An Introduction to Texas Estate Law in the Absence of a Valid Will

Shaun Hayes is a Fort Worth, Texas resident and wealth manager at McElhenny Sheffield Capital Management in Dallas, Texas. He previously spent time as a senior financial advisor with Merrill Lynch in Fort Worth. Over the course of his career, Shaun Hayes has gained experience in various areas of wealth management and financial advising, including retirement and estate planning.

The state of Texas has a number of laws designed to address the distribution of property that has not been named in the property owner’s estate plan, or for cases that involve no valid will at all. For example, community property is transferred entirely to a spouse if the will does not outline distribution preferences, regardless of how many children the couple may have. On the other hand, a surviving spouse will need to split community property with any children from a previous marriage in the absence of an estate plan.

Separate property (property owned by just one spouse) is treated differently for individuals lacking a valid will. Children receive two thirds of separate property, while spouses claim one third. It should be noted that a person who divorces a spouse and then dies without altering their estate plan will leave no property or assets to their former spouse. To maintain the same standards of a will following a divorce, property owners will need to redraft their estate plan.

With these and other structures in mind, individuals are advised to draft a valid will with the help of a legal professional experienced in matters of estate planning. With a valid will in place, the state’s inheritance laws will only apply to property and assets that have not been named in the estate plan.

3 Safety Tips to Prevent Snake Bites in the Wild

Formerly a resident of Fort Worth, Texas, Shaun Hayes is a wealth manager who first began his career in finance as a consultant for AXA Advisors, LLC, where he earned recognition as a top 3 producer in the country. In his free time, Shaun Hayes is a herpetology enthusiast who documents his experiences capturing snakes to share with his audience of 23,000 Instagram followers.

People who are unfamiliar with the species often mistakenly believe that snakes are malicious and intentionally seek to hurt humans when they bite. In reality, snakes prefer not to interact with humans and only bite in self-defense or when determining whether or not something is food. The following three tips can help people avoid being bit when exploring areas where snakes are often found:

1. Avoid walking through areas with tall grasses and dense bush. Snakes like to hide in this type of foliage to keep themselves safe from the detection of predators, especially large birds like falcons and hawks.

2. Don’t put your hands into crevices, under logs, or anywhere that you can’t see. Reaching into small, concealed areas without checking may result in a bite from a startled snake who has chosen to hide there.

3. Never provoke a wild snake. A majority of bites in the wild occur when people without any experience in handling snakes attempt to capture or harass them. Most snakes are conflict avoidant and will leave people alone when they themselves are left alone.