Ashley Flotte’s Legal Blog

Unless you are a probate nerd, intestacy laws can be difficult to keep straight. Who gets what when there was no will??! One resource that can help out is a (fabulous!) recent addition to the Smith & Garg Wills and Estate Planning website, which lays out Texas’ intestate succession statutes in an easy-to read format, [...]

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The responsibility. The feedings. The playtime. The potty training. My constant need lately to go home for lunch. The crying, the teething, but ooohhhh the adorable-ness.
No, it’s not a new baby… it’s a new puppy.
The husband and I recently celebrated our 1st anniversary, and decided it was time to add on to our [...]

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Funerals, the preparations of one’s estate, and final wishes are inherently a gloomy topic. It’s human nature to fear death and avoid thinking about your own mortality. In dealing with such a sticky subject, people often turn to humor to lighten the mood. My older sister, for example, has made it known that she wants [...]

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Considering bringing about the demise of your spouse and making off with the insurance money? You might want to think twice.
Texas law has what’s called a “slayer rule,” which provides that anyone convicted of intentionally and wrongfully killing a decedent will not be entitled to benefit from the death. This rule originated in the [...]

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While it’s true that a person making a will is free to include any clauses, conditions and restrictions that he or she pleases, keep in mind that some such provisions might eventually be thrown out by the court as being against public policy. The law says that there are certain restrictions you just can’t place [...]

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