Practice Areas: Estate Planning & Probate, Elder Law; view more
Licensed in Texas since: 1993
Education: South Texas College of Law Houston
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2020 - 2023 Call today:
940-387-8800
Virtual Appointments Leigh Hilton, PLLC
918 N Elm StSuite 100
Denton, TX 76201 Visit website
Details
Leigh Hilton has helped over 8,000 families protect the assets that they leave to loved ones from divorce, creditors, lawsuits and predators. She has also helped over 600 families implement the plans that she has prepared after the death of a loved one and helped over 2,400 families implement the plans prepared by other attorneys. She is the author of the books "Who Gets Your Stuff When You Die" and “What Your Spouse Should Know if Something Happens to You” and a frequent speaker. She has given over 700 speeches to various organizations and groups.
She would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss how to protect your family. She has over 30 years of legal experience in the practice areas of Estate Planning and Probate. She routinely prepares simple estate plans as well as very complicated Wills and Trusts for high wealth individuals. Whether your estate is large or small, simple or complex, Leigh would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss your estate planning needs. Leigh also helps with Special Needs, Medicaid, and Veterans’ planning.
Leigh was born in Dallas and grew up in Denton. She attended the University of North Texas where she earned a Bachelor of Science, graduating with honors in 1989. She earned her law degree at the South Texas College of Law in Houston, TX, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1992. She has been married for 35 years and is the mother of two boys.
She is a member of the Wealth Counsel, National Association of Elder Law Attorneys, and ElderCounsel.
Leigh Hilton is proud to provide legal counsel rooted in Christian values.
Practice areas
Estate Planning & Probate, Elder LawFocus areas
Estate Planning, Guardianships & Conservatorships, Living Wills, Probate & Estate Administration, Trusts, Wills
- 90% Estate Planning & Probate
- 10% Elder Law
First Admitted: 1993, Texas
Professional Webpage: https://dentonestateplanninglawyer.com/leigh-hilton/
Educational Background:
- University of North Texas, Bachelor of Science, graduating with honors in 1989
Honors/Awards:
- AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell, 2014
Videos:
- Estate Planning, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbBygm6IJNI, 2019
- Videos on a variety of topics, Estate planning videos, 2020
- 2019, What is a trust
- Estate Planning, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0atnIfK8bw&t=16s, 2019
Bar/Professional Activity:
- Eldercounsel member, 2019
- National Association of Elder Law Attorneys
- Wealthcounsel member, 2019
- Grievance Committee-District 14 for State Bar of Texas, 2016
Scholarly Lectures/Writings:
- Specific, practical, and useful instructions to guide and prepare for when you or your spouse dies. Consider sharing this information with family, friends, and neighbors. Many of us have adult children with families. They also need to be prepared., Author, What Your Spouse Should Know if Something Happens to You, 2023
- No one wants to think about their own death, but we should plan for it, as it will happen one way or another. There’s more to consider than funeral arrangements; you also have to sort out who will be taking care of your children, who will take care of your surviving spouse, who will receive all of your belongings, and who will be the one to distribute everything? It’s overwhelming, and plenty can be easily overlooked. Leigh Hilton is offering a free seminar regarding exactly that question: Who gets your stuff when you die? She will cover how to choose who will get your stuff, how you can help them keep your stuff, what to plan for incapacitation and healthcare decisions, how to help your family find your stuff, and various protections across the board. T, Speaker, Who Gets Your Stuff When You Die, 2023
- Planning for Medicaid is not really something any of us have in the forefront of our minds when planning for our future and eventual retirement, and while many of us will never need it, it’s always good to know your options when it comes to Medicaid planning., Main Speaker, Medicaid Planning, 2020
