Joint Accounts, Will Contests & Life Estate Mistakes

Todd Lutsky and Susan Powers break down two cautionary estate planning cases—one involving a joint brokerage account that bypassed a trust and sparked a family dispute, and another Texas Supreme Court battle over whether a will even existed. What happens when planning is piecemeal—or missing entirely? Todd explains how joint accounts can unintentionally disinherit children, why a will is only a starting point, and how intestate succession laws decide who inherits when you don’t. Plus, inAsk Todd:• Can Medicaid recover against an inherited home?• What happens if you never updated a deed?• Will putting your home in an irrevocable trust cost you your real estate tax abatement?And a deeper dive into life estates—when they make sense, when they don’t, and how one small detail can cost you thousands.