Houston Estate Planning Law Blog

Establishing a trust can be a sensible move for an individual or family, since a properly selected and tailored trust can be an especially effective vehicle for protecting, preserving and transferring wealth.

A charitable trust in particular can be of great utility to families with specialized needs, such as the need to minimize estate and gift taxes or, alternatively, to simply help plan optimally when contemplating income taxes.

Effectively managing money and assets in a family is a highly singular and personal endeavor. Quite simply, families differ in what they have, how they have planned over the years and how they optimally envision their assets being marshaled, preserved and allocated.

Other factors, too, play into estate planning considerations, such as the potential sense it makes to establish trusts, deal with retirement funds, manage Social Security benefits, and deal with a variety of health-related issues.

It will likely not surprise most people in Texas and across the country that, given the steadily rising costs of medical care, insurance and other matters relating to aging, expenses relating to long-term care are also increasing.

That fact is not so much a warning to heed as it is a clarion call to act for most families. Costs do rise, and that is a simple reality that must be accounted for in contemplation of elder family members and their care as they grow older.

Things can of course become worrisome for many individuals and families, but proactive engagement with the process and sound estate planning in a timely manner can do much to instill confidence and alleviate concerns regarding loved ones. Consultation with an experienced and empathetic elder law attorney can be both an instructive and, ultimately, money-saving communication for families as they seek to understand and best employ care-planning strategies that are in the best interests of older family members.

A government survey released last week revises relevant statistics relating to autism that have been routinely relied upon by public health experts, state and federal purveyors of health funds, school authorities and other interested groups.

Of central noteworthiness is that the new report -- issued by the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) -- varies materially from previous analyses in its estimate of just how many children in the United States have autism.

The core conclusion of researchers is this: Many more youngsters than customarily perceived have the disorder, which brings about the necessity of new thinking about special needs planning and the long-term care of potentially millions of children with moderate to severe autistic symptoms.