Estate planning attorney · Aledo, Texas · Parker & Tarrant Counties
Your family shouldn’t have to guess.
Living trusts and wills for Texas families — built around your people and your goals, not a stack of forms. We start with what you want to happen, and work backwards to the documents that get you there.
I do this work because my own family had to guess →
A short call, no charge — about your family, not a free legal consultation. Flat fees. A video walkthrough of your own documents. A plan printed and bound so your family can actually use it.
Start where you are
Most people come to us in one of three moments.
You don’t need to know what documents you want. You need to know what you’re worried about. Pick the one that sounds like your house right now — we’ll work backwards from there. Business owners, blended families, and adult children helping a parent get organized — we handle all of it. These three are just where most people start.
“We have young kids and nothing in writing.”
The decision that matters most to you isn’t about money. It’s who raises your children — including who takes them tonight, before anyone can reach the courthouse.
- Short-term and long-term guardians
- Keeping a lump sum out of an 18-year-old’s hands
- Life insurance that pays the right way
“I want to make things easier for my family.”
You want clear instructions in place — for your care, for your home, and for the people who’ll be handling things when you can’t. You’ve watched another family spend a year on the phone with banks, and you have no intention of leaving yours that job.
- A complete will-based plan when it fits your family
- Powers of attorney signed while it’s simple
- Your homestead passed without probate
“We have a plan, but it’s old.”
You did this once — maybe before the second kid, maybe before the business, maybe in another state. The question isn’t whether you have documents. It’s whether they still say what you’d say today.
- Guardians who are still the right guardians
- Beneficiary forms that quietly override the will
- Property and accounts that never got moved
Why I do this work
Shortly after I became a father, I lost my dad.
Before I practiced estate planning I spent about a decade in litigation, then built and sold two companies. I thought I understood how families come apart under pressure. I didn’t, not really, until it was my family sorting through my dad’s paperwork.
What he left was a two-page will he’d signed decades earlier. He was not careless. He was a good man who believed he had handled it. Everything that came after — the delays, the guessing, the conversations my mother should never have had to have — came out of that gap.
So that’s the standard I hold the work to. Not “did we produce the documents,” but “will this actually work when my family needs it to.” Those are different questions, and only one of them is worth paying for.
That’s the reason this firm exists, and it’s the only promise on this whole website that matters: the people you love should never have to guess what you would have wanted.
I’m also, for whatever it’s worth, our own ideal client. Wife, kids, a mortgage, a lawn I mow myself and a truck I wash myself. Everything I think about on your behalf, I’ve already had to think about on mine.
You’ll find me on the sidelines cheering my daughter on, Sunday mornings at church, the gym most weekday mornings, and mowing my own lawn on Saturday.
Aledo, Texas
My office. Occasionally under new management.
How we work
Four things that change how this feels.
None of them are exotic. They’re just what it takes to hand you something that works instead of something that exists.
We start with your goals, not a document list
The first conversation has nothing to do with wills or trusts. It’s fifteen or twenty minutes about your family, what you want to happen, and what worries you. Then we work backwards into what you actually need — which is sometimes less than you expected.
You see your own documents explained on video
A finished plan can run past two hundred pages, and nobody should have to decode that alone. So you get a screen-recorded walkthrough of your documents in my voice — what each one does, why the language is there, and what you should be looking at. It’s yours to keep and rewatch.
You leave with something usable, not a PDF
Professionally printed, bound and tabbed, opening with a one-page map of your whole plan. Built so someone who has never seen it before can pick it up and know exactly what to do.
Everyone with a job in your plan hears from us
We write to every person you’ve named — guardian, executor, trustee, agent — so they know the role exists, roughly what it means, and to come talk to you. No one should learn they’re your executor from a lawyer they’ve never met.
Will vs. trust
Nearly everyone ends up on one of two plans.
The difference isn’t how many documents you get — both plans run to a dozen or two dozen, because that’s what it takes to make one work. The difference is how much control you keep, and whether your family goes through the courthouse.
