{"id":13095,"date":"2025-04-20T06:00:50","date_gmt":"2025-04-20T11:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legaltalktexas.hammerle.com\/?p=13095"},"modified":"2025-04-16T17:38:13","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T22:38:13","slug":"move-wills-and-trusts-to-texas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hammerle.com\/legaltalk\/wills-trusts\/move-wills-and-trusts-to-texas\/","title":{"rendered":"Why You Need to Move Your Wills and Trusts to Texas"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you are one of the two million people who have moved to Texas in the last five years, we need to talk because you may be in danger of making the biggest mistakes of your life.<\/span><\/p>\n

Not your move to Texas \u2013 no, that was brilliant. No income tax, no estate tax, very few blizzards, exceptionally friendly people, and wonderful lawyers.<\/span><\/p>\n

I made up the last one, but still. Texas is a great place, and we are happy to welcome you to our state. The mistake you are getting ready to make is not having your <\/span>estate planning documents updated to conform to Texas law<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Benefits of Updating Your Estate Planning Documents in Texas<\/span><\/h2>\n

Probating a Will<\/span><\/h3>\n

Let\u2019s say you moved here from California. You probably have a California trust so that you can avoid probating your will. Why? Because California probate is so drawn out, complicated, and expensive that Californians will do anything to avoid it.<\/span><\/p>\n

But Texas has an easy <\/span>probate<\/span><\/a> system, so there is no need to have a trust to avoid it. Most people sail through probate. It usually takes less than 60 days, from start to finish, for the will to be admitted to probate and an independent executor appointed. In some counties it takes less than three weeks. From there, the executor operates without court supervision and without having to post a bond. Executor\u2019s fees, if they are charged, are minimal.<\/span><\/p>\n

Avoiding Out-of-State Laws<\/span><\/h3>\n

Let\u2019s talk about other reasons why you need to review your California trust. It probably provides that California law applies to your trust, and that the situs of the trust is California. You should strongly consider changing both to <\/span>Texas<\/span><\/a>. If your trustee is still in California, you probably want to change that, too. There is no sense in making your trust estate subject to California\u2019s onerous taxes and judicial system, is there?<\/span><\/p>\n

Self-Proving Wills<\/span><\/h3>\n

As for your <\/span>California will<\/span><\/a> \u2013 we will recognize it in Texas, but we won\u2019t be happy about it. Most California wills use provisions that work in California but are pretty worthless in Texas. We require certain language in our wills to take advantage of our great Texas probate system for independent executorship. We also require certain language for our wills to be self-proving, so we won\u2019t need to bring witnesses to prove the signature on the will is valid.<\/span><\/p>\n

Probating Assets<\/span><\/h3>\n

Another reason to review your California will – it is likely to provide that the probate assets from your estate pour over into your California trust. That may not be a good outcome for your beneficiaries.<\/span><\/p>\n

Durable and Medical Powers of Attorney\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Now let\u2019s move on to your California durable (financial) power of attorney and medical power of attorney. They are probably just fine in California, but you aren\u2019t, thank goodness, in California anymore. Texas has wonderful, comprehensive, and friendly statutes for <\/span>powers of attorney<\/span><\/a>. In Texas, our people like Texas documents. They recognize the basic forms, and they are familiar with the protections and definitions contained in the Texas statutes.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you want Texas companies to accept your powers of attorney, then it is better to have the Texas version of your documents.<\/span><\/p>\n

Additional Benefits<\/span><\/h3>\n

Finally, Texas has statutes that cover your designation of <\/span>guardian<\/span><\/a>, directive to physician, and burial instructions. We also have our very own HIPAA laws. You will want the Texas-specific version of these documents.<\/span><\/p>\n

Texas Newcomers Need Texas Documents<\/span><\/h2>\n

I have picked on California, but the same concerns apply to documents from Florida, Colorado, New Mexico, New York, Illinois \u2013 in short, from anywhere that is not Texas.<\/span><\/p>\n

You moved here. Now let\u2019s move your documents here, too.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you need to update your estate planning documents now that you\u2019ve moved to Texas, schedule a <\/span>consultation<\/span><\/a> with our team of expert attorneys today.<\/span><\/p>\n

Virginia Hammerle is an accredited estate planner and represents clients in estate planning, probate, guardianship, and contested litigation. She may be reached at <\/span><\/i>legaltalktexas@hammerle.com<\/span><\/i><\/a>. This blog contains general information only and does not constitute legal advice.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you are one of the two million people who have moved to Texas in the last five years, we need to talk because you may be in danger of making the biggest mistakes of your life. Not your move to Texas \u2013 no, that was brilliant. No income tax, no estate tax, very few […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":13096,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-13095","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wills-trusts"},"yoast_head":"\nMove Your Wills and Trusts to Texas | Hammerle Morris Law Firm<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Moved to Texas? 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