Wills attorney with 13 years of experience guiding Farmers Branch, TX families.
If you are trying to put a will in place in Farmers Branch, the decisions involved can feel overwhelming as you make big decisions, such as who manages your estate, raises your children, or what happens to assets you have spent a lifetime building. Our Farmers Branch, TX wills lawyer has been handling will planning for Texas families since 2013. At Ellen Williamson Law, PC, we have 13 years of experience drafting documents that have a strong foundation and are legally-binding. Schedule a consultation with our office today.
Wills Attorney Farmers Branch, TX
A will is a legal document that directs how your property gets distributed after you pass away. If you don’t have one, Texas intestacy laws decide where your assets go, and those defaults may not match your intentions at all. A will attorney drafts that document to your specific circumstances, ensures it meets Texas’s legal requirements, and helps you think through provisions you might not have considered before.
But there is more to just signing a document, as getting the paperwork right means accounting for who you are naming as executor, whether you have minor children who need a guardian designation, and how your assets are titled. We can guide you through those choices and make sure the resulting documentation will work the way you intend for the future.
Types of Will Matters We Handle in Farmers Branch
Will planning is not one-size-fits-all, as the right document depends on what you own, who is in your life, and what you want to happen. Ellen Williamson Law, PC handles a range of will-related matters for Farmers Branch, TX clients:
- Simple Wills. For individuals or couples with simple estates, a basic will names your beneficiaries, designates an executor, and makes your wishes legally enforceable. These are the most common documents we draft and the starting point for most clients who have not done any planning yet.
- Wills with Guardian Designations. If you have minor children, naming a guardian in your will may be one of the most important decisions you make. Without a designation, a court decides who raises your kids. We help parents think through this choice document it correctly.
- Pour-Over Wills. Clients who have already established a living trust often need a pour-over will to capture assets that were not transferred into the trust during their lifetime. This works alongside your trust rather than replacing it.
- Wills for Blended Families. Blended families require careful drafting, as without the right provisions, assets intended for children from a prior relationship can be distributed unintentionally to a surviving spouse’s estate. We address those dynamics directly in the document.
- Wills for Business Owners. If you own a business, your will needs to address what happens to that interest. Succession planning and will planning intersect, and leaving that language out can create real problems for your heirs.
- Will Updates and Amendments. Life changes, as there may be a divorce, birth of a child, death in the family, or a significant change in assets that makes an existing will outdated. We handle will amendments (codicils) and full rewrites when a prior document no longer reflects your intentions.
- Coordinating Wills with Estate Plans. A will is one component of a complete estate plan. We help clients understand how a will fits alongside powers of attorney, trusts, and beneficiary designations.
Why Choose Ellen Williamson Law, PC for Wills in Farmers Branch, TX?
Estate Planning Experience Focused on Texas Families
Attorney Ellen Williamson has been practicing law since 2004 and founded Ellen Williamson Law, PC in 2013. Our estate planning lawyer in Farmers Branch, TX focuses on probate and guardianship related matters. So when you come to us with a question about your will, you are working with someone who has spent more than two decades on nothing else but these matters.
Ellen earned her J.D. from SMU Dedman School of Law in 2004 and her B.B.A. in Finance from Texas A&M University. Before founding the firm, she spent years inside the SBA’s disaster loan processing center, working directly with overwhelmed people navigating complicated processes at the worst moments of their lives. That experience shaped how she explains legal concepts clearly, without unnecessary jargon, and with real attention to what the client actually needs to make choices.
She is a member of the inaugural class of the Dallas Probate American Inn of Court, serves on the Probate Council for the Dallas Bar Association’s Probate, Trusts & Estates Section, and holds the designation of Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation. She was recognized by Super Lawyers in 2024.
