Will And Trust Attorney in McKinney , Texas
Krupa Downs Law provides will and trust legal services for individuals and families in McKinney, Texas, helping clients build clear, legally sound plans that protect what matters most. Attorney Christine Krupa brings 15 years of focused estate planning experience to every engagement, working directly with each client from first conversation to final signature.
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Compassionate Estate Planning for McKinney Families
Planning a will or trust is one of the most meaningful things a person can do for the people they love. It is also one of the things most families put off, often because the conversation feels uncomfortable or the process feels overwhelming.
Christine Krupa understands that discomfort. Her approach centers on listening carefully, explaining clearly, and making sure clients understand their plan rather than simply signing it. Every document reflects the family’s actual wishes, not a generic template pulled from a form library.
McKinney’s rapid growth has brought thousands of new families into communities like Stonebridge Ranch, Adriatica, and Trinity Falls. Many of those families are in their prime earning years, buying homes, raising children, and building wealth for the first time. That is exactly when estate planning matters most, and exactly when most people have never thought about it.
Whether a client needs a straightforward will, a revocable living trust that avoids probate, or a comprehensive plan covering powers of attorney and advance directives, Chris handles each matter personally. Clients speak directly with the attorney on every call, every meeting, and every question that arises.
Request a consultation today to take the first step toward protecting your family.
15+ Years
Serving Collin County
5 Star
Client Rating
Super Lawyers®
2020-2026
Texas Rising Stars®
2016-2020
Why Families Choose Krupa Downs Law
Direct Access to Your Attorney
At Krupa Downs Law, clients work with Christine Krupa directly, not a paralegal, not a junior associate. That direct relationship means the attorney handling the documents is the same person who understands the family’s goals, concerns, and circumstances from day one.
Plain-English Guidance
Legal documents should never leave a client confused about what they just signed. Chris translates every provision into straightforward language, explaining what each clause does, why it matters, and how it protects the family. Clients leave with understanding, not just paperwork.
Focused Practice, No Distraction
Krupa Downs Law concentrates exclusively on wills, trusts, estate planning, probate, and guardianship. This is not a general practice that handles divorces on Monday and estate plans on Tuesday. That depth of focus produces better planning outcomes for every family served.
What You Can Expect From Our Services
- A thorough review of your family's assets, relationships, and goals
- Drafting of wills, trusts, and supporting documents tailored to your situation
- Powers of attorney covering both financial and medical decisions (see financial power of attorney and medical power of attorney services)
- Advance directives that document your healthcare wishes
- Plain-English explanations at every step, with time for your questions
Estate Planning for Special Needs Families
Families in McKinney raising children with disabilities or caring for an adult with special needs face planning challenges that a standard will simply cannot address. A conventional bequest can disqualify a loved one from Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, or other public benefits they depend on.
The solution is a properly drafted supplemental needs trust, which holds assets for the benefit of a person with disabilities without counting against benefit eligibility thresholds. This distinction — between ownership and benefit — is one that many families only discover after a problem has already occurred.
Chris works with these families to build plans that preserve benefit eligibility while still providing meaningful financial support. For families who may also need to establish legal guardianship as a child with disabilities approaches adulthood, Krupa Downs Law offers special needs guardianship services in McKinney to guide that transition with care.
Advocacy Rooted in the McKinney Community
McKinney’s families deserve legal counsel that understands both Texas law and the specific needs of this community. Krupa Downs Law serves clients throughout McKinney and the surrounding Collin County area, committed to accessible, person-centered representation. Chris also volunteers her time through pro bono legal services, reflecting a genuine commitment to the community she serves.
Community Engagement & Leadership
Christine Krupa maintains active involvement in legal organizations, nonprofit work, and civic engagement throughout Collin County. She attends continuing legal education well beyond the minimum required hours to stay current on Texas estate law, probate procedure, and guardianship developments that affect McKinney families.
Start Your Estate Plan — Request a Consultation
Protecting your family does not require a complicated process, but it does require taking the first step. Krupa Downs Law welcomes families throughout McKinney, from the Historic Downtown Square neighborhoods to the master-planned communities along the city’s northern corridor. Pricing is available on request, and consultations are designed to answer your questions without pressure. Request a quote today and find out what a thoughtful, attorney-led estate plan looks like for your family.
