This year will mark the beginning of my 5th decade of practicing law. Lawyers traditionally commemorate such a major milestone by reflecting on how the practice of law has changed over the years. I won’t be doing that. The truth is that the practice of law has not changed in the last 40 years. Lawyers act today like lawyers acted 40 years ago. Judges still act like judges and clients still...

The State of Texas does not want your inheritance. It may end up with it anyway.   Blame it on Chapter 551, an obscure part of the Estates Code that is unhelpfully named “Payment of Estates into Treasury.”   What is Chapter 551 Under Chapter 551, you have an affirmative obligation to timely claim your inheritance. If you do not, then your inheritance will be turned over to the State of Texas. In legal circles,...

Starting a business is easy. Having it outlive you is surprisingly hard.  Let’s take a moment and discuss the afterlife of your business – as in what happens to your business after your life.  Sole Proprietorships If you are like 73% of all small business owners, then you are operating your business as a sole proprietorship. Your business is not formally organized as a separate entity. You cannot legally keep your business...