃Today's the one night a year when "we'll figure ...
10/31/2026

Happy Halloween from our corner of North Texas and Northwest Arkansas! 🎃

Today's the one night a year when "we'll figure it out later" actually works: candy distribution, door duty, whoever shows up in a costume. No plan needed.

But here's the spooky part: a lot of families treat their actual estate the same way. No written plan, no named decision-makers, and if something happens, the state's default paperwork steps in and starts handing out your assets like it's trick-or-treating. No favorites, no keepsakes, no say in who gets what.

The scarier version is still out there: a will that's years out of date, a power of attorney nobody has signed yet, or beneficiary forms nobody has checked since the kids were in car seats.

The good news? This one's fixable, and it doesn't involve haunted anything. A plan that spells out who inherits, who decides, and who takes care of things if you can't is the best ghost-proofing your family will ever have.

If your plan is hiding in a drawer somewhere gathering cobwebs, let's dust it off. Book a time to talk: https://calendly.com/baranski92/estate-plan-solution-discussion

Heads up, folks: Medicare Open Enrollment is open right now, and it closes December 7. It's the one stretch of the year ...
10/30/2026

Heads up, folks: Medicare Open Enrollment is open right now, and it closes December 7. It's the one stretch of the year when anyone with Medicare can switch plans or drug coverage for the year ahead, and it's easy to shrug off until you're standing in a pharmacy in January wondering what happened to your copay.

Here's why we bring it up in an estate planning and elder law office: the plans change every year. Premiums, networks, drug lists, even which doctors are in-network can all shift when January rolls around. The plan that fit perfectly last year may not fit this year, and the only way to know is to look.

And while we always have to be clear about the lines: Medicare does not cover ongoing, long-term custodial care, in a nursing home or at home. That's the piece that catches families off guard, and it's the piece where Medicaid rules, the 60-month look-back on certain transfers, and well-timed planning come into play.

So if you or your parents are on Medicare, take twenty minutes before December 7 to review the plan. And if long-term care is anywhere on the horizon for your family, that conversation deserves more than twenty minutes.

We help North Texas and Northwest Arkansas families put the whole picture together, from benefits to powers of attorney to protecting the home. Grab a time here:
https://calendly.com/baranski92/estate-plan-solution-discussion



This is general educational information, not legal advice.

When someone marries later in life, the paperwork doesn't always match the feelings.One couple we'll call them Sam and L...
10/29/2026

When someone marries later in life, the paperwork doesn't always match the feelings.

One couple we'll call them Sam and Linda each owned a home going into the marriage. They each had retirement accounts, kids from earlier marriages, and a clear sense of what they wanted to happen "eventually." What they didn't have was a plan that named each other, the kids, and what should go where.

Here's the thing about blended families: without clear directions, state law writes the plan for you, and it doesn't know anything about your family. In Arkansas and Texas, that can mean a stepchild you helped raise gets left out, or assets end up somewhere nobody intended.

A few things worth putting in writing:

1. Who inherits what, and when, especially anything going to children from earlier relationships
2. Who makes financial and health-care decisions for you, which may not be the same person
3. Who should get the keepsakes and sentimental items, since those spark more family friction than money ever does

Some families use trusts to keep things clear and balanced. Some update beneficiary designations so every account points where it should. There's no single right answer, but "we all get along so it'll sort itself out" is the one answer that keeps showing up in probate fights.

Whether your family is in Northwest Arkansas or North Texas, a plan that says what you mean is one of the kindest things you can leave the people you love.

If your family situation has more moving parts than a standard plan covers, grab a time and let's talk it through: https://calendly.com/baranski92/estate-plan-solution-discussion

Here's one that surprises a lot of families: if long-term care is ever paid for with Medicaid help, the state may have t...
10/28/2026

Here's one that surprises a lot of families: if long-term care is ever paid for with Medicaid help, the state may have the right to recover some of those costs from the estate after the person passes away.

That program is called estate recovery, and it exists in every state, including Arkansas and Texas.

What may be at stake?
- The family home, in some situations
- Certain bank and investment accounts
- Other assets still titled in the deceased person's name

Here's the good news: there are lawful planning tools that may help protect assets, and timing matters. Some protections exist for a surviving spouse, and certain transfers are treated differently than others. But the rules are detailed and state-specific, and once care is already needed, the options narrow considerably.

This is one of those areas where "we'll figure it out if it happens" can cost a family its most meaningful assets. A conversation now, while everything is still just fine, opens far more doors than a scramble later.

If you'd like to understand what Medicaid planning could look like for your family, grab a time on the calendar:
https://calendly.com/baranski92/estate-plan-solution-discussion



This is general educational information, not legal advice. Medicaid rules vary by state and change over time, so talk with an attorney about your specific situation.

Here's a question most plans never answer: who gets the dog?Pets are legally considered property, which means without a ...
10/27/2026

Here's a question most plans never answer: who gets the dog?

Pets are legally considered property, which means without a provision in your plan, your four-legged family member's future gets decided by whoever sorts out the rest of the estate. A simple pet provision can name who takes your dog or cat, and a pet trust can set aside money specifically for their food, vet visits and grooming. Naming a backup caregiver is smart too. Pets have a way of outliving our best guesses.

If you have a furry family member, let's make sure they're actually in the plan. Book a time to talk: https://calendly.com/baranski92/estate-plan-solution-discussion

This post is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

When family members provide hands-on care, love doesn't cover the paperwork.More families than ever are caring for aging...
10/27/2026

When family members provide hands-on care, love doesn't cover the paperwork.

More families than ever are caring for aging parents at home. But when care comes from a family member, a written care agreement can make everything clearer for everyone.

A simple written agreement can spell out:
- what care is being provided and how often
- how the caregiver is compensated, if at all
- how long the arrangement is meant to last

Why it matters: if Medicaid ever enters the picture, payments to a family caregiver may be reviewed, and a written agreement in place from the start can help show the arrangement was legitimate. And without clear expectations, even close families can end up with hurt feelings on top of everything else.

Milo has an agreement with us too, but his compensation is entirely kibble-based, so I'm not sure it holds up under review.

A few honest questions to sit with this Monday: Who in your family would step in if a parent needed daily help? Would that person know what they're legally allowed to do, and what to document?

You don't have to wait for a health event to figure this out. Let's talk it through calmly: https://calendly.com/baranski92/estate-plan-solution-discussion

This post is for educational purposes only and is not legal advice. Arkansas and Texas rules differ; consult a licensed attorney in your state about your situation.

Address

609 SW 8th Street Suite 600
Bentonville, AR
72712

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Monday 10am - 5am
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm

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+14793606864

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