Flat-Fee Billing on Most Matters
Most will drafting and estate planning work at our firm is handled on a flat-fee basis, customized to your needs. You will know what you are paying before the work begins, so there are no surprise invoices at the end. Ellen offers flat-fee pricing because her years of experience with estate planning means she can accurately scope the work to be done, and because she believes clients should not have to wonder whether asking a follow-up question will cost them even more money.
Understanding Will Planning in Texas
Key Components of a Valid Texas Will
Texas has specific requirements for a will to be legally enforceable. The basics are important, as getting them wrong can cause the document to fail when your family needs it most. Here is what goes into a valid will under Texas law:
- Testamentary capacity. You must be at least 18 years old (or legally married or a member of the armed forces) and of sound mind at the time of signing.
- Written document. Verbal wills are not recognized under Texas law for most purposes, as the document must be in writing.
- Signatures and witnesses. A formal will must be signed by you, or by another person in your presence and at your direction, and witnessed by two people who are 14 or older and of sound mind.
- Holographic wills. Texas does recognize handwritten wills signed entirely in the testator’s own handwriting, without witnesses, but these carry significant risk if not done correctly and are not a substitute for a properly drafted document.
- Named executor. Your will designates who administers your estate. Choosing the right person matters as much as choosing the right beneficiaries.
Important Aspects of a Will
Beyond the legal requirements, there are several practical considerations that shape whether a will actually accomplishes what you intend:
- Executor selection. Your executor manages the probate process, pays debts, and distributes assets. This person needs to be organized, trustworthy, and willing to take on administrative work.
- Specific bequests vs. residuary estate. You can leave specific items to specific people, and then designate who receives what is left over. The way this is structured matters when asset values shift over time.
- Guardian designations. If you have minor children, naming both a guardian of the person and a guardian of the estate (if applicable) in your will gives the court direction on who should step in for your children.
- Contingency planning. What happens if a beneficiary predeceases you? A well-drafted will accounts for these scenarios rather than leaving gaps that create problems in probate.
Will Drafting and Signing Timeline
The process of drafting and signing a will moves faster than many clients expect. Here is a general timeline for what to expect at our firm:
- Initial consultation. We discuss your family situation, your assets, and your goals. This shapes the structure and content of the document.
- Drafting and review. We draft the will and send it for your review. You have the opportunity to ask questions and request changes.
- Signing ceremony. Texas law requires your will to be signed under specific conditions. We can guide you through the signing process so the document is executed correctly.
- Storage and records. We discuss options for where to store the original document and who should know where to find it.
- Periodic review. We recommend revisiting your will after major life changes, such as a marriage, divorce, births, deaths, or significant changes in your financial situation.
What to Bring to Your Will Consultation
Attending your appointment prepared helps us make the most of the time. For a will consultation, it helps to have the following:
- A basic inventory of your assets, including real property, financial accounts, business interests, and personal property, along with how they are titled.
- Names of the people you are considering as executor and, if applicable, guardian for any minor children.
- A list of your intended beneficiaries and roughly how you would like assets distributed.
- Any existing estate planning documents, including prior wills, trusts, or powers of attorney.
Important Texas Legal Resources for Will Planning
Texas law governs how wills are created, executed, and admitted to probate. The resources below are a starting point for understanding the legal framework, though they are no substitutes for advice specific to your situation:
- Texas Estates Code: The primary body of law governing wills, probate, and estate administration in Texas.
- Texas State Law Library: A curated set of self-help resources on wills and estates for Texas residents.
- Texas Secretary of State: Relevant for business owners who need to understand how business interests interact with estate planning.
- Dallas County Probate Courts: Information on probate court operations in Dallas County, where Farmers Branch matters are typically administered.
- Texas Bar Foundation: Resources from the foundation that supports legal access and attorney professionalism in Texas.
Reach Out to Ellen Williamson Law, PC to Schedule a Consultation
If you are ready to put a will in place in Farmers Branch, TX, or if you have an existing document that needs to be reviewed, our office is here to help. Contact us at Ellen Williamson Law, PC to schedule your consultation so we can review your needs and recommend further.