You know you need a will, but you’ve been putting it off. Maybe you’re worried about the cost, unsure what to include, or uncomfortable thinking about mortality. Meanwhile, you’re concerned about what would happen to your children, your home, your assets if something unexpected occurred. You want to protect your family from confusion, conflict, and costly probate complications.
Creating a will isn’t just about legal documents—it’s about ensuring your loved ones are cared for according to your wishes.
At Strickland Law Firm, we help Houston families create comprehensive, legally sound wills that protect what matters most. Whether you need a straightforward Last Will and Testament or a more sophisticated estate plan with a Pourover Will and trust, we provide clear guidance and personalized solutions that give you peace of mind.
Without a valid will, Texas intestate succession laws determine who inherits your property—not you. The state’s formula may distribute assets in ways you never intended. Your longtime partner who isn’t legally married to you may receive nothing. Stepchildren you raised as your own may be excluded. Charities, friends, or causes you care about won’t receive anything.
Beyond asset distribution, a will allows you to nominate guardians for minor children—one of the most important decisions parents make. Without a will, courts decide who raises your children based on statutory priority, which may not align with your preferences. A will also lets you appoint an executor you trust to manage your estate, rather than having courts appoint someone you wouldn’t have chosen.
Creating a will now prevents family disputes, reduces probate complications, protects minor children, ensures assets go where you want, and provides clear guidance during difficult times. It’s one of the most important gifts you can give your family.
We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all estate plans or surprise legal bills. Our personalized approach with transparent flat-fee pricing gives you comprehensive protection without the uncertainty. When you work with us, we:
You’ll walk away with complete peace of mind knowing your family is protected, your wishes will be honored, and you paid a fair, predictable price for comprehensive legal expertise.
Last Will and Testament
A traditional Last Will and Testament is the foundational estate planning document for most families. It specifies who inherits your property, nominates guardians for minor children, appoints an executor to manage your estate, and provides clear instructions for asset distribution. This is typically the right choice for straightforward estates without complex trust planning needs.
Pourover Will
A Pourover Will works in coordination with a revocable living trust. It “pours over” any assets not already titled in your trust into the trust at death, ensuring comprehensive estate planning coverage. This approach combines the probate-avoidance benefits of trusts with the safety net of a will that captures any overlooked assets. We often recommend pourover wills for clients with significant assets, privacy concerns, or complex family situations.
Testamentary Trust Wills
For families with minor children, special needs beneficiaries, or concerns about beneficiaries’ ability to manage inheritances, wills can create trusts that activate at death. These testamentary trusts provide ongoing management and protection for inherited assets.
A comprehensive will addresses several critical areas. Asset distribution provisions specify who receives your property—real estate, financial accounts, personal belongings, and other assets. You should name primary beneficiaries and alternate beneficiaries in case primary choices predecease you.
Guardian nominations for minor children identify who should raise your children if you cannot. This includes primary and alternate guardian choices, and should consider the guardians’ values, lifestyle, location, and willingness to accept responsibility.
Executor appointment designates someone to manage your estate—handling probate, paying debts, distributing assets, and fulfilling your wishes. Choose someone trustworthy, organized, and capable of handling financial and legal matters.
Specific bequests allow you to leave particular items to specific people—family heirlooms, jewelry, vehicles, or other meaningful possessions. Residuary clauses address everything not specifically mentioned, ensuring all assets are distributed according to your plan.
Many people create wills without proper legal guidance, leading to problems later. Handwritten wills without proper execution may face challenges during probate or be declared invalid. Failing to update wills after major life events—marriage, divorce, births, deaths—means documents no longer reflect current wishes.
Not coordinating beneficiary designations on life insurance, retirement accounts, and payable-on-death accounts with will provisions can create conflicts and unintended distributions. Vague language about asset distribution causes disputes among beneficiaries and executor confusion.
Failing to name alternate beneficiaries or guardians leaves gaps if primary choices are unavailable. Not properly executing wills with required witnesses and formalities can invalidate the entire document. Working with an experienced Houston will attorney prevents these costly mistakes.
Estate planning isn’t a one-time event—your will should evolve as your life changes. You should review and potentially update your will when you marry or divorce, have or adopt children, experience the death of a beneficiary or executor, acquire or sell significant assets, move to another state, or when tax laws change significantly.
