For Texas homeowners
The Estate Planning Law Firm for North Texas families
Keep your home. Keep control. Skip probate.
The Lady Bird Trust keeps your home in your hands for the rest of your life, passes it to your family without court, and puts one person you trust in charge of your instructions when you are gone. Attorney Cole F. Watson designs it, drafts every page, and his office handles the signing and recording.
90 minutes, by phone or at the office in Iowa Park. $500, paid when you book. Prefer to call? (940) 264-3041.
How it works
Book your Design Meeting
Pick a time that works for you. Megan, the firm’s administrative assistant, spends the first 30 minutes gathering your family and property information. Then you have an hour with Cole.
Cole designs your plan
He learns your family, your property, and what worries you, then designs your Lady Bird Trust: the trust, the Lady Bird Deed, the will, the powers of attorney, and the medical directive, drafted to work as one plan.
Sign and record
Cole walks you through every page. His office handles the signing and records your deed with the county.
What families say about working with Cole
In their own words.
“Attorney Watson and his wonderful staff together has made my estate planning secure. No longer will I be concerned about Medicaid or Probate because it will not happen to my family and my home will be secure in their hands and no one else. Thank you so much Watson Law Firm!!”
“I had a great experience discussing estate planning with Watson Law. They did an excellent job explaining how proper planning can make things much easier for families and help avoid probate whenever possible. … It’s reassuring to work with a firm that takes the time to educate clients and make estate planning feel manageable instead of overwhelming.”
“Cole Watson helped my husband and me put in place all our legal documents to make things easier for our future, and the future of our loved ones. He walked us through the preparation of our wills, advanced directives, and medical and durable powers of attorney. … We have great peace of mind going forward!”
“Incredibly professional and prompt service. Call for a consultation. We had a question and ended up saving THOUSANDS of dollars by doing it right the first time!!!”
Where a deed alone leaves gaps
A Lady Bird Deed gets the house to the people you named. On its own, it leaves your family exposed when life does not go as expected:
- Someone you named dies before you
- A grandchild or child under 18 inherits
- Your children cannot agree on whether to sell
- A child faces creditors, bankruptcy, or divorce
- You own more than the house
The Lady Bird Trust closes them
You still sign a Lady Bird Deed and keep full control of your home. The deed names your own revocable trust, and the trust holds your written instructions: backups, protection for a child, one person in charge after you are gone, and a plan for everything you own.
The deed says who. The trust says how.
Book your Design MeetingNot ready to meet yet?
Start by learning how it works. When you are ready, the next step is the same.
How a Lady Bird Deed works
The four ways a Texas home passes at death, what the deed keeps for you, and how the Lady Bird Trust finishes the job.
Read how it worksA Texas Guide to Lady Bird Deeds
Cole’s short book on keeping your home out of probate, written for Texas families. $20 paperback.
Get the guideOr browse Cole’s articles on probate, powers of attorney, and title problems.
Invite Cole to speak
Cole has taught Lady Bird Deeds to thousands of Texans. Bring a plain-English talk on keeping your home and skipping probate to your organization.
Parents of young children
A deed decides who gets the house. It cannot name who raises your kids. 1274 Wills is a guided Texas will for parents that names a guardian and sets up a trust for your children.