Dripping Springs Estate Planning & Probate Attorney

Looking for an estate planning attorney in Dripping Springs? Henington Lewis Law Firm helps landowners and families in Dripping Springs, Belterra, Headwaters, Caliterra, Driftwood and the Highway 290 corridor plan their estates and handle probate in Hays County.

Estate Planning for Land and Rural Property

Many Dripping Springs families own acreage, sometimes with an agricultural or wildlife valuation, a well and septic system, or more than one home on the property. Land raises planning questions that a house in town doesn’t, and a Dripping Springs estate planning attorney should plan for each of them.

Keeping a special valuation

An agricultural or wildlife valuation can lower property taxes significantly. When land passes to heirs, the new owners generally must keep up the qualifying use and may need to file with the appraisal district. A change in use can trigger rollback taxes. Planning ahead helps your family keep the valuation.

Leaving land to several children

Leaving land to children as co-owners can lead to disagreements about selling, leasing or paying taxes, and sometimes to a partition suit. Holding the land in a trust or family LLC with clear management rules can prevent that.

Avoiding probate on real estate

A funded revocable trust, a transfer on death deed or a lady bird deed can each keep land out of probate. The right choice depends on your family and the property. See how to avoid probate on real estate in Texas.

Homes, wells and family compounds

When several family members live on one property, the plan should say who may stay, who pays for upkeep, and what happens if someone wants to sell. Writing those rules down now avoids hard conversations later.

Probate in Hays County

Dripping Springs is in Hays County, which does not have a separate statutory probate court. Probate cases there are heard by the county’s courts at law in San Marcos. We handle probate with independent administration, title probate and probate with dependent administration in Hays County, and we help families clear land titles after a death, including heirship when there was no will.

Estate Planning and Probate Services for Dripping Springs

Every plan is designed and reviewed by a Dripping Springs estate planning attorney on our team. Our services include:

• Wills, including pour-over wills that work with your trust
• Revocable living trusts, with help retitling your home and accounts into the trust
• Statutory durable powers of attorney, medical powers of attorney, directives to physicians and HIPAA releases
• Asset protection and planning for business interests
• Probate: title probate, probate with independent administration and probate with dependent administration
• Heirship and affidavits of heirship when someone dies without a will
• Contested probate and will contests

Why Dripping Springs Families Choose Our Estate Planning Attorneys

• You work with an attorney. Samantha Lewis or Turner Henington meets with you, designs your plan and walks you through every document before you sign.
• Planning and probate under one roof. We write estate plans and we handle probate, so we draft knowing what actually happens in Texas courts after a death.
• A clear price up front. You get a flat-fee quote for your estate plan before you commit.
• Free community seminars. We teach free estate planning seminars around the Austin area, so you can learn the basics before you ever book a meeting.
• Meet in person or by video. Plan from home if that is easier, and come in once to sign.

Read what clients say in the reviews on this page, or call (512) 737-8404 to talk with an estate planning attorney who serves Dripping Springs.

How Working With a Dripping Springs Estate Planning Attorney at Our Firm Works

1. Consultation. We learn about your family, your property and your goals, and answer your questions.
2. Plan design and quote. We recommend a will-based or trust-based plan and give you a flat fee.
3. Draft review. You review the drafts with your attorney and we make changes until they fit.
4. Signing and trust funding. You sign with a notary and witnesses, and we help move your home and accounts into your trust so it actually works.

Meeting With Us From Dripping Springs

Our office is at 1101 S. Capital of Texas Hwy, Bldg G, Suite 150-C, Austin, TX 78746, on Loop 360. From Dripping Springs it is about a half-hour drive in on Highway 290 and Loop 360. We also meet by video for clients who prefer to plan from home, and we can help arrange signings.

Call (512) 737-8404 or send us a message to set up a consultation with a Dripping Springs estate planning attorney on our team.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my heirs lose our agricultural valuation when they inherit the land?

Not automatically. The valuation generally continues if the land keeps its qualifying use, but the new owners may need to file with the Hays Central Appraisal District. If the use changes, rollback taxes may apply. We plan for this as part of your estate plan.

Should we leave our land to all of our children equally?

Equal is not always simple. Co-owned land can be hard to manage or sell, and one owner can ask a court to partition it. A trust or family LLC can keep ownership equal while giving one person, or a set of rules, the authority to manage the property.

Can a transfer on death deed keep our land out of probate?

Yes. Texas allows a transfer on death deed that passes real estate at death without probate. It works well for some families, but it does not plan for incapacity or set rules for co-owners, so we compare it with a trust.

Where is probate handled for someone who lived in Dripping Springs?

Probate is generally filed in the county where the person lived. Hays County does not have a separate statutory probate court, so cases are heard by the Hays County courts at law in San Marcos.

What if the land has been in the family for generations and the title is unclear?

That is common. We can help clear title through probate, a court heirship proceeding or an affidavit of heirship, depending on what records exist.

Can we meet without driving into Austin?

Yes. We can meet by video for planning and help arrange signings. Our office on Loop 360 is also an easy drive in on Highway 290.

Other Areas We Serve

• Austin estate planning and Austin probate
• Travis County probate and estate planning
• Williamson County probate and estate planning
• Hays County probate and estate planning
• West Lake Hills estate planning and probate
• Lakeway estate planning and probate
• Bee Cave estate planning and probate
• Cedar Park estate planning and probate
• Round Rock estate planning and probate