We recommend reviewing your will every three to five years even without major life changes, ensuring it still reflects your wishes and complies with current laws. Simple updates can be made through codicils, while more extensive changes may warrant creating a new will entirely.
We understand that discussing mortality and making difficult decisions about your family’s future can be uncomfortable. We approach estate planning with sensitivity and clarity, making the process straightforward and even empowering. You’ll leave our office with confidence that your family is protected.
Our process is collaborative and personalized. We listen to your concerns, explain your options in plain English, and create documents that truly reflect your wishes. We ensure you understand every provision in your will and feel confident about the decisions you’re making.
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The cost of will preparation in Houston varies based on estate complexity and the type of will you need. A straightforward Last Will and Testament for a simple estate typically costs between $500-$1,500, while more complex wills involving trusts, business interests, or sophisticated estate planning may cost $2,000-$5,000 or more. A Pourover Will coordinated with trust planning involves additional costs for the trust documents. While online will templates seem cheaper, improperly drafted wills often cost families far more in probate complications, disputes, and legal challenges than professional preparation would have cost. During your consultation, we provide transparent pricing based on your specific needs, and most clients find that professional will preparation is more affordable than they expected and invaluable for the protection it provides.
Texas law doesn’t require an attorney to create a will—you can legally write your own. However, working with an experienced Houston will attorney significantly reduces the risk of errors that could invalidate your will or cause problems during probate. Attorneys ensure your will meets all Texas legal requirements for execution, uses clear language that prevents interpretation disputes, coordinates with beneficiary designations and asset titling, addresses tax and probate considerations, and includes provisions for contingencies you might not have considered. DIY wills and online templates often contain ambiguous language, miss critical provisions, or aren’t properly executed, leading to family disputes and expensive litigation. The relatively modest cost of professional will preparation provides enormous value in avoiding future problems and ensuring your wishes are actually honored.
A Last Will and Testament is a standalone document that distributes your assets directly to named beneficiaries and goes through probate. It’s the traditional will most people think of and works well for straightforward estates. A Pourover Will works in conjunction with a revocable living trust—it “pours over” any assets not already titled in your trust into the trust at death. The trust then distributes assets according to its terms, often avoiding probate for most of your estate. Pourover wills provide a safety net ensuring assets you forgot to transfer into your trust during life still end up there. They’re typically part of more comprehensive estate plans focused on probate avoidance, privacy, and ongoing asset management. We help you determine which approach best serves your family’s needs based on your assets, goals, and circumstances.
You should review your will every three to five years and update it whenever significant life events occur. Major triggers for will updates include marriage or divorce, birth or adoption of children, death of a named beneficiary, guardian, or executor, substantial changes in assets or financial situation, moving to another state, changes in tax laws affecting estate planning, and relationship changes with named beneficiaries. Even without major life changes, periodic review ensures your will still reflects your current wishes and family circumstances. Some people’s situations require more frequent review—business owners, blended families, or those with complex assets should review annually. Updates can be made through codicils for minor changes or by creating a new will for more extensive modifications. We recommend scheduling periodic reviews with your Houston will attorney to keep your estate plan current.
If you die without a valid will in Houston, your estate goes through “intestate succession” where Texas law—not your wishes—determines who inherits. For married individuals with children from that marriage, the spouse typically receives all community property and one-third of separate property. If you have children from other relationships, distributions become more complex. Unmarried individuals’ estates pass to children, then parents, then siblings. Unmarried partners, stepchildren who weren’t legally adopted, friends, and charities receive nothing regardless of your relationship or promises. Courts appoint an administrator to manage your estate (who might not be who you’d choose), and guardianship of minor children is decided by statutory priority rather than your preference. Dying without a will often creates family conflict, increases probate costs, and results in distributions you never intended. Creating a will ensures your wishes control your estate, not state law.
Don’t leave your family’s future to chance or state law. Creating a will with an experienced Houston will attorney ensures your wishes are honored, your children are protected, and your loved ones are cared for according to your intentions. The peace of mind that comes from having your affairs in order is invaluable.
Call Strickland Law Firm today to schedule a consultation and take the first step toward protecting your family's future.
