Probate is a court process that kicks in when someone dies. As this case shows, if you are a potential executor of a will and don’t file for probate within the allotted time, you might not get a second chance. Terminology Holographic Will: A holographic will is a will that is entirely handwritten and signed...KEEP READING

In a recent case, St. John v. Hearne, a Texas probate court granted a bill of review but did not dispose of contested issues. The Court of Appeals noted that granting a bill of review does not terminate the proceedings and is not equivalent to final judgment for purposes of appeal. Legal Terminology Interlocutory Appeal...KEEP READING

Introduction Probate is a process by which an administrator (the executor) of an estate (the decedent’s property) distribute the estate’s assets to the decedent’s beneficiaries. In Texas, probate is handled by the Texas State Probate Office. There are at least five types of probate (more if you count the various permutations such as testate dependent,...KEEP READING

Duties and responsibilities to will beneficiaries under Texas estate law You may be honored to take on the responsibility of being the executor of your loved one’s will, or you may not want to deal with it. However, you do have a choice – despite how you feel, you are able to say no and...KEEP READING

When a family member passes away, it can be difficult to know what type of records they had in their possession. You usually need this information before you start planning a probate administration. If you don’t know where to begin, take a look at the list below for some guidance on what you should look...KEEP READING

To file the probate application, one must first decide which court has jurisdiction and which court should handle the probate court. Once the court is selected, the next step is to submit the probate application. The Probate Application under Texas Estate Law After identifying the probate court that can hear the case, the next step...KEEP READING

The small estate affidavit is one of the alternatives to a full probate administration in Texas. It can provide a streamlined and inexpensive method for probating an estate. When is the Small Estate Affidavit Used? As its name implies, it is used for smaller estates with few assets. It is typically used for estates consisting...KEEP READING

Negligence and Fiduciary Duty A fiduciary is a person who holds a legal or ethical relationship of trust with another party. If a person is a fiduciary, they have what is called a fiduciary duty to that party. A fiduciary duty can exist in several special relationships or circumstances and the type of duