Succession Planning Attorney Fort Worth

Protect Your Business, Your Family, & Your Legacy

When you have built a business or family wealth over many years, you want to know it will be protected and handled the right way when you step back. A clear plan created with a trusted succession planning attorney gives your family and your team guidance instead of confusion.

At Crain & Wooley, we help business owners throughout the Dallas–Fort Worth area align their companies with their broader estate planning goals. By coordinating business interests with personal planning, we work to ensure that ownership, management, and long-term intentions all function together rather than in conflict.

To discuss business succession planning, call  (972) 945-1610 or contact our office to schedule a consultation.

Whether you are preparing for retirement, planning for potential incapacity, or simply being proactive, we guide you through each decision using clear, practical explanations. Our goal is to help you establish a succession plan that reflects your values and can be followed by your family, partners, and employees when it matters most.

Why Succession Planning Matters

Many owners put succession planning off because the business feels too busy today. The real risk is that life does not always follow your schedule. Without clear instructions, families can end up in court, business partners may disagree about control, and employees can leave in the middle of uncertainty.

A thoughtful plan looks at who should own the business, who should manage it, and how those people will be chosen and supported. We connect these decisions with your will, trusts, and powers of attorney so that your instructions are consistent. This helps reduce the chance of conflict and surprises later.

For families in and around Fort Worth, succession planning can be especially important where the business is closely held, multi-generational, or tied to real estate. When we design a plan, we consider Texas property rules and probate procedures so your decisions have a practical path to follow when the time comes.

How Our Succession Planning Works

Our process is designed to be structured and manageable, even for busy owners. From the first meeting, we work to understand your family relationships, business structure, and long-term goals. Then we design a coordinated plan that fits your situation instead of forcing you into a template.

During the process, we help identify successors, clarify management roles, and structure ownership transfers over time. We also consider tax implications and fairness between family members who are active in the business and those who are not. In many cases, succession planning also intersects with retirement planning and long-term financial goals.

Our planning work is handled on a flat-rate basis whenever possible, with a clear explanation of what is included. If a matter later becomes reactive or moves into litigation, we explain when hourly billing may apply. This transparent structure helps you budget without worrying about open-ended legal fees.

After your documents are signed, our relationship does not have to end. With our lifetime guarantee option, many clients choose to have their documents automatically reviewed and updated as laws or life events change. This way, your succession plan can stay aligned with your current reality, not the circumstances of years ago.

When you work with our team, you can expect a clear, step-by-step process:

• Initial conversation to understand your goals, family dynamics, and business structure.
• Review of existing wills, trusts, operating agreements, and other key documents.
• Design of ownership and management succession options for you to consider.
• Drafting and signing of coordinated estate and business planning documents.
• Optional enrollment in our lifetime update program to help keep your plan current.

Throughout this process, you work directly with our attorneys, not a call center or automated system. We explain the legal pieces in everyday language and answer questions until you feel comfortable with each decision.

Why Choose Crain & Wooley

Succession planning is not just a stack of legal documents. It is a series of conversations about your family, your values, and the business you worked so hard to build. At Crain & Wooley, our primary focus is estate planning and related fields. We devote our practice to wills, trusts, probate, business succession, long-term care, Medicaid planning, and tax strategies.

One reason clients choose us is our flat-rate pricing for proactive planning. You know the cost of your plan up front, and we clearly outline what is included. This removes the fear of calling with questions and finding a surprise invoice later. When additional work might require hourly billing, we explain that before you decide to move forward.

We also put education first. Our firm regularly hosts free seminars, produces guides and videos, and takes time in each meeting to walk through your plan section by section. We want you to understand how your business interests pass, how your trustees and agents will act, and how your family will work with the plan when it is needed.

Our team belongs to organizations such as Texas Bar College, ElderCounsel, and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. These affiliations reflect a sustained commitment to estate and elder law topics that directly affect planning for your business and personal estate. When questions involve Medicaid, long-term care, or Texas-specific elder law issues, we have training and resources to address them in context.

Another key difference is our approach to communication. We have built our systems around being responsive, and we back that with a clear money-back guarantee tied to our responsiveness on important matters. When you have questions about your plan, you should not be left waiting for weeks.

Succession Planning For Fort Worth Families

Many of our clients in the Fort Worth area own family businesses, professional practices, or real estate companies that are closely held. Some have children in the business, others have children who live elsewhere and have different careers. Our job is to help you sort through these realities and design a plan that feels fair and workable.

We often work with clients whose companies are organized as Texas limited liability companies, partnerships, or corporations. In these situations, we coordinate company agreements, buy-sell terms, and transfer provisions with your personal estate planning. This helps reduce the risk of conflict between surviving owners and heirs after an owner passes away or becomes incapacitated.

We also consider how Texas probate courts and Texas property rules may apply to your estate and business interests. For example, we look at how community property rules might affect ownership and how your instructions can be carried out through wills, trusts, and powers of attorney. By designing your plan with these factors in mind, we work to make the eventual transition smoother for your family and your advisors.

Some families need to plan for additional factors, such as a family member with special needs, a blended family, or an owner who may require long-term care in the future. Because our firm also helps clients with long-term care and Medicaid planning, we can discuss how those issues intersect with your business and personal estate decisions so your succession plan does not accidentally disrupt broader protection goals.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does succession planning cost with your firm?

We handle proactive succession planning on a flat-rate basis whenever possible. Before you commit, we explain the fee and what is included, such as meetings, design, and document drafting. If additional work might require hourly billing, we discuss that clearly so you can make an informed choice.

How long does a typical succession plan take to complete?

Many plans can be designed and signed within a few weeks, although timing depends on complexity and how quickly information is provided. We outline a target timeline at the start, keep you updated on progress, and schedule meetings in blocks to respect your business and family schedule.

Do you help coordinate my business and personal estate plans?

Yes. We look at your business documents and your personal estate planning together. Our goal is to align ownership transfers, management roles, and inheritance instructions so they support each other. This integrated approach can reduce conflict and make it easier for your family and advisors to follow your wishes.

What if my family or business changes after we sign?

Life and business rarely stay the same. With our lifetime guarantee option, many clients choose to have their documents reviewed and updated as laws or circumstances change. Even without that program, you can always meet with us in the future to discuss adjustments when major life events occur.

Can we meet virtually if I am busy or not in Dallas?

Yes. We regularly meet with clients by secure video and phone, in addition to in-person meetings. We work with individuals and families across Dallas Fort Worth, including Fort Worth clients who prefer by-appointment visits or remote conversations. Our goal is to make planning accessible, even with a full schedule.

Talk With Our Team

A well-constructed succession plan gives your family, partners, and employees a clear roadmap instead of hard decisions in a crisis. When you work with our team at Crain & Wooley, you receive thoughtful guidance, flat-rate planning, and access to ongoing updates that can help your plan keep pace with life.

We meet with clients throughout the Dallas Fort Worth region, including by appointment in Fort Worth, and we offer both in-person and virtual consultations. If you are ready to start the conversation about your business and legacy, we are ready to walk through the options with you in plain language.

Call (972) 945-1610 to schedule your consultation with our team.