Legal Services We Offer Houston Families

Comprehensive estate planning covers nearly every aspect of life. It begins with protecting yourself and your personal dignity, and extends to protecting your loved ones and your hard-earned assets.

Follow the links below to learn more about the legal services provided from the estate planning attorneys of The Galligan Law Firm:

Elder Law/Medicaid

The challenges associated with aging can be very daunting.  Clients must consider senior housing and home care, long-term care, asset protection, Medicare and especially Medicaid.  We can assist clients by providing estate and Medicaid planning to help pay for medical and long-term care while protecting your assets for you and your family, whether that need is far off or imminent.
Learn more about Elder Law/Medicaid.

Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements

If you’re recently engaged, “Congratulations!” There will be lots of changes in your life, including how you will own your property. It helps to know the rules so that there are no surprises when it comes to property ownership. If you’re currently married, there may be reasons to explore a postnuptial marital property agreement. Perhaps you have received an inheritance you would like to pass directly to your children. Or you might want the income generated by property you brought to the marriage to stay your separate property.

Find out how you can control which assets are separate property and which assets are community property.

Business Succession

Family businesses are the backbone of the American economy. From agriculture to services, technology and manufacturing, family businesses generate an estimated one-half of the U.S. Gross National Product and pay half of all wages earned in this country.  But statistics show that fewer than one-third of business owners have a formal business succession plan and only around 20% of family-owned businesses survive into the next generation. Don’t be part of those statistics. Through business succession planning you can preserve the value of your business for your family after death, disability or retirement. 
Find out how we can help you preserve your family business.

Charitable Planning

We encourage and assist the tradition of giving to charitable causes, including the employment of tax-advantaged strategies that maximize the value of your gift. We help clients make charitable gifts and practice good stewardship in the most tax-efficient manner.
Learn more about Charitable Giving Strategies.

Estate Tax Planning

Historically speaking, the federal estate tax is an excise tax levied on the transfer of a person’s assets after death. In actuality, it is neither a death tax nor an inheritance tax, but more accurately a transfer tax. There are three distinct aspects to federal estate taxes that comprise what is called the Unified Transfer Tax: Estate Taxes, Gift Taxes, and Generation- Skipping Transfer Taxes. Legal planning to avoid or minimize federal estate taxes is both a prudent and an important aspect of comprehensive estate planning.
Learn more about Estate Tax Planning.

Fundamental Estate Planning

There is nothing we like more than to hear a client say, “I didn’t know I could do that. This has given me such peace of mind.” We have worked with many families and can offer advice and guidance when a gift or inheritance is contemplated.
Learn more about the Estate Planning Process.

Probate & Estate Administration

It is particularly difficult after losing a loved one to have to deal with such tasks as sorting through the deceased person’s accounts and property, ascertaining his or her debts, and making distributions to beneficiaries, some of whom may not realize how complicated and time consuming these duties can be.  If you find yourself in charge of a deceased person’s estate, we can guide you through the steps you must take to settle the estate.
Learn more about Probate and Estate  Administration.