- How to Make Sure Your Most Loyal Family Member Is Taken Care of Legally, pets are considered property. But, we know them as treasured family members who contribute companionship and love their entire life. You owe it to them to ensure the best possible future in the event of your absence. Make sure your beloved pets have the following steps in place in case of incapacity or after death: Written Action Plan What information and documents are needed? Protect & Motivate Incentive for better care, safety measures to avoid neglect. Incapacity (What if you are out of it? Living Trust instructions for pet care.) Who’s in Charge? (What if you don’t have someone you trust?) Animal Care Organizations (Short Term Care, Foster Care, Long-term Care, Perpetual Care – Options and cost differentials.) How Much? (How to calculate funds necessary for long-term, perpetual care.) Do you have it Covered? (An evaluation checklist leaves nothing to chance.) Is the Timing Right? (Avoid delay from probate, what about changes?) Standing Up for Trigger (What about disgruntled heirs?) Identity Fraud (Steps to ensure caretakers don’t pass off Mr. Ed as Trigger.) Is It Good Enough? (Make sure Trigger’s standard of living is adequate.), Seminar: Pet Estate Planning, 2020
- Who Will Take Care of Your Kids if Something Happens to You? Don’t leave your kids’ future to chance! Take charge of who will take care of them if something happens to you. You do not want the state to make the decision for you. At this free seminar, we will give you the right tools to: choose the right person to be in charge of your children, and choose the right person to be in charge of money. Please join us for a free seminar at the Altitude Trampoline Park in Denton, TX. A complimentary meal will be served, and your kids can play in the park for free!, Main Speaker, Who Will Take Care of Your Kids if Something Happens to You?, 2020
- Learn how to take care of those who can’t take care of themselves after you’re no longer able to. Please join us for a free seminar to learn why you may need a Special Needs Trust and all the ways you can take care of protect your loved ones with special needs. At this seminar you will learn the following: What a Special Needs Trust is and how to set one up; Obtaining government benefits and using ABLE accounts; and All of the legal documentation you will need, including estate planning documents, life care plans, and guardianships., Special Needs Planning Seminar, 2019
- What to Do if Someone You Love Gets Diagnosed With Alzheimer’s Keep peace of mind with the information you need to ensure your future security. At this seminar, you will learn and have answers to the following: What are spousal protection provisions? Is a married couple always required to spend down one-half of their assets before qualifying for Medicaid? Will I lose my home? Can a person still have the legal capacity to sign documents with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s? The role of a living will. Should I revise my last will and testaments and trusts? Strategies for financial gifts. What steps do I take now? What are the pros and cons of beneficiary designations to my property?, Main Speaker, What to Do if Someone You Love Gets Diagnosed With Alzheimer’s, 2020
- Protect Your Assets from Lawsuits and Creditors Learn how to protect what you have worked so hard to earn. At this free seminar, Leigh will go over and teach you how to make sure others don’t take what you have worked so hard to acquire; how to create a comprehensive asset protection strategy; and how to devise a plan to protect your assets for future generations., Speaker, Asset Protection Seminar, 2020
- Webinars and Seminars on Living Trusts given monthly. , Main Speaker, Living Trust, 2020
- Considering setting up a retirement trust for your heirs but have no idea where to start? Leigh Hilton is hosting a Retirement Trust Seminar to help you plan for your trust and learn all of the ins and outs of a retirement trust. These trusts can be tricky to set up, and Leigh wants to help you avoid as much confusion as possible., Speaker, Retirement Trust Plan, 2019
- If you’ve named your children, relatives, or friends as your successor trustees when you pass away (or are disabled), can you answer these questions for them: What will be required of your trustees when they have to act? What do the beneficiaries of your trust expect of them? What should the trustees expect of the beneficiaries? What does the IRS expect?, Speaker, Will Your Successor Trustees Know What to Do When You are Gone?, 2019
- Learn how to protect what you have worked so hard to earn. At this free seminar, Leigh will go over and teach you how to make sure others don’t take what you have worked so hard to acquire; how to create a comprehensive asset protection strategy; and how to devise a plan to protect your assets for future generations., Speaker, Protect Your Assets from Lawsuits and Creditors, 2019
