Session 6: Estate Planning for Married Couples
Airing on Thursday, April 17th @ 1pm ET
This session is part of the InterActive Legal Academy Estate Planning Basics Series
Faculty
Course Description
Estate planning for a married couple may seem easier than planning for an umarried person, because spouses usually want their property to all pass to the survivor. However, certain family situations and the realities of how property is owned can make planning for spouses more complicated. The speakers in this session will start with a focus on property ownership, including a discussion of community property, tenancy by the entirety, and other types of jointly-owned property. We will discuss the pros and cons of having spouses create joint trusts, how to address the possibility of divorce and/or future remarriage, and whether a spouse can be disinherited. We will also briefly introduce the different tax consequences of leaving property to a spouse in different ways.
Faculty Bios
Michael L. Graham is Chairman of InterActive Legal and practices law with the Houser Firm in Dallas, Texas.
Mike has been continuously Board Certified in Estate Planning and Probate by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization for 40 years. He became a full partner at age 30 in one of the largest, most respected law firms in the US, Baker & Botts, and became a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel at age 34. MIke has served as Chair of the Texas Bar Association’s Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, the Houston Bar Association’s Probate Section, and the Dallas Bar Association’s Probate Section. Other professional contributions include Supervisory Council Member of the American Bar Association’s Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section and President of the Texas Academy of Probate and Trust Lawyers.
In his practice at the Houser Law Firm, Mike limits his current focus to matters involving business and estate planning, administration of estates and trusts, and fiduciary based litigation. He has practiced at both large, international firms and small boutique firms over the last 44 years. He received his J.D., cum laude, from Baylor School of Law (1972), and his BBA from Baylor University (1971).
Vanessa Kanaga currently serves as InterActive Legal’s Special Advisor on Estate Planning and Legal Strategy. She is the former CEO of InterActive Legal. Vanessa received her J.D. from Cornell Law School and holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Wichita State University, as well as an Advanced Professional Certificate from New York University School of Law. She is licensed in New York, Kansas, and Arizona, and currently lives in Arizona.
Prior to joining InterActive Legal in 2013, Vanessa practiced in New York, at Milbank LLP and Moses & Singer LLP, and in Kansas, at Hinkle Law Firm, LLC. She has experience in a range of estate planning matters, including high net worth tax planning and asset protection planning.
In 2024, Vanessa returned to the practice of law. She is Of Counsel at Becker and House, PLLC in Scottsdale, Arizona.