Category Archives: Estate Planning

January 2026 Monthly Round Up

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For 2026, we have changed our bi-weekly round up of agricultural law news to a monthly round up that will be posted the last day of the month. If January is any indication, we are in for a busy 2026! * Texas “fake meat” labeling law found unconstitutional.  A federal district judge has found Texas’ “fake meat” labeling law, Texas Health & Safety Code 431.0825(d-1) unconstitutional.  Specifically, the court held the statute which requires certain wording such as “analogue,” “meatless,” “plant-based” or other similar language be included on… Read More →

Check Your Beneficiaries!

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The new year is the perfect time to double check that your beneficiary designations are up to date.   This is a critical part of the estate planning process that can easily be overlooked. I recently wrote an article about this topic for Southern Ag Today.  We also recently recorded a YouTube video as well.  Take the time to check out these resources and ensure your beneficiary designations are up to date.

December 19, 2025 Weekly Round Up

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The time has come for our final weekly round up of 2025!  While many of us are slowing down for the holiday, agricultural news is not.  Let’s get caught up on some of the biggest stories in the news over the past few weeks. *State of Texas sues Xcel Energy over Smokehouse Creek Fire.  Texas has filed suit against Xcel Energy seeking over $1 billion in losses as a result of the Smokehouse Creek Fire.  The lawsuit claims the fire, which burned over 1 million acres, was started by… Read More →

“Paid in Sweat, Secured by Planning”

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I was honored to do an interview with Laura Handke for an article she was writing on estate planning for Red Angus magazine.  Not only are Red Angus my favorite breed of cattle, a trait passed down to me from my grandmother, this is an extremely important topic for all farmers and ranchers to consider. Laura did a great job on this article, highlighting some of the key considerations for ag operations as they prepare an estate and succession plan. To read the article, click here and scroll… Read More →

Is Witness to a Will Required to Know What the Signor is Signing?

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Does a witness to a will signing have to know what is being signed?  This was the question recently before the Amarillo Court of Appeals in In the estate of Chester Freeman Youngblood, deceased.[Read Opinion here.] Background The court summarized the case this way:  “This case has all the makings of a legal riddle:  two Debras, two wills, and one key question–does a witness to a will need to know it’s a will to validly witness the signing of it?” Chester Youngblood died in 2016 under the care of… Read More →

Permanent Increase to Estate Tax Lifetime Exemption

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Anytime I do an estate planning presentation, the topic of the federal estate tax is one on the minds of many in the audience.  In July, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act included an important provision permanently increasing an individual’s lifetime exemption to $15 million. Today, we are going to just hit the high notes of the estate tax and the change to the law included in the One Big Beautiful Bill.  For more information on the estate tax, click here for a podcast episode I did with… Read More →

Probate or Problems: Avoid Family Feuds with Estate Planning for Your Land

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I recently had the chance to join Mac and Wayne on their National Land Podcast to chat about the topic of estate planning.  We had a really fun conversation about things land owners should consider and mistakes we’ve seen in our careers.  You can listen here. If you are interested in farm and ranch estate planning in particular, we have lots of great resources!  Check out the Successful Succession video series I made in conjunction with Texas Corn Producers here.  We also have a playlist of our podcast… Read More →

September 12, 2025 Weekly Round Up

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It has been another couple of busy weeks for agricultural law news around the country.  Let’s get caught up. *Federal judge dismisses challenge to Texas’ new foreign ownership law.  A federal judge in the Southern District of Texas has dismissed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of SB 17, the law recently passed by the Texas Legislature prohibiting citizens, businesses and governments from certain countries from owning real property in Texas.  The court held that the plaintiffs, three Chinese citizens, lacked standing to bring their claims as they are… Read More →

August 15, 2025 Weekly Round Up

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It has been a big few weeks on the agricultural law front!  We’ve got updates on several cases we’ve been following and news on new lawsuits around the country. * Federal court vacates listing of lesser prairie-chicken.  The US District Court for the Western District of Texas had vacated the Endangered Species Act listing of the lesser prairie chicken.  I will have a full blog post explaining the ruling in detail on Monday.  [Read article here.] * Federal court upholds emissions reporting exception for farms.  The United States… Read More →

Off to College? Don’t Forget The Legal Documents Every Adult Needs!

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Back-to-school season is here, and I have several friends sending kids off to college for the first time.  (Shoutout to Addie at Oklahoma State, Hudson, McKinley, and Katie at Texas Tech, and Layni at Yale!)  Certainly, the college prep checklist is full of various items to purchase and consider.  Many college students and parents overlook one key item: Having legal documents in place. Every legal adult (meaning, anyone over the age of 18 years old) should have the following legal documents in place:  Power of attorney, medical power… Read More →