How Jonathan helps
- Revocable living trusts for individuals and couples
- Trusts for children and grandchildren, including staged distributions
- Third-party special needs trusts for a loved one with a disability
- Trusts for blended families that balance a spouse’s needs with children’s inheritances
- Guidance for trustees and successor trustees administering a trust
Trusts drafted by someone who has administered them
As a trust company Market President, Jonathan worked with trusts after they were signed: when a trustee had to read them, follow them and explain them to beneficiaries. That experience shapes how he drafts. Clear instructions, realistic distribution standards and practical successor trustee provisions make a trust easier to carry out and less likely to cause family conflict.
Do you need a trust in Texas?
Not everyone does. Texas probate is more streamlined than in many states, so a well-drafted will is often enough. A trust tends to make sense when you:
- Own real estate in more than one state
- Want your estate kept out of the public court record
- Have a blended family, minor children or a beneficiary who needs help managing money
- Want a plan that works smoothly if you become incapacitated
- Have a family member who receives, or may someday receive, needs-based government benefits
Frequently asked questions
Does a living trust avoid probate in Texas?
Assets properly titled in the trust generally pass without probate. Assets left outside it may still need probate, so funding the trust matters.
Does a revocable trust protect assets from creditors or nursing home costs?
Generally no. Because you keep control, a revocable trust is not an asset protection tool. Elder law planning uses different strategies.
Can I be my own trustee?
Yes. Most people serve as trustee of their own revocable trust and name a successor.
Who should be my successor trustee?
A trusted family member, a friend or a professional trustee. Jonathan can walk through the tradeoffs of each.
Talk with Jonathan about whether a trust fits your family. Schedule a consultation.