17 Yr Old Texas Male Needs Help - Dying Father

[annamc]

He will be a senior next year at a very prestigious magnet school - honor roll, President's Council - a great kid! His father is in the end stages of liver failure due to Hep C and has approximately two weeks to live. His parents divorced 10 yrs ago and his mother hasn't spoken to him since. He has an older sister (22 - college graduate) with an incredible amount of debt who's making noises about all the money she'll have control over and a ne'r-do-well older brother who he has no contact with. No immediate family that he's comfortable with. How can his father structure his estate so that the mother and older siblings don't get custody of him or the assets? Is this even possible? Will he have to have a guardian? He turns 18 in late July - but the Dr's don't think his father will make it until then.

His father has repeated told him that he won't need a lawyer to handle everything. I've told him his father is nuts (but not in those words) and that a lawyer is absolutely necessary even in a best case scenario. Another question is -- Family Lawyer or Estate Lawyer?

Quick responses appreciated! Thanks. I also posted this in the Family Law forum but haven't received any responses.

Anna

 

[loku]

Transfer to son only?

How to best transfer the property to the son, depends on what kind of property there is, and how much it is worth. Usually, there is a will; often there is a trust; often property is put into joint tenancy with the right of survivorship. But if there is a significant amount of property, in this situation, I very much recommend he hire a lawyer. Use a lawyer specializing in Estate Planning or on specializing in Will, Trusts, Probate.