When a Fixed-Fee Trust Plan Is Not Enough

When to go with a LONE STAR ★ COUNSEL advisory engagement

→You own an operating business, professional practice, or private-company interest
→You are a physician, executive, real-estate investor, or other high-liability professional
→You have rental portfolios or multi-state real property
→You need business succession, buy-sell integration, or entity restructuring
→You are approaching or above the federal estate-tax exemption (for 2026, $15M individual / up to $30M couple through portability)
→You want asset-protection planning beyond Texas homestead + retirement protections
→You have charitable planning needs (CLT, CRT, DAF integration)
→You have a special-needs beneficiary or a first-party SNT scenario
→You are in a blended-family or second-marriage situation with residuary tension
→You need ongoing counsel through changing family, tax, or business circumstances

Why we route these matters out

A productized flat fee only makes sense when the scope is genuinely predictable. The moment a matter requires bespoke drafting, ongoing coordination, or tax-sensitive design, a flat fee stops serving you — it either shortchanges the work or overcharges the client. Under Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct 1.02(b), we scope every engagement in writing, and matters that exceed the TexasEstates productized scope are referred internally to a full LONE STAR ★ COUNSEL advisory engagement.

What a LONE STAR ★ COUNSEL advisory engagement includes

→Direct attorney involvement throughout — not paralegal-driven
→Integrated estate + business + tax planning
→Advanced trust design (dynasty, GST, ILIT, SLAT, CRT, CLT, IDGT)
→Buy-sell and succession coordination with existing operating agreements
→Optional ongoing counsel through the Prestige Protection Plan
→Individually scoped fee — sometimes hourly, sometimes flat, always defined in writing

Common questions

How do I know if I fall into the advisory category?

If any of the fit items above sound like you, talk to a LONE STAR ★ COUNSEL advisory attorney first — a 20-minute consultation costs nothing and will get you to the right service level. Most callers land back on TexasEstates.com for a right-sized plan; some need the advisory engagement. Either way you get honest guidance.

Do you refer these matters to outside attorneys?

No. Both TexasEstates.com and the LONE STAR ★ COUNSEL advisory practice are engagements of Pratt Law Group, PLLC. When your matter exceeds the TexasEstates scope, we refer internally — same firm, same responsible attorney (Darryl V. Pratt), different engagement letter.

What does an advisory engagement cost?

It depends on scope, and it is always defined in writing before we start. Advisory fees typically range from a low-four-figure flat fee for a discrete matter (e.g., a targeted amendment) to five-figure flat fees for comprehensive business + estate integration. A short consultation is the fastest way to get a real number for your situation.