Estate Planning Mistakes That Can Cost Your Family: Expert Insights

Episode 87 of the Rock Solid: Round Rock Business Leaders Podcast, titled "Jeff Barnett | Estate Planning Mistakes That Can Cost Your Family," hosted by Bryan Eisenberg, brings listeners a candid conversation with veteran Texas attorney Jeff Barnett of Barnett & Leuty. Published August 18, 2026, the episode tackles a subject most families avoid until it is too late: what actually happens when a Texan dies without a proper estate plan. With over 30 years of legal experience, Barnett breaks down the misconceptions costing families time, money, and peace of mind.

Eisenberg and Barnett walk through the practical framework families need to understand, including the five essential documents every adult should have: a will, medical power of attorney, durable power of attorney, directive to physicians, and agent for disposition of remains. They also discuss why every 18-year-old needs medical and durable powers of attorney before leaving for college, how Texas probate compares to states like California, Massachusetts, and New York, when a Lady Bird deed or Medicaid asset protection trust makes sense, and how blended families and prior marriages complicate intestate succession. Barnett is blunt about the biggest mistake he sees: do-it-yourself documents pulled from the internet or generated by AI. He compares DIY estate planning to a garage-based root canal, noting that even highly intelligent professionals miss nuances that need to be in a will in Texas. He emphasizes that Barnett & Leuty offers free consultations, ensuring clients aren't charged from the outset.

The conversation also draws on Eisenberg's work operating a home care agency alongside his wife, and their shared involvement with the Parenting Aging Parents community founded by Austin natives Kim and Mike Barnes. Barnett urges adult children to start uncomfortable conversations early: Do your parents have a will? Who drafted it? When was it last updated? Where is it stored? He warns that an early dementia diagnosis does not automatically disqualify someone from executing documents, but waiting is the single worst move. The pair also touch on Round Rock's growth, the new art center, Music on Main, and the region's role as one of the country's largest senior communities alongside Georgetown's Sun City.