The will-based plan
A complete plan, not a lesser one. Right when your assets are straightforward, the homestead can pass by Lady Bird deed, and you don’t need to control the timing of what your children receive.
What it does
- Names your executor and your children’s guardians
- Passes your homestead outside probate with a Lady Bird deed
- Sets up independent administration, so your executor isn’t asking a judge for permission at every step
- Covers incapacity — financial and medical powers of attorney, HIPAA, directive to physicians
The trade-off
A straightforward will still goes through probate, and on its own it generally hands children their inheritance outright at 18. For a lot of families that’s perfectly fine. When it isn’t — timing, privacy, or what happens if you’re incapacitated — that’s when a trust earns the extra work.
Plus roughly a dozen supporting documents that make it function.
The trust-based plan
Right when you want control over timing, privacy, minor children, blended families, property in more than one state, or a business interest that can’t sit in probate.
What it adds
- Everything in the will-based plan, plus a revocable living trust
- Assets titled into the trust skip probate, and the terms stay private
- It works the day you’re incapacitated, not just the day you die
- Distributions staged the way you’d have done it yourself
A staging pattern families often choose
Alongside that, one-time distributions for the milestones you would have funded yourself — college, a wedding or honeymoon, a down payment on a first house.
Plus up to two dozen supporting documents. A trust has to be coordinated with how your accounts are owned and who they’re payable to — which is why we talk about that part honestly, below.
Side by side
| The question | Will-based | Trust-based |
|---|---|---|
| Does it avoid probate? | No — the will is what probate administers. Texas independent administration makes that far simpler than most states, but it’s still a court process. | Assets titled into the trust, yes. Anything left in your own name without another transfer arrangement may still need probate. |
| Is it private? | No. A will is filed with the county and anyone can read it. | The trust itself generally isn’t filed for probate. Anything left outside of it still can be. |
| When do the children inherit? | Outright at 18, unless the will says otherwise. | Under the terms you choose — staged distributions, plus support along the way for things like college. |
| If you’re incapacitated? | A will does nothing while you’re alive. Your powers of attorney carry all of it. | Your successor trustee manages trust assets under the trust’s terms; your powers of attorney handle the rest. Together they can head off a guardianship. |
| Property in another state? | Out-of-state real estate may need a separate probate in that state. | Handled by the trust — if that property is titled into it. |
| How much upkeep? | Very little once it’s signed — though any plan is worth a look when your family or your assets change. | Real. Ownership and beneficiary designations have to be coordinated with it. We handle the homestead deed and walk you through the rest. |
| Documents in the plan? | Roughly a dozen | Up to two dozen |
Comparing a straightforward will-based plan with a trust-based plan. There are ways to add distribution controls inside a will — we cover that in the questions below.
Neither column is the right answer for everybody. A trust is the wrong tool for plenty of families, and an unfunded trust is worse than a good will — so if that’s where you are, I’ll say so.
Which one you need is what the first call is for. If a will is enough and a trust would be overkill, I’ll tell you that.
Our process
Seven steps, and you always know which one you’re on.
Every step ends with something in your hands. Nothing sits in a black box for weeks while you wonder whether it’s moving.
The intro call15–20 minutes · no charge · phone or Zoom
I get to know you. What your family looks like, what you want to happen, what keeps coming back to you at two in the morning. This isn’t a legal consultation and I’m not giving advice on it — we’re both finding out whether this is a good fit.
The secure client portalAt your own pace
We send a link. You fill in your family, your loved ones, your finances, your key people, and the dynamics that matter. I read all of it in detail and write down my questions before we ever sit down together.
The planning meetingA true working meeting
My assistant schedules it once I’ve been through your file. This isn’t a presentation — we build the outline of your plan together, in the room, against the goals and concerns you raised on that first call. However it ends, the outline is yours to keep, even if you decide to take it somewhere else.
The outlineA few days later
You get a written outline of your plan so you and I are provably on the same page. Anything I still need from you is highlighted in yellow. When you send it back, that’s my green light to draft.
