Estate Planning Attorney in McKinney

Coordinated Estate Planning for Your Family, Property, & Business

A complete estate plan may need to do more than determine who receives your property. It can name decision-makers in case of incapacity, address guardianship planning for minor children, coordinate beneficiary designations, and account for business or real estate interests. We handle wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and HIPAA releases for McKinney residents who want these elements to work together.

Our broader work in family law and small business matters helps us identify when an estate planning decision may affect parenting arrangements, prior court orders, partnerships, contracts, or property ownership. We explain the available tools so you can evaluate them in light of your goals and circumstances.

Wills, Trusts, & Incapacity Documents

We prepare estate plans around each McKinney client’s family structure, assets, priorities, and applicable law. The right combination of documents may depend on whether you have minor children, own a business or rental property, belong to a blended family, or want to provide for a beneficiary with particular needs.

An estate plan may include:

• Wills: We prepare traditional and pour-over wills. A pour-over will directs remaining probate assets into an established trust. A will can also nominate an executor and proposed guardian, subject to Texas law and court approval.
• Trusts: We handle testamentary trusts created through a will, living trusts established during the creator’s lifetime, and irrevocable trusts that generally can’t be freely changed after creation.
• Incapacity documents: Financial powers of attorney authorize another person to manage specified financial matters. Living wills address certain end-of-life medical preferences, while HIPAA releases allow designated people to receive protected health information.
• Tax and residency planning: We provide guidance on federal estate and gift tax considerations, including planning for legal permanent residents and nonresident aliens.

Coordinating Family Changes, Assets, & Beneficiaries

Estate documents don’t control every asset. Retirement accounts, life insurance, jointly owned property, trust assets, and some business interests may transfer through beneficiary forms, ownership records, or governing agreements rather than a will. We review beneficiary designations alongside estate documents and prior court orders to identify potential conflicts.

Marriage, divorce, a birth or adoption, a beneficiary’s death, relocation, or a major property change may be a reason to revisit an existing plan. Documents signed in another state or before a significant legal or family change may also need review under current Texas law.

For McKinney business owners, planning may involve partnership terms, contracts, ownership records, and instructions for transferring or managing an interest. Because we work across estate planning, family law, small business formation, and business representation, our attorneys can collaborate when these legal concerns overlap.

Texas Wills, Trusts, & Probate Considerations

Texas recognizes formal wills and holographic wills, which are written entirely in the testator’s handwriting, but the execution and probate requirements differ. If someone dies without a valid will, Texas intestacy rules determine how certain property passes based on family relationships and the character of the property.

The Collin County Probate Court handles probate, inheritance, and guardianship matters within its jurisdiction. We help clients consider how their planning choices could affect a future court proceeding. The process may vary based on document language, asset ownership, family circumstances, and whether a dispute arises.

A trust can affect how property is managed or transferred, but creating one doesn’t automatically move assets into it. Titles, account ownership, beneficiary designations, and transfer documents may need to align with both the trust and the rest of the plan.

Personalized Counsel From a Collaborative Legal Team

At Burrows Law Group, we assign matters to attorneys whose knowledge and skills suit each client’s needs. When a plan touches several legal areas, our attorneys collaborate to provide varied perspectives while keeping the client’s priorities at the center of the process.

We also make client education a priority. Instead of presenting documents without context, we explain how wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and related planning choices differ. Our firm serves clients across Collin, Denton, Dallas, and Tarrant counties.

What to Bring to an Estate Planning Consultation

Our consultation process begins with your goals, family structure, property, and relevant financial or business interests. Bring any existing planning documents, even if they’re outdated or were signed in another state.

Helpful information to gather includes:

• Existing wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and medical directives
• Real estate, business interests, rental properties, and partnership agreements
• Retirement accounts, life insurance, and current beneficiary designations
• Intended beneficiaries and proposed decision-makers
• Information about minor children and guardianship preferences
• Concerns involving incapacity, probate, taxes, or possible family conflict

We’ll explain which options may fit your circumstances and can revisit your documents as your life changes. The appropriate plan will depend on your objectives, relationships, assets, and applicable law.

Build an Estate Plan Around What Matters to You

Our estate planning lawyers serve McKinney residents with personalized counsel backed by a collaborative legal team. We can address wills, trusts, incapacity documents, beneficiary coordination, and planning for family, property, or business interests.