Travis Charles Smith, Attorney at Law

05/27/2026

Parents of young adults—this is something you need to understand.

Once your child turns 18, you no longer automatically have the legal authority to make medical or financial decisions for them.

Not because you stopped being their parent.
Because the law changed.

Most families don’t realize this until there’s an emergency.

I wrote this article to explain what every parent of a young adult should know—and how to protect your family before something happens.

Read the article here 👇

Worried your child may inherit too much too soon? Learn why Oklahoma families should rethink outright inheritance for young adult children.

05/21/2026

When someone dies in Oklahoma, their assets don’t automatically transfer to their family.

There is a legal process that has to happen first.

That process is called probate.

If you own real estate, rental properties, or other titled assets in your name, there’s a good chance your estate will go through probate unless you’ve set up a plan to avoid it.

The goal of this article is simple:

To explain what probate is, how it works in Oklahoma, and what it means for your property and your family.

Learn how probate works in Oklahoma, what happens to your property, and how to avoid delays, court costs, and disruptions for your family.

05/19/2026

You bough life insurance... but how raises your kids? And who handles the money?

These are the specific issues I help parents with everyday. Not just protecting the assets, but protecting the family.

And once you know that you need a plan... the next issue is deciding who to put in charge of this plan. These are hard decisions.

But experience, case law, and industry information has given us a lot of guidance in this area. If you want access to that guidance, click below to download our free guide on how to choose a guardian for your children.

05/18/2026

Life insurance protects the money. But who protects your kids?

Most parents handle the financial side and stop there. The harder question is who would actually raise your children, and whether that same person should also control the money for them. Those are not always the same person, and getting it wrong creates exactly the kind of conflict you would never want your kids caught in. I am Travis Charles Smith, a personal family lawyer here to help parents like you make these decisions and plan for the future. I put together a free guide on the 7 things you must know before you name a guardian. Download it below and reach out if you have questions.

05/16/2026

This week, the governor vetoed a bill that would have substantially altered the current framework for Transfer on Death deeds. Here is a full write about about this issue. Most attorneys who work in this area were against the bill, it would have created more problems than it solved. All of this is a reminder that transfer-on-death deeds, and other beneficiary designation tools (like Joint Tenancy, etc) are not a substitute for true, customized estate planning.

Oklahoma’s vetoed transfer-on-death deed bill shows why TOD deeds and other simple estate planning tools can create title problems.

05/10/2026

Imagine hoping your parent finally gets the care they need… then finding out the state can force the sale of their home afterward.

That house was supposed to become a legacy.
Instead, it becomes reimbursement.

Most families do not know this until they are already in crisis.

That’s why Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts matter.
Not because rich people use them.
Because ordinary families cannot afford to lose everything after a medical event.

Planning early is uncomfortable.
Planning too late is devastating.

📞 405-607-7799

TravisCharlesSmith.com

05/05/2026

Most families find out about Medicaid’s 5-year rule after it’s already too late.

If your parent ever needs a nursing home, the state can force them to spend down their assets first.

That often includes the house.

Read this article to see how Oklahoma families accidentally lose their home — and what has to be done years before it happens.

You do not want to wait to deal with this issue.
Text me if your family needs help 405-701-6016 (text only number)

If you anticipate needing Medicaid to cover long term care expenses, you will need a special trust if you want to pass your assets to your children. Call us.

05/01/2026

Real estate investors, don't force your loved ones into court, and don't put everything you built at risk. This is real asset protection.

Call me: 405-607-7799
Visit us online: https://TravisCharlesSmith.com

04/30/2026

If you own rental property in Oklahoma, you’ve probably heard this:

“Just put it in an LLC and you’re protected.”

That’s… not entirely true.

An LLC can help. But it doesn’t protect you from everything—and if it’s not structured correctly, it can leave some pretty big gaps.

Most investors don’t realize:

Personal guarantees still matter
Financing can complicate things
LLC ownership can still end up in probate

So the real question isn’t “Do I have an LLC?”

It’s: Is my structure actually doing what I think it is?

I broke this down in a simple, no-fluff article here:
https://travischarlessmith.com/llc-for-rental-properties-in-oklahoma-what-it-protects-and-what-it-doesnt/

If you’re building a portfolio, this is one of those things worth getting right early.

Using an LLC for rental properties in Oklahoma? Learn what it protects, what it doesn’t, and how to structure your portfolio the right way.

04/29/2026

What happens to your rental portfolio if something happens to you?

Most investors have no real answer.

And the default answer in Oklahoma is probate.

That means:
- Your portfolio can stall
- Your family has to go to court
- Your cash flow can get interrupted

If you’re building something, you should know how exposed it is:

If you die without a trust in Oklahoma, your rental properties go through probate. Learn how it negatively impacts cash flow (and family) and how to avoid it.