Drafts, plus a video walkthroughYours to keep
Your finished drafts arrive with a screen recording: your documents on my screen, my voice explaining each one — what it is, the parts that matter, the statutory requirements, and how it gets signed. Two hundred pages becomes something you can follow in one sitting, and it’s still there in five years when you can’t remember why your successor trustee is named the way it is.
Printing and bindingAfter your thumbs-up
Once you tell me it’s right, everything goes out to be professionally printed, tabbed and bound. It comes back as an object your family can find on a shelf, not a file on a laptop nobody can unlock.
The signing ceremonyAt the office · about an hour
We provide the notary and the witnesses. You sign, and you leave with the binder in your hands. For clients too far out to travel, we arrange a mobile notary who brings the witnesses to you.
And then, every three years
Families change. So do assets, and so does the law. We sit down with you every three years — in the office or on Zoom — to walk through what’s different. That review meeting is free, and it’s written into our engagement agreement. If something needs to change, we’ll quote that work separately.
Straight talk about funding. We prepare and record the deed moving your homestead into the trust when that’s the right call, and letters go out to everyone you’ve named in a role. For the rest, we walk you through what should be owned how, and which beneficiary designations need to line up with the plan — retirement accounts usually stay in your own name, with the designation doing the work. You make those changes with your bank and your advisor; we tell you exactly what to ask for, rather than leaving you to guess whether it got done.
The deliverable
A plan your family can run without you.
The documents are the raw material, not the product. What you’re actually buying is this: on the day it matters, the people you love open one thing, and it tells them what to do. It starts with a single page.
Scroll the page sideways to see all of it →
- A one-page map of the whole planThe page above. Your entire plan as a single flowchart, with each branch keyed to the exact article of your will or trust that governs it. A person who has never seen it can understand the shape of it in ninety seconds.
- Plain-English instructions for every documentBehind a tabbed index: what each one is, what it does, when to use it, and how. Written for your spouse, your executor and your kids — not for another attorney.
- Your signed originals, in orderProfessionally printed and bound, in a book that opens flat on a kitchen table and doesn’t need a password.
- Room for everything else they’ll needBecause when the day comes, your family won’t only be looking for legal documents. They’ll be hunting for all of this too — so there’s a labeled place for it already waiting.Tax returnsBank accountsInvestment accounts Insurance policiesDeedsTitlesFamily heirlooms
None of that is the plan, exactly. The plan is that when your family needs answers, nobody has to guess, argue, or go hunting. This is just where we keep it.
In their words
What clients say when it’s over.
We are so impressed by Jeremy Cleverly and The Cleverly Law Firm for handling our Estate Planning. From day one, when we first inquired about setting up our Revocable Trust and Will, Jeremy was so easy to talk to and extremely knowledgeable.GT BoydGoogle review
Working with Jeremy Cleverly was an excellent experience from start to finish. Estate planning can feel overwhelming, but he made the entire process clear, organized, and stress-free.Dorenda LohmerGoogle review
My husband and I recently used Jeremy to set up an estate plan for our family. We could not have been more pleased with our experience! He made the entire process very easy to understand.Jacquie HuntGoogle review
It was such a pleasure working with Jeremy Cleverly to put together the will for my elderly mother. He answered all of our questions and made the process so simple and easy!Belinda SealesGoogle review
Jeremy was wonderful to work with! His process made it so easy, and we appreciated how he explained everything to us in a way that simplified a complex process. He is extremely organized and very responsive as well.Paige RiceGoogle review
Jeremy and his staff are wonderful to work with on estate planning. Kind, patient, and willing to answer all questions we had. I feel confident knowing he is behind us for our estate plans and needs.KendaGoogle review
Cleverly Law Firm is hands down the only place to go. This being said by me, someone who was married to a successful attorney, whose uncle is a District Attorney and whose niece is an estate attorney as well.Dede JacobyGoogle review
We are incredibly grateful to have been referred to Jeremy and his team. The idea of estate planning felt overwhelming to our family, but Jeremy made it simple and straightforward.Misty YoungGoogle review
We cannot recommend his estate planning services highly enough. From start to finish, Jeremy was the epitome of professionalism.Debra and Scott S.Google review
We recently worked with Jeremy during a difficult transition. I just cannot say how kind, caring and supportive he and his staff have been.P.G.S.Google review
Read first, hire later
The Aging Parent Playbook, and other things worth knowing.
