We're probably already working on opposite sides of the same table.
You manage the wealth. You do the tax planning. You structure the insurance. And somewhere in your client list right now there are families with estate tax exposure they haven't addressed, business succession questions nobody has answered, and documents that made sense when they were signed and don't anymore. That's where we come in.
We work with professionals who serve clients at every level — from families just starting to build wealth to multi-generational dynasties with complex structures already in place. Below are the professionals we work with most often. If your profession isn't listed, don’t let that stop you from reaching out — we've never turned down a good conversation.
Wealth Advisors
You're managing significant wealth for families whose estate plans may not reflect what they actually own, what they actually want, or what the law currently allows. When a client has a liquidity event, a major inheritance, a second marriage, or a taxable estate that just crossed the threshold — that's the conversation. We'd rather be in it early than clean it up later.
SCENARIOS WORTH DISCUSSING:
Client's net worth exceeds $15M single or $30M married and they haven't done estate tax planning
Business sale or liquidity event in the next 90 days
Beneficiary designations that don't match what the client just told you about their family
Retirement accounts with no post-SECURE 2.0 update
Client mentions their trust is "taken care of" but can't tell you when they last signed anything
Insurance Professionals
Life insurance is a critical piece of most HNW estate plans and it almost never gets coordinated with the legal documents. Policies owned personally that should be in an ILIT. Premium financing structures with no legal documentation. Buy-sell agreements funded with insurance but drafted a decade ago. We fix the legal side so the insurance does what it's supposed to do in an efficient manner.
SCENARIOS WORTH DISCUSSING:
Client needs an ILIT — setup, funding, and Crummey notice coordination
Existing ILIT with trustee or administration problems
Premium financing arrangement that needs legal documentation
Buy-sell agreement funded by insurance that hasn't been reviewed in years
Split-dollar arrangement needing formal documentation
Commercial & Private Bankers
Your clients trust you with their most significant financial relationships. When a deposit, loan, or trust account involves a family with complex planning needs — or when a client mentions estate documents that haven't been reviewed — that's a natural introduction.
SCENARIOS WORTH DISCUSSING:
Trust accounts with outdated or problematic terms
Client approaching a significant liquidity event or inheritance
High-value real estate or business assets with no succession structure
Client asking about trust administration or executor responsibilities
Family Law Attorneys
Divorce triggers estate planning changes that clients rarely think about until it's too late. Beneficiary designations, powers of attorney, trust structures — all of it needs immediate attention when a marriage ends. We work alongside family law counsel to make sure the estate plan reflects the new reality.
SCENARIOS WORTH DISCUSSING:
Client just finalized a divorce and hasn't updated their estate documents
Prenuptial or postnuptial agreement with estate planning implications
Trust assets that need restructuring as part of a settlement
Client entering a second marriage with children from a prior relationship
Family Office Professionals
Family offices serving ultra-high-net-worth families often need estate planning counsel who can work at the same level of sophistication. We're comfortable in that environment — coordinating with investment advisors, accountants, and family office staff on complex, multi-generational planning.
SCENARIOS WORTH DISCUSSING:
Family with no coordinated estate plan across generations
Dynasty trust structure that needs drafting or updating
Family governance documents — mission statements, family constitutions
Multi-jurisdictional planning for families with assets or members in multiple states
Real Estate Attorneys
The intersection of real estate and estate planning is where a lot of problems quietly live — incorrect titling, underfunded trusts, properties outside the estate plan entirely. We work regularly with real estate counsel on transactions that have estate planning implications.
SCENARIOS WORTH DISCUSSING:
Property that should be in a trust but isn't
Client transferring real estate between family members
LLC or partnership holding real estate with no succession plan
Estate with significant real property requiring administration
CPAs & Tax Advisors
You see the full financial picture at tax time. You know which clients have estate tax exposure. You know whose business interests haven't been valued. You know whose charitable giving strategy is a DAF and a prayer. We coordinate directly with your projections and keep you in the loop so the estate plan doesn't undo the tax work.
SCENARIOS WORTH DISCUSSING:
Client has a taxable estate and no irrevocable trust structure in place
Business owner with no buy-sell agreement or a lapsed one
S-corp shares sitting in a revocable trust without a QSST election
Charitable deduction strategy that requires a CRT or CLAT to work correctly
Step-up basis decisions that need coordinated planning before death
Transaction Advisors
A business sale triggers estate and tax implications that need to be addressed before closing — not after the wire hits. The earlier we're involved, the more options are on the table. Some structures need years to work. Others can be done in weeks. The difference in outcome is significant.