Serving McKinney Families at Every Stage of Life
McKinney’s growth has created a community rich in family diversity: young couples buying their first homes near Collin College, established professionals in Stonebridge Ranch, and longtime residents in the historic districts surrounding the Downtown Square. Each stage of life brings different estate planning needs.
Young families typically need a will that names a guardian for minor children — a decision that courts must make without guidance if no document exists. Mid-career professionals often benefit from a revocable living trust that sidesteps Texas probate and keeps asset transfers private. Older residents may need advance directives, powers of attorney, and trust structures coordinated with elder care considerations.
Chris approaches each client’s situation individually. The planning tools that serve a 35-year-old parent in Trinity Falls differ meaningfully from those that serve a retired couple in McKinney’s historic core. Understanding that difference, and asking the right questions to find it, is what produces a plan that actually holds up when the family needs it most. A review of options for avoiding probate in Texas is often a natural starting point for families evaluating their choices.
What the Guardianship Process Looks Like in Texas?
Some McKinney families reach out about estate planning and quickly discover that guardianship is the more urgent matter, particularly when a parent is declining cognitively or a child with a disability is approaching age 18. Understanding the Texas guardianship process before it becomes a crisis makes every step easier.
1. Determine the Need — Guardianship is appropriate when an individual cannot manage personal or financial decisions independently due to age, disability, or incapacity. An attorney reviews the circumstances to confirm guardianship is the right legal path, rather than a less restrictive alternative such as a power of attorney.
2. File an Application — The process begins with filing an application in the county court with probate jurisdiction. In McKinney, that means Collin County. The application identifies the proposed ward, describes the nature of the incapacity, and names the petitioner seeking appointment as guardian.
3. Court-Appointed Investigator — Texas courts appoint an investigator (sometimes called an attorney ad litem) to meet with the proposed ward and report back to the judge. This step protects the rights of the individual whose capacity is being evaluated.
4. Medical Documentation — A physician’s certificate of medical examination must accompany the application. The certificate documents the diagnosis, the functional limitations, and the physician’s opinion on the need for guardianship.
5. Court Hearing — The judge reviews the evidence, the investigator’s report, and any objections. If the court finds sufficient cause, it issues an order appointing a guardian of the person, the estate, or both, depending on the circumstances.
6. Ongoing Reporting — Texas guardianship does not end at appointment. Guardians must file annual reports with the court covering the ward’s condition and, for guardians of the estate, a full accounting of financial activity. Chris helps families understand these ongoing obligations before they accept the role.
FAQ's
It depends on your goals, but most McKinney families benefit from having both. A will directs the distribution of your assets after death and names a guardian for minor children, but it goes through the Texas probate process. A revocable living trust transfers assets to your beneficiaries outside of probate, which saves time and keeps the transfer private. Chris reviews each family’s asset structure and goals to recommend the right combination.
Pricing is available on request and varies based on the complexity of the plan. Krupa Downs Law charges competitive fees and is committed to accessible representation, including low bono and pro bono services for qualifying individuals. The best way to get an accurate picture is to request a consultation.
Texas intestacy laws determine how your estate is distributed, and the outcome may not match your wishes. For married couples with children from prior relationships, the results can be particularly complicated. A properly drafted will ensures your assets go to the people you choose, and it allows you to name a guardian for any minor children.
Yes, and you should — but guardianship of an adult child with disabilities requires a separate legal proceeding that a will alone cannot accomplish. For families in McKinney with a child approaching adulthood, Chris helps plan the full transition, including both the estate plan and any necessary adult guardianship proceedings.
Krupa Downs Law serves clients throughout Collin, Dallas, and Denton counties, including Allen, Frisco, Plano, and surrounding communities. McKinney families are welcome to meet in person or by phone, whatever works best for their schedule.
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Areas we Serve
- Plano TX
- Frisco TX
- Allen TX
- Dallas TX
- Denton TX
- McKinney TX
- Carrollton TX
- Melissa TX
- Prosper TX
- Richardson TX
- Wylie TX
- Sachse TX
