As life circumstances change (births, marriages, divorces, and deaths), it may become necessary to make changes to your will. If an estate plan is not kept up-to-date, it can become useless. The best way to make changes is either through a codicil — an amendment to the will — or by creating a new will….
Women Empowered to LEAD We, at the Weeks Law Firm, are thrilled that Chris was selected to join the 2020 class of Dallas Bar Associations WE LEAD professional development program. This prestigious leadership program addresses the challenges of high-performing women who have practiced law for 8 to 15 years. The program’s purpose is to address…
2020 Census starts this March and YOU COUNT! Every 10 years a census is conducted to count every person in the United States. Currently cities around North Texas are working to get the word out and promote “complete counts.” Why is a complete count important? Because, census data helps advocates, community leaders, and elected officials address…
Attorneys Tresi Weeks and Chris Krupa Downs of The Weeks Law Firm, PLLC spent a few hours with a dynamic group of UNT Law Students filming a video for its Accessible Law platform discussing probate and special needs.
The rules surrounding taxes on gifts often create confusion during tax season or any other time. Below are some of the nuts and bolts of the gift tax, including when a gift tax form needs to be filed. The annual gift tax exclusion for 2018 and 2019 is $15,000. This means that any person who gave…
Funerals are among the most expensive purchases many consumers will ever make, ranking only behind the purchase of a home and an automobile. A traditional funeral, including a casket and vault, can start at around $7,000, although “extras” like flowers, obituary notices, acknowledgment cards or limousines can add thousands of dollars to the bottom line….
More than eight million people who receive Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits need help managing their money. When a recipient of SSDI or SSI is incapable of managing their own money, Social Security can appoint a representative payee to manage the benefits on their behalf. The representative payee is often a legal…
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a federal program that helps people with disabilities and very low incomes pay for food, clothing and shelter. SSI is often confused with Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). One of the main differences between the two programs is that SSDI is available to people with disabilities no matter how much…
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Structured Settlements When victims of medical malpractice and other catastrophic accidents receive awards in personal injury lawsuits, obtaining the award is only half the battle. Of equal, or greater, importance for the person’s future is constructing the settlement structure in a way that best protects their long-term interests. Personal injury…
Families taking advantage of ABLE savings accounts will have a little more flexibility in planning for special needs as a result of the new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act signed into law by President Trump on December 22, 2017. As we previously discussed, ABLE accounts, created by Congress via the passage of the Achieving a…