SCENARIOS WORTH DISCUSSING:
Client is in the early stages of exploring an exit event
Client has signed or is about to sign an LOI
Business interests that haven't been structured for a tax-efficient transfer
No estate plan in place before a significant liquidity event
Client asking about installment sales, charitable planning, or trust structures pre-close
Trust Officers
When an existing trust isn't working — wrong trustee, outdated terms, poor distribution provisions — there are legal options. We work regularly with trust officers on decanting, reformation, and trust rescue strategies that don't require going to court.
SCENARIOS WORTH DISCUSSING:
Trust terms that no longer serve the beneficiary's needs
Trustee disputes or succession issues
Trust that needs to be modified or terminated
Beneficiary requesting changes the current document doesn't permit
Philanthropy Advisors
The intersection of charitable intent and estate planning is where some of the most powerful — and most underused — strategies live. A donor-advised fund is not an estate plan. A charitable bequest written into a will is not a charitable giving strategy. We work regularly with planned giving officers, foundation staff, and philanthropy advisors to make sure the charitable piece and the estate piece are actually talking to each other.
SCENARIOS WORTH DISCUSSING:
Client wants to make a significant charitable gift but hasn't structured it tax-efficiently
Donor-advised fund being used as an estate plan substitute
Client interested in a CRT or CLAT but hasn't talked to an attorney
Client establishing or operating a private foundation
Large IRA owner who wants to give to charity and hasn't heard of a QCD
Charitable bequest that needs to be coordinated with the overall estate plan
Mortgage Professionals
Real estate transactions regularly surface estate planning gaps — properties titled incorrectly, trusts that don't permit certain transactions, or clients who've never thought about what happens to the property when they're gone.
SCENARIOS WORTH DISCUSSING:
Property titled in a way that creates probate exposure
Client purchasing real estate who has no estate plan
Trust that needs amendment to permit a refinance or sale
Client with significant real estate holdings and no succession structure
Who We Help
If you're not sure whether a client is a fit — send us a quick email. We'll tell you honestly whether it makes sense to meet.
ESTATE SIZE
Taxable Estate
Clients with a taxable estate — currently above $15M single or $30M married at the federal level — have the most time-sensitive planning needs, but estate planning is valuable at every level. If you're not sure whether a client is a fit, send us a note and we'll tell you honestly.
TRIGGERING EVENT
The Moment the Window Opens
Business sale, liquidity event, inheritance, second marriage, death of a spouse, or a child reaching adulthood. These moments open planning windows that close quickly.
EXISTING PLAN
Something that Needs Attention
Trust that was never funded. Documents more than three years old. Beneficiary designations that haven't been reviewed since the last major life change.
NO PLAN
No Will, No Trust, No Plan
A surprising number of clients with significant wealth have no estate plan whatsoever. No will. No trust. No powers of attorney. If you have a client who fits that description — and you probably do — there's no ambiguity. It needs to happen.
FAMILY COMPLEXITY
Blended Families & Difficult Dynamics
Second marriages, blended families, a child with special needs, an estranged heir, significant family conflict — these are the situations where a generic plan causes the most damage and a thoughtful one matters most.
BUSINESS OWNERSHIP
Any Business Owner
Any client who owns a business has succession planning exposure regardless of estate size. What happens to the business if they die tomorrow? Who buys out their partner? If your client owns a business and you've never had this conversation, let’s talk.
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
When a Client Asks
If a client asked you something about estate planning and you didn't have a confident answer — that's almost always a referral. The question means they're thinking about it. That's the moment.
HAVE SOMEONE ELSE IN MIND?
We Should Talk
Send us a note and we'll tell you honestly whether there's a fit. We respond quickly and don't bite.
DROP US A NOTEEmail is not a privileged communication. Please keep client details general — no names, account numbers, or confidential information. We'll handle specifics once we connect.
Designed to Reflect Well on You
at Every Step
01
You Send the Referral
An email, a completed referral form, or a phone call. Whichever is easiest. You can introduce us directly to your client, copy us on an email, or simply give us a name and contact and let us take it from there. We don't need a detailed brief — a sentence about what's going on is enough to get started.
02
We Respond Within One Business Day
We'll get back to you or the referred client the same business day or the next — whichever makes more sense given how the introduction was made. If we're reaching out to your client directly, we'll reference you by name, explain what to expect, and ask a few short questions to understand their situation before we meet. If we're coordinating with you first, we'll work out the best way to make the introduction together.
03
We Meet with Your Client
An introductory conversation — in person, by phone, or by video, depending on what works best. We get to know the client, understand their situation, and give them a sense of where their planning stands. No homework required, no documents to bring. The goal is to make sure they feel heard and leave with a clear sense of what, if anything, needs attention.
04
We Keep You in the Loop
Keeping you informed matters to us. We'll do it as much as the client and our ethical obligations allow. We'll always let you know where things stand when able. You made the introduction. You should know how it went.
05
We Stay in Our Lane
We do estate planning. We don't manage investments or sell insurance. We are a complement to your practice, not a competitor.
