Not every client we work with has intimate knowledge of how estate planning works and what goes into ensuring they have a plan that protects everyone they love and everything they own. Often, this is their first time making decisions on money, property, medical care, beneficiaries, dependent care, and a litany of other matters that need answers sooner rather than later. They also hear various legal terms for the first time, many of which only confuse things. An example is the term “Bequest.”  You may have heard the term bequest thrown around a time or two in passing, but what does that me ..read more

Leigh Hilton PLLC has always strived to be more than the typical estate planning and elder law office. Granted, we offer practical advice, years of hands-on knowledge, and thorough documentation such as Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney, etc. But our clients need more than that. They deserve a personal touch — someone who will listen to them, understand their concerns, offer support, compassion, and patience during difficult times, and walk with them and their family members throughout whatever journey comes next. This is why we have also placed such a heavy emphasis on education over the year ..read more

Kathren joined our firm in April 2024 as our Receptionist. She was born and raised in Denton and is a proud graduate of Denton High School. Kathren’s receptionist experience includes working at two separate dental offices, including one just down the road from us on Elm Street. She worked there for 25 years before working at another practice near Loop 288. Though she loved being in the dental world, she reached a point where she wanted to try something new. She spent a year as a substitute teacher then joined our team in April.  Kathren loves learning new things and being super helpful. S ..read more

In our October 2023 newsletter, we informed you about new regulations that arose from the Corporate Transparency Act.  You may need to be in compliance with these new regulations if: If you own a small business (LLC, Corporation, etc.) Your small business has 20 or fewer full-time employees and less than $5 million in revenue The new regulations require small businesses that qualify as reporting companies and are formed prior to 2024 to report the beneficial owners of their entity.  For those formed in 2024, they must also include information on the company applicants.   Re ..read more

When you signed your Revocable Living Trust, your estate planning attorney likely included a detailed list of instructions on transferring ownership of certain assets to the Trust. At the top of the list were things like bank accounts, safe deposit boxes, bonds, stock certificates, and your vehicles — basically, everything you discussed that needed to be included when initially funding your Trust. But you are still new to this process and cannot help but wonder what you should not put in your Trust. This is an excellent question because many people new to estate planning assume they need to to ..read more

As excited as you are to finally have a Revocable Living Trust in place to protect everyone you love and everything you own, it is only natural to wonder what impact this new estate planning strategy will have during tax season. For example, many of our clients at Leigh Hilton PLLC ask, “Does my Revocable Living Trust need to file a tax return?” Great question. And typically speaking, no, it does not need a separate tax return. But let us discuss this a bit more. Why Does a Revocable Living Trust Not Require Its Own Tax Return? As we have written about before, a Revocable Living Trust is extre ..read more

8 Jokes to Get You Laughing About Estate Planning  There is no denying how difficult and overwhelming it can feel when you sit down with an estate planning attorney and make the necessary arrangements for what you want to happen next should you pass away or become incapacitated. We all know how important these conversations are, yet few of us jump at the chance to do it — a few adjectives we hear are uncomfortable, scary, apprehensive, and even depressing. While we cannot blame you for feeling this way, humor is one way to deal with a difficult situation. This is not to suggest any of us ..read more

Talking about mortality rarely tops most people’s to-do lists. For some, it is last on the list. It just feels complicated, overwhelming, and morbid. But no one can deny the importance of an estate plan, which is why you are here today. But as you walk through the front door to our office, one question keeps dancing around in your mind: Should we do a Will or a Trust? Depending on your unique situation and family needs, perhaps you should consider both. Though vastly different, Wills and Trusts are designed to let you decide exactly how you want your stuff divided and transferred to your chose ..read more

When you have been estate planning attorneys for as long as we have, sometimes it is easy to feel like a broken record. For example, I know for a fact we have rattled off this particular line quite a bit over the years: “Once you create an estate plan, it is easy to just file it away in a drawer and assume you and your loved ones are covered for every possible future situation.” The thing is, though, that is not always possible. It must be constantly reviewed and updated to serve every stage of your life. Think of your estate plan like a car. You must service your car often to ensure it gets y ..read more

When you sit down with an estate planning attorney to talk about a Trust, you learn pretty quickly that there is a Trust type for any scenario. And this is a great thing — after all, you can never have enough peace of mind when it comes to your family’s unique needs and wants. If you do not believe us, ask any parent of a child with special needs how beneficial a Special Needs Trust is for them. A common concern many of these parents had before setting up one of these Trusts centered around what might happen to their sweet child after they are gone. And trust us when we say their list of quest ..read more