San Antonio, Texas · Serving Bexar & Contiguous Counties
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O ORTMAN LAW FIRM PLLC · Family & Probate
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Wills & Estate Planning

Decide today, so they don't have to later.

A clear estate plan is the most considerate thing you can leave your family — a set of decisions made calmly, in advance, so the people you love are never left guessing in a moment of grief. Ortman Law Firm helps San Antonio families put the right documents in place, and keeps them current as life changes.

Schedule a Consultation → Explore our planning services
Why plan

Estate planning isn't about death. It's about sparing your family confusion, conflict, and cost when they can least afford any of the three.

Most of the hardest probate and guardianship disputes we see trace back to the same root: a plan that was never made, or one that was never updated. A will written before a divorce. A power of attorney that named someone who's no longer in the picture. Beneficiary forms that quietly overrode the will entirely.

Planning is where our two practices meet most naturally. Because we handle probate and guardianship, we know exactly how an estate plan is tested when it finally matters — and we draft yours to hold up. And because we practice family law, we keep your plan aligned with your family as it actually is, not as it was years ago.

01

Wills & Testaments

A valid Texas will lets you choose who inherits, who serves as executor, and — if you have minor children — who raises them. We draft clear, enforceable wills designed for efficient independent administration, so your estate isn't tied up in court longer than it needs to be.

Last will & testament
Independent executor designation
Specific bequests & residuary gifts
Guardian nominations for minors
Self‑proving affidavits
Will updates & codicils
↔ Looks ahead to probate: a will drafted with administration in mind is a gift to your executor. We build yours to move through Bexar County probate cleanly — the same process we'll guide your family through.
02

Powers of Attorney

Planning isn't only about death — it's about the years when you may be alive but unable to act for yourself. A durable power of attorney names someone to manage your finances and affairs if you can't, and is one of the single most effective ways to avoid a guardianship proceeding.

Durable (financial) power of attorney
Medical power of attorney
Springing & immediate powers
Limited & special powers
Agent & successor‑agent selection
Revocation of prior powers
↔ Looks ahead to guardianship: a properly drafted power of attorney can make a court guardianship unnecessary. When one isn't in place, we're also the firm that handles the guardianship that follows.
03

Medical Directives

Advance directives speak for you when you cannot — sparing your family the burden of guessing at your wishes during a medical crisis. We prepare the documents Texas recognizes so your care reflects your values and your family has clear authority to act.

Advance directive (living will)
Directive to physicians
HIPAA authorizations
Declaration of guardian in advance
Disposition of remains
Out‑of‑hospital DNR guidance
04

Trusts

A trust isn't for everyone — but for the right situation it's invaluable. We counsel families honestly on whether a trust serves their goals, and draft it to fit: planning for minor children, blended families, a loved one with special needs, or privacy and incapacity.

Revocable living trusts
Testamentary trusts for minors
Special‑needs trusts
Blended‑family planning
Trustee & successor selection
Funding & asset coordination
05

Beneficiary & Transfer‑on‑Death Planning

Some of the most important parts of your estate never pass through your will at all. Retirement accounts, life insurance, and payable‑on‑death assets go to whoever is named on the form. We make sure those designations agree with your plan — not contradict it.

Beneficiary‑designation review
Transfer‑on‑death deeds
Payable‑on‑death accounts
Retirement & insurance coordination
Post‑divorce beneficiary updates
Homestead & real‑property transfer
↔ Connects to family law: after a divorce, an old beneficiary form can hand your assets to a former spouse no matter what your will says. We update these the moment your family changes.
06

Guardianship Designations

If you have minor children — or an adult dependent — naming a guardian in advance is among the most consequential decisions in your plan. We help you designate guardians for your children and, separately, declare your own preferred guardian should you ever need one.

Guardian nominations for minors
Declaration of guardian for yourself
Successor‑guardian designations
Management of a minor's inheritance
Coordination with custody orders
Disqualification of a named person
07

Plan Reviews & Updates

An estate plan is a living thing. The plan that fit you a decade ago may now name the wrong people, miss new assets, or conflict with a court order. We review existing plans — wherever they were drafted — and bring them back into line with your life today.

Full estate‑plan review
Post‑marriage & post‑divorce updates
New‑child & new‑grandchild updates
Executor & agent changes
Asset & relocation updates
Revocation of outdated documents
The connection

A plan made by the people who'll carry it out.

Most estate plans are drafted by one firm and tested, years later, by another. Ours aren't. The same attorney who writes your will and powers of attorney is the one who would guide your family through probate or guardianship if the day comes — so your plan is built from the start to do its real job.

See how probate works →
A
You plan aheadA will, powers of attorney, and directives capture your wishes while life is calm.
B
Life keeps movingMarriage, children, divorce, and new assets change what your plan should say.
C
We keep it readyOne firm updates the plan as you go — and stands with your family when it's finally needed.
Estate planning questions

What families ask before they plan.

What happens if I die without a will in Texas?
Your estate passes under the Texas laws of intestate succession — a statutory formula that divides property among your heirs whether or not it reflects your wishes. The process often requires a court determination of heirship, which is slower and costlier than probating a valid will. A will lets you choose your beneficiaries, your executor, and the guardians for your children.
Do I need a trust, or is a will enough?
For many Texas families a well‑drafted will plus powers of attorney is sufficient, because Texas independent administration makes probate relatively efficient. Trusts earn their place for specific goals — minor children, blended families, incapacity, privacy, or property in multiple states. We recommend only what your situation actually calls for, and we'll tell you plainly when a simpler plan is the right one.
What documents make up a basic Texas estate plan?
A core plan usually includes a last will and testament, a durable power of attorney for finances, a medical power of attorney, an advance directive (living will), and a HIPAA authorization. Families with minor children also name guardians, and some add a trust or transfer‑on‑death and beneficiary designations.
How often should I update my estate plan?
Review your plan after any major life event — marriage, divorce, a birth or adoption, a death in the family, a significant change in assets, or a move to or from Texas — and otherwise every three to five years. Because we also practice family law, we revisit your plan whenever a family matter changes your circumstances.
Can you fix a will that was drafted somewhere else?
Yes. We routinely review estate plans drafted by other firms or assembled from online forms, identify where they've fallen out of step with your life or Texas law, and update or rebuild them as needed. Bring what you have to a consultation and we'll tell you where you stand.
Begin here

Put the right plan in place — once.

A single conversation is enough to know where you stand and what your family needs. We'll keep it plain, practical, and free of pressure.

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Call directly: (210) 361‑2425