06
We Do What We Can to Make You Look Good
That's the whole point. When your client has a good experience — when they feel heard, when things move quickly, when the plan actually makes sense to them — they're going to tell you about it. We treat every referral as a reflection of your judgment, because it is. If we do our job well, you look like someone worth knowing.
Our Full Range of Services
The Blum Firm’s practice covers estate planning and related legal services, from foundational documents to sophisticated multi-generational planning. Here’s where we spend most of our time.
Estate & Tax Planning
A thorough estate plan does two things: it protects what you've built during your lifetime and transfers it efficiently at death. We design custom solutions for clients at every level — from foundational wills and trusts to sophisticated estate tax strategies including annual gifting, portability elections, generation-skipping transfer tax planning, capital gains planning, and state estate tax exposure for clients with property in multiple states.
Irrevocable Trust Structures
Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts (SLATs), Intentionally Defective Grantor Trusts (IDGTs), Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts (ILITs), 678 trusts, and dynasty trusts. We draft these, fund them, and administer them correctly — which is not as common as it should be.
Business Succession & Pre-Sale Planning
Buy-sell agreements, installment sales to IDGTs, pre-sale charitable planning, and the estate and income tax implications of a business sale that need to be addressed before the LOI is signed. The planning window closes at closing.
Charitable Planning
Charitable Remainder Trusts, Charitable Lead Annuity Trusts, private foundations, donor-advised funds, and the coordination between charitable giving and estate tax planning for clients with philanthropic intent. We also handle formation and ongoing legal services for tax-exempt organizations.
Asset Protection
Entity structure, titling strategies, family limited partnerships, and the legal side of what insurance alone can't cover.
Trust Rescue & Reformation
Fixing existing trusts that aren't working through decanting, mergers, reformation, trust sales, or powers of appointment. If a client has an irrevocable trust that no longer does what they need it to do, that's a conversation worth having.
Probate & Estate Administration
We represent clients in all aspects of estate administration — probate court matters, trust funding, disclaiming assets, contested probate matters, and estate tax return preparation. When a client's family needs help after a death, we make the process as straightforward as possible.
Trust, Estate, & Guardianship Litigation & Mediation
When disputes arise between beneficiaries, trustees, or fiduciaries — or when a guardianship or estate matter needs a constructive path to resolution — we provide clear guidance and strong advocacy. We represent all sides of trust, estate, and guardianship disputes across Texas, and offer mediation services when the goal is resolution over litigation.
Tax Controversy
We represent clients in IRS audits, Tax Court proceedings, and tax litigation at both the state and federal level.
International Tax
Cross-border planning, compliance issues related to foreign assets, and international tax planning for clients with global connections.
Corporate & Business Law
Choice of entity, buy-sell agreements, shareholder agreements, LLC agreements, reorganizations, and general outside counsel services for business owner clients.
Full Firm services at
theblumfirm.com
Doug Harvey & The Blum Firm
“This is what I'd tell you if we grabbed coffee and you asked me what financial professionals most need to know about estate planning. Minus the overpriced coffee.”
Doug Harvey is an estate planning attorney at The Blum Firm PC, with offices in Fort Worth, Dallas, and Austin. His practice focuses on estate tax planning, irrevocable trust structures, business succession, and the planning that matters most when the stakes are high — for clients ranging from families just starting to build wealth to multi-generational dynasties with complex structures already in place.
The Blum Firm PC has been serving Texas families and their advisors for decades. The firm's estate planning practice works regularly with financial professionals across Texas and nationwide — not as a one-time referral destination but as an ongoing professional relationship built around the clients we share. The firm also handles trust and estate litigation, probate administration, tax controversy, international tax, corporate law, guardianships, and mediation — which means that when a client's situation is more complicated than expected, we have the depth to handle it.
ATTORNEY
Doug Harvey
FIRM
The Blum Firm, PC
OFFICES
Fort Worth - Dallas - Austin
PRACTICE
Estate planning, estate tax, irrevocable trusts, business succession
CLIENTS
Families and businesses across Texas and nationwide
PHONE
FIRM SITE
Ready to make your first referral?
Three ways to connect - use whichever is easiest. A name, a contact, and a sentence about what’s going on is all we need to get started.
Email a Referral Directly
A name, a contact, and a sentence about what’s going on. We’ll take it from there and respond within one business day.
[email protected]Email is not a privileged communication. Please keep client details general — no names, account numbers, or confidential information. We'll handle specifics once we connect.
Complete the Referral Form
Helps us prepare for the conversation before we reach out to you or your client. Takes about two minutes.
Schedule an Intro Call
If you’d like to meet before sending clients our way, we’d welcome that. Thirty minutes, no agenda beyond getting to know each other.
[email protected]Stay current on the estate planning topics your clients are asking about.
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