Dallas Estate Planning Attorney

Last updated on October 27, 2026

Estate planning is one of the processes that people tend to put off, no matter who they are or how much they have. And that is a problem for people nearing retirement, people under 40 and anyone who has gone through a recent life change. A comprehensive estate plan provides protection for your wealth, your family and your health that you need to have in place.

Attorney Paul Manigrasso helps clients in Dallas, throughout Texas, and across the country with estate planning needs of all sizes. He applies the insight built over 30 years as a certified public accountant to the wealth protection and broader needs of your estate plan, bringing clarity to your family when they need it most.

Estate Planning Services At Manigrasso Law Firm, PLLC

When you decide that it is time to settle your estate plan, you need to work with counsel able to offer the service you need for your estate. Manigrasso Law Firm, PLLC, provides extensive services, including:

• Estate plan crafting and review: Attorney Paul Manigrasso can draft an original estate plan or review an existing one to strengthen it for your current financial situation and place in life. Writing wills and creating trusts are a regular part of this work, including firearms and special needs trusts.
• Wealth management and asset protection: Using an estate plan and the financial tools within it allow you to manage wealth and protect assets for the long-term success of your family.
• Business succession planning: Businesses have to prepare for the future as a necessity more than anything else and choosing who to lead a business into tomorrow is not an easy decision. It is even harder when there has been no succession planning.
• Probate and estate administration: When an estate must go through probate, you must have representation you both trust to pay attention to detail and with a deep understanding of the law.

Putting off your estate plan is always a risk, no matter how old you are and no matter what state your health is in; if you have people you care about, it is time to create an estate plan.

Texas Independent Administration Vs. Trusts For High Net Worth Estates

For a high net worth Texas estate, choosing between a will and a trust can shape what happens to assets during probate, after death and if you become unable to manage your affairs.

• Privacy: Texas independent administration can simplify probate, but court filings and other probate records remain part of the public process. A properly funded revocable living trust may allow many estate details to pass outside probate, providing greater privacy for families with significant assets or business interests.
• Out-of-state property: Real estate located outside Texas may require a separate probate proceeding in that state. Placing certain assets in a trust may help avoid a second probate process for property such as vacation homes or other real estate.
• Business continuity: A trust can provide a framework for managing assets if the person who owns or controls a business becomes incapacitated. Depending on the trust terms, a successor trustee may be able to step in without waiting for a court-appointed guardian to take control.

For families with substantial assets, choosing the right structure can help create a more orderly transition while addressing privacy, property and business continuity.

Texas Homestead Exemption Laws For Asset Protection And Estate Planning

A Texas homestead can be one of the most important assets in an estate plan. Its protections and tax treatment can also affect decisions about trusts, surviving spouses and inheritance.

Homestead Asset Protection

Texas law provides significant protection for a qualifying homestead from certain creditors, subject to applicable limits and exceptions. When you place a home in a revocable living trust, careful planning can help preserve available homestead protections while allowing the trust to serve its estate planning purpose.

Surviving Spouses And Blended Families

Texas law provides important protections for a surviving spouse’s right to occupy the homestead. Estate planning can help coordinate those rights with inheritance provisions for children, including children from a prior relationship.

Property Taxes And Inheritance

A qualifying homestead may receive property-tax exemptions and, in some circumstances, an appraisal cap. Certain benefits may continue for an eligible surviving spouse. Including the home and its tax treatment in an estate plan can help clarify how the family will manage the property and related benefits after death.

Considering these issues together can help families protect the home while creating a clearer plan for its future ownership and use.

Answering Your Questions About Estate Planning

Estate planning is not something you need to be ready for; it’s something that should be done as soon as possible. But if you’ve got questions about what’s ahead, attorney Paul Manigrasso can help you answer them. Many of his clients start with questions such as these listed below.

How do I structure a generation-skipping transfer (GST) trust to protect wealth for grandchildren tax-free?

To provide a tax-free wealth transfer to your grandchildren using a GST trust, you and your attorney will have to thoughtfully allocate the allowed “generation-skipping transfer” exemption. This exemption allows significant amounts per individual – or double for married couples – to be gifted to a grandchild. A strategic application of this exemption, coupled with the right growth strategy, can allow for considerable wealth transfer.

What options exist if beneficiaries disagree with a trustee’s actions or want to contest a will/trust based on undue influence or lack of capacity?

If you disagree with a trustee’s actions or seek to contest a will for any reason, the most likely path is a lawsuit in probate court, but you may also consider alternative dispute resolution (ADR). Through ADR, you and the other parties can go through mediation or some other guided ADR method to work through the difficulties and try to reach an amicable agreement to resolve the problems at hand. If ADR fails, then it may become necessary to prove your arguments in court. Probate disputes are some of the most stressful disputes in the law, but with diligent, detail-oriented representation, you may find this is the option for you.

Plan For Your Tomorrow Today

Reach out to Manigrasso Law Firm, PLLC, today to learn all your options when it comes to estate planning and probate law. You have to make sure that all you’ve built is cared for properly tomorrow, and attorney Manigrasso will help you do that. Reach out today using this online form or calling the firm at 214-310-0535 to find out exactly how the firm can help you pursue your goals.