Description
Common Estate Planning Mistakes People Make & How You Can Avoid Them
15 Mistakes That Can Cost Your Family a Fortune
Protect Your Family. Preserve Your Legacy. Avoid Costly Probate.
After more than 35 years helping Texas families protect their assets and legacies, attorney Harvey L. Cox has seen the same devastating mistakes repeated over and over—mistakes that cost families thousands of dollars, trigger unnecessary taxes, and create heartbreaking conflicts among loved ones.
The good news? These mistakes are completely avoidable.
What You’ll Learn in This Essential Guide
This comprehensive 2025 edition reveals the 15 most common—and most costly—estate planning mistakes that Texas families make, including:
- Why not having an estate plan means Texas decides who gets your assets (and you probably won’t like their plan)
- The hidden dangers of adding children to your bank accounts or property deeds—and how it can expose your life savings to their creditors, lawsuits, and divorces
- How outdated beneficiary designations accidentally disinherit loved ones—even when your will says otherwise
- Why gifting property during your lifetime can trigger massive tax bills for your children
- The critical mistake that turns a “probate-avoiding” trust into a probate disaster
- How DIY wills and online forms create confusion, conflict, and costly court battles
Each chapter includes real-life examples, clear explanations of Texas law, and practical solutions you can implement right away.
Who Should Read This Book?
This book is essential reading for:
- Texas homeowners who want to protect their property and avoid probate
- Parents and grandparents planning to leave an inheritance
- Anyone in a second marriage or blended family
- Retirees concerned about protecting assets from lawsuits, creditors, and long-term care costs
- Anyone who’s created a DIY will or trust and wants to make sure it actually works
Why This Book Is Different
Unlike generic estate planning guides, this book is:
- Written specifically for Texans—addressing Texas probate law, property law, and tax considerations
- Based on 35+ years of real-world experience—not theory, but actual cases and client stories
- Practical and actionable—you’ll know exactly what to do (and what to avoid)
- Easy to understand—no confusing legal jargon, just clear explanations and real-life examples
About the Author
Harvey L. Cox is a licensed Texas attorney with over 35 years of experience in estate planning and asset protection. He teaches Business Law at McLennan Community College and has helped hundreds of Texas families protect their homes, avoid probate, and preserve their legacies.
Harvey is committed to educating Texas seniors through his Pro Bono Community Outreach Program, offering free estate plan reviews to help families avoid the costly mistakes outlined in this book.
What’s Inside
15 Critical Mistakes Covered:
- Not Having an Estate Plan
- Not Understanding How Your Assets Pass at Death
- Planning Your Estate Around Specific Assets
- Relying on Co-Ownership to Avoid Probate
- Adding Your Children to Your Home’s Deed
- Adding Your Children to Your Bank Accounts
- Not Understanding the Tax Consequences of Gifts
- Using Beneficiary Designations as Your Only Estate Plan
- Failing to Update Your Estate Plan During Divorce
- Ignoring Income Tax Consequences When Distributing Assets
- Failing to Recognize That Wills Can Be Easily Changed
- Poor Drafting (The DIY Disaster)
- Thinking All Estate Plans Are the Same
- Leaving Property Directly to Minor Children
- Failing to Fund a Living Trust
Protect Your Family Today
Don’t let your family become another cautionary tale. This book gives you the knowledge and tools to create an estate plan that truly works—one that protects your assets, honors your wishes, and spares your loved ones from unnecessary stress, expense, and conflict.
Download your copy today and take the first step toward real peace of mind.
Free Estate Plan Review for Texas Seniors
As part of his Pro Bono Community Outreach Program, Harvey L. Cox offers Texas seniors a free, no-obligation review of existing wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and beneficiary designations.
Call today: 📞 (254) 233-7300
Copyright © 2017, 2020, 2025 by Harvey L. Cox. All rights reserved.
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