Burch Law Marks 20 Years With 20 Lessons in Estate Planning – Guest Post

Two Decades of Helping Dallas Families Plan Ahead

When Lorie Burch opened the doors of Burch Law in 2005, the goal was straightforward. She wanted to bring big-firm attention and thoroughness to everyday families who needed estate plans but didn’t know where to start. Twenty years later, Burch Law has become one of the most recognized estate planning practices in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, with a client base that stretches across Texas and a reputation built on getting the details right.

To mark the milestone, the firm recently shared 20 lessons drawn from two decades of helping individuals and families protect what matters most. The lessons aren’t just legal principles. They reflect real-world situations the firm has encountered, from blended family disputes to overlooked beneficiary designations that unraveled otherwise solid plans.

Why Estate Plans Fail and What Burch Law Has Learned

One of the recurring themes across all 20 lessons is that most estate planning failures don’t come from bad intentions. They come from incomplete plans. A will that doesn’t account for how bank accounts are titled. A trust that was never properly funded. A power of attorney that was signed but doesn’t meet current Texas execution requirements.

Burch Law has seen each of these scenarios play out in probate courtrooms. The firm handles both the planning side and estate administration, which gives the team a perspective that many planning-only firms lack. When attorneys see firsthand how documents get interpreted after someone passes, it changes the way those documents get drafted.

Another key lesson from the list involves beneficiary designations. Many people don’t realize that a beneficiary designation on a retirement account or life insurance policy overrides whatever a will or trust says. If those designations are outdated or conflict with the estate plan, the results can be devastating for the people who were supposed to be protected.

The Firm’s Approach to Comprehensive Planning

Burch Law’s practice is roughly 80 percent estate planning, which is notable for a firm that also handles business law and probate matters. That level of concentration means the attorneys spend most of their time in the same area of law, refining their process and staying current on changes to Texas statutes and tax rules that affect estate plans.

The firm also emphasizes what it calls the full-service experience. That includes guidance on how to title bank accounts, coordinate beneficiary designations with the plan, and set up systems so that critical information is accessible when families need it most. Burch Law developed a proprietary tool called the C.Y.A. Organizer to help clients store passwords, account details, and other important information in one place.

For families who are just starting the process or for anyone who has been putting it off, Burch Law offers complimentary consultations. As a trusted estate planning attorney in Dallas, the firm has made the initial step intentionally simple so that more families actually take it.

What the Next 20 Years Look Like

Looking forward, the firm has signaled a continued commitment to accessibility and education. Burch Law has invested in online tools, video tutorials, and remote signing capabilities to make the process easier for clients who can’t always come into the office. The team has also grown to include multiple attorneys and paralegals with backgrounds ranging from criminal defense to family law, all now focused on estate planning and probate.

Twenty years of serving Texas families has taught Burch Law that estate planning isn’t really about money or property. It’s about making sure the people you care about are taken care of when you’re no longer able to do it yourself. That’s the lesson the firm says matters most.

Author Bio:

Burch Law is a Dallas-based estate planning firm founded by Lorie Burch in 2005. The firm handles wills, trusts, powers of attorney, probate, and business law across the DFW area.