Michael Cohen Dallas Elder Lawyer |

02 Oct Fiduciary Felon Fine? Who Said “Crime Doesn’t Pay”?

Posted at 15:36h in Beneficiary, Business, End of Life Care Planning, Estate Planning, Inheritance, Lawsuits, Long Term Care, Medicaid Application, Medicaid Planning, Michael Cohen Dallas Elder Lawyer, Probate Administration, Taxes, Wills

As of September 1, 2023, Texas law permits (although not mandatory) a court to approve a convicted felon to serve as an executor of an estate. Prior to that date, the only way a felon could serve as an executor (the one who: (1) gathers...

14 Sep Did Aretha Franklin’s Last Wishes Get R-E-S-P-E-C-T After Will Fight?

Posted at 09:03h in Business, Estate Planning, Guardianship, Long Term Care, Medicaid Application, Medicaid Planning, Michael Cohen Dallas Elder Lawyer, Music, Probate Administration, Taxes, Wills

Aretha Franklin died in 2018 leaving 2 handwritten wills resulting in an expensive legal battle between her children over which will would prevail. In July 2023, a Michigan jury decided her most recent handwritten will (written by her in 2014) found in a spiral notebook...

05 Sep 5 Options of where to Keep Your Will

Posted at 15:26h in Estate Planning, Medicaid Application, Medicaid Planning, Michael Cohen Dallas Elder Lawyer, Notarizations, Probate Administration, Transfer of Death, Wills

Although Aretha Franklin’s last will and testament (found under the cushions of her couch) was recently determined to be valid, this is obviously not the best place to keep your last will since many things could have gone wrong for failing to keep it in...

31 May Are Fake Deeds Fake News? 6 Ways to Protect Against Attempted Theft of Your Property Title

Posted at 11:06h in Estate Planning, Medicaid Application, Medicaid Planning, Michael Cohen Dallas Elder Lawyer, Mortgage, Notarizations, Power of Attorney, Probate Administration, Public Benefits Protection, Social Security, Wills

Scams seem to be increasing daily. Deed fraud (attempted transfer of property without the knowledge and consent of the true owner) could be on the rise. Criminals sometime forge deeds, have the deed notarized and record it with the county clerk where the property is...

29 May Palliative Care VS Hospice Care – 7 Documents to Prepare for End-Of-Life Planning

Posted at 11:15h in Dementia, End of Life Care Planning, Estate Planning, Financial Powers of Attorney, Guardianship, Long Term Care, Medicaid Application, Medicaid Planning, Medicare, Michael Cohen Dallas Elder Lawyer, Nursing Home, Power of Attorney, Probate Administration, Quality of Life, Wills

If you have an illness that is likely to limit your life due to the illness being serious and chronic (such as heart failure, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, cancer, dementia and Parkinson’s Disease), would you like to improve your quality of life by having: (1)...

08 May Additional Steps For Probating A Copy Of A Lost Will In Texas

Posted at 13:26h in Beneficiary, Dementia, Estate Planning, Guardianship, Medicaid Application, Medicaid Planning, Michael Cohen Dallas Elder Lawyer, Probate Administration, Wills

The process for court approval (probate) of an original will is generally not difficult in Texas presuming the will was properly drafted and that there was no contest to its validity. However, if the original of the signed will cannot be located, it is more problematic...

04 May Ethical Wills: Passing Your History, Experiences And Hopes From Generation To Generation – 30 Questions To Tell Your Story

Posted at 13:17h in End of Life Care Planning, Estate Planning, Medicaid Application, Medicaid Planning, Michael Cohen Dallas Elder Lawyer, Probate Administration, Quality of Life, Wills

Perhaps the most important will to be written is neither a last will and testament (which determines who is to receive your assets, when it is received and how it is received) nor a living will (an end-of-life directive describing whether you are to be...

03 May “Great Balls Of Fire” – Jerry Lee Lewis’ Son Fumes As Cousins Evict Him From Dad’s Ranch

Posted at 13:06h in Beneficiary, Estate Planning, Medicaid Application, Medicaid Planning, Michael Cohen Dallas Elder Lawyer, Music, Probate Administration, Taxes, Transfer of Death, Wills

The late legendary rock & roll star Jerry Lee Lewis bought 2/3 of a 30-acre Mississippi ranch almost 50 years ago. Not only did Jerry Lee Lewis live there until his death on October 28, 2022, so did his son, Jerry Lee Lewis, III (Lee)...

08 Mar 9 Documents Other Than a Will to Consider in Estate Planning

Posted at 11:12h in Asset Protection, Disability Benefits, End of Life Care Planning, Estate Planning, Financial Powers of Attorney, Guardianship, Long Term Care, Medicaid Application, Medicaid Planning, Michael Cohen Dallas Elder Lawyer, Power of Attorney, Probate Administration, Public Benefits Protection, Special Needs, Special Needs Trust, Taxes, Trusts, Wills

Most people think of a will when it comes to estate planning, but there are many other documents to consider in basic estate planning depending on your individual situation. This list of documents (exclusive of a will) includes, but is not limited to, the following: Financial...

31 Jan 6 Advantages And Disadvantages Of A Will And A Revocable Living Trust

Posted at 10:24h in Asset Protection, Beneficiary, Business, Disability Benefits, End of Life Care Planning, Estate Planning, Financial Powers of Attorney, Guardianship, Long Term Care, Medicaid Application, Medicaid Planning, Michael Cohen Dallas Elder Lawyer, Notarizations, Nursing Home, Power of Attorney, Probate Administration, Public Benefits Protection, Retirement, Special Needs, Special Needs Trust, Transfer of Death, Trusts, Wills

There is much debate among Texas attorneys as to whether it is better to have a Last Will and Testament or a Revocable Living Trust in estate planning. The simple answer is that it depends on the facts, your goals, the type of assets, cost...