Who are my heirs?
Many clients seek our legal services to help them draft a last will and testament that disposes of their property after they pass away. In some circumstances, however, we may recommend that the client not draft a will, and instead have the Probate Court dispose of the client’s property. The reasons for this can be wide and varied, but most commonly involve an expectation that several...Read More
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Mineral Rights, Survivorship, and Probate
I am regularly surprised at how our estate planning practice overlaps with our oil and gas practice. Lately I have helped a number of clients navigate the re-titling of an ancestor’s mineral interest by working through the probate courts. When an individual dies, the probate court takes all of the real property titled in the deceased person’s name and determines the new owner....Read More
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Living Trusts
Many people mistakenly believe that they need to have a lot of money to benefit from a trust. This couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, many benefits trusts provide don’t have anything to do with how much money someone has. Trusts just make managing assets simpler, and operate a little differently than wills: the probate court ensures that an individual’s will is...Read More
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Special Needs Trusts
Clients with disabilities or other special needs have a few options when it comes to creating trusts that can improve their life. Oftentimes these individuals receive governmental benefits for their health and maintenance. Typically, these programs first require that the individual spend their own money before expending any of the government’s. In these situations, individuals with...Read More
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Oil and Gas Valuations for Businesses
Nearly all of our oil and gas clients ask us “what are my oil and gas rights worth?” Having been a producer in the oil and gas industry for over 25 years, I am well attuned to the business side of the industry. Having practiced oil and gas law for over 25 years, I am also well versed in the legal side. This positions our firm nicely to handle a wide variety of our client’s...Read More
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Hydraulic Fracturing Law Seminar
The folks at the National Business Institute have asked me to speak about oil and gas leasing at a seminar in early April. The seminar title is Hydraulic Fracturing Law, and it promises to feature a number of interesting and valuable presentations on energy-related topics such as land valuations, regulatory challenges, as well as environmental concerns. I will be discussing the basic...Read More
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Big Tax Changes for 2013
At year end Congress enacted the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (HR 8), which avoided a plunge over the so-called “fiscal cliff.” That supposed cataclysm would have resulted from a combination of the sunset of the Bush 2001 tax cuts and the automatic government spending cuts negotiated last summer in return for an extension of the federal debt ceiling. The 2001 law freed nearly half of...Read More
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The “Fiscal Cliff” and Estate Planning
Many of our clients want to know how the expiration of the Bush tax cuts will affect their estate plans. This event, the so-called “fiscal cliff,” can have far-reaching implications for certain wealthier individuals and calls for immediate, careful review of tax planning. At the time this article is written, estates valued less than $5.12 million are exempt from the 35% federal estate tax....Read More
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