Everything below is free, and none of it requires talking to us. That’s deliberate.
The Aging Parent Playbook
What to do in the first 48 hours, who to call and in what order, and the paperwork you’ll wish you had.
Get the playbook ArticleWhy the university won’t talk to you about your own child
At 18 they’re a legal adult. What that changes, and the two pages that fix it before move-in day.
Read ArticleSharing the load: preventing sibling conflict before it starts
Most estate fights aren’t about money. They’re about who was told what, and when.
Read ArticleThe other inventory: stories, heirlooms and photographs
The items families argue hardest over are rarely the valuable ones. How to handle them on purpose.
ReadQuestions we get
The things people actually ask on the first call.
Short answers, Texas-specific, no hedging. If yours isn’t here, ask it on the call.
What’s the real difference between a will and a living trust in Texas?
Do we need a trust, or is a will enough?
Can a will control when our children inherit?
Who should we name as guardian for our minor children?
What happens if we have a trust but never fund it?
What about IRAs and 401(k)s — do those go in the trust?
Will putting our home in the trust affect our homestead exemption?
Do you work with our financial advisor and CPA?
What’s actually included in a completed plan?
How long does the whole process take?
What does the first call cost, and what happens after?
Where we work
Aledo is home. Texas is the practice.
Our office sits on FM 1187 in Aledo, and most of our clients live within twenty minutes of it. Meet with us here or by video from anywhere in Texas. Signings happen at the office with the notary and witnesses waiting — and for clients who can’t travel, we arrange a mobile signing instead. We’ve built plans for families in Houston, Austin and deep East Texas who never had to make the drive.
Parker County, western Tarrant County — and clients across Texas.
Next step
Let’s find out if we’re a good fit.
Book a short call with me — no charge, and no obligation on either side. Bring your questions and your worries. You don’t need to know a single thing about wills or trusts before we talk.
What this call is — and isn’t
- You tell me about your family and what’s worrying you
- I ask about your goals, and what you want to happen
- We work backwards toward a will-based or trust-based plan
- It’s not a legal consultation, and I won’t be advising you on it
- If we’re not the right fit — or you don’t need us yet — I’ll tell you
Would you rather write it out?
Not everyone wants to get on the phone before they know what this is. Tell us what’s going on and we’ll get back to you — usually the same business day.
Sending this doesn’t create an attorney–client relationship, and please don’t include confidential details yet.
About Me
Jeremy Cleverly is an estate planning attorney who helps families put thoughtful plans in place for the people they love most.
His work focuses on helping parents protect minor children, prepare young adults for greater independence, and assist families navigating the legal and practical concerns that come with aging parents. He also helps individuals and couples create clear plans for incapacity, inheritance, family responsibilities and the transfer of assets.
With more than two decades of legal experience, Jeremy takes a practical, personal approach to estate planning. He begins with the family, the goals and the concerns—not the documents—then builds a plan designed to provide clarity, reduce conflict and protect what matters most.
Outside the firm, Jeremy serves on the executive board of the Aledo Education Foundation, on the board of Big Country Veterans, and on the finance committee at Aledo United Methodist Church.
He is a past President of the Ellis County Bar Association and has served on the board of the Stephen F. Austin State University Alumni Association. He has taught business law as an adjunct professor, judged business pitch competitions and guest lectured at Stephen F. Austin State University, and speaks about estate planning on podcasts and video interviews. He is a former member of Cowtown Angels, the Fort Worth angel investment network.
Before and alongside his legal practice, Jeremy founded and led Bumps and Bruises Pediatric Urgent Care, which he scaled and sold to a private equity-backed buyer. He later acquired a commercial landscaping company, rebranded it, built out its systems and processes, and sold it as well, and has helped run a third company through a venture-backed incubator. Business owners tend to find their way to him for that reason: when the conversation turns to succession, he has been on the other side of it.