- No one wants to think about their own death, but we should plan for it, as it will happen one way or another. There’s more to consider than funeral arrangements; you also have to sort out who will be taking care of your children, who will take care of your surviving spouse, who will receive all of your belongings, and who will be the one to distribute everything? It’s overwhelming, and plenty can be easily overlooked. Leigh Hilton is offering a free seminar regarding exactly that question: Who gets your stuff when you die?, Speaker, Who Gets Your Stuff When You Die?, 2019
- Make sure your beloved pets have the following steps in place in case of incapacity or after death: Written Action Plan What information and documents are needed? Protect & Motivate Incentive for better care, safety measures to avoid neglect. Incapacity (What if you are out of it? Living Trust instructions for pet care.) Who’s in Charge? (What if you don’t have someone you trust?) Animal Care Organizations (Short Term Care, Foster Care, Long-term Care, Perpetual Care – Options and cost differentials.) How Much? (How to calculate funds necessary for long-term, perpetual care.) Do you have it Covered? (An evaluation checklist leaves nothing to chance.) Is the Timing Right? (Avoid delay from probate, what about changes?) Standing Up for Trigger (What about disgruntled heirs?) Identity Fraud (Steps to ensure caretakers don’t pass off Mr. Ed as Trigger.) Is It Good Enough? (Make sure Trigger’s standard of living is adequate.), Speaker, How to Make Sure Your Most Loyal Family Member Is Taken Care of, 2019
- Your Living Trust should do all it can to: Protect your beneficiaries from losing their inheritance to divorce, lawsuits, creditors, and government claims! Avoid Probate and Guardianship! Specifically, address the different needs of each of your loved ones now, and adjust to their changing needs after you’re gone! (This can include unexpected illness, disability, or drug/alcohol problems!) Protect your IRAs and retirement plans which, over time, will likely grow to become the largest assets you leave behind! Take advantage of future changes in Estate Tax and Capital Gains Tax Laws!, Speaker, Learn How You Can Fully Protect Your Assets with a Properly Build and Maintained Living Trust!, 2019
- These timely and practical guides go beyond the general information available online and from healthcare organizations. These books show: Different options for care providers, How to protect for themselves legally, How to choose their decision-makers, How to deal with the stresses of caregiving, and Answers to the most common questions regarding Alzheimer’s disease, Author, You're Not Alone: Living with Alzheimer's Disease, 2019
- Keep peace of mind with the information you need to ensure your future security. At this seminar, you will learn and have answers to the following: What are spousal protection provisions? Is a married couple always required to spend down one-half of their assets before qualifying for Medicaid? Will I lose my home? Can a person still have the legal capacity to sign documents with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s? The role of a living will. Should I revise my last will and testaments and trusts? Strategies for financial gifts. What steps do I take now? What are the pros and cons of beneficiary designations to my property?, Speaker, What to Do if Someone You Love Gets Diagnosed With Alzheimer’s, 2019
- No one wants to think about their own death, but we should plan for it, as it will happen one way or another. There’s more to consider than funeral arrangements; you also have to sort out who will be taking care of your children, who will take care of your surviving spouse, who will receive all of your belongings, and who will be the one to distribute everything?, Author, Who Gets Your Stuff When You Die?, 2018
- These timely and practical guides go beyond the general information available online and from healthcare organizations. These books show: Different options for care providers, How to protect for themselves legally, How to choose their decision-makers, How to deal with the stresses of caregiving, and Answers to the most common questions regarding Alzheimer’s disease, Author, You're Not Alone: Living as an Alzheimer's Caregiver, 2019
Pro bono/Community Service:
- Board member First Refuge--provides free food, counseling, medical and dental care, 2017
- Board member First Refuge--provides free food, counseling, medical and dental care, 2018
- Board member First Refuge--provides free food, counseling, medical and dental care, 2019
Selections
4 Years Super Lawyers
- Super Lawyers: 2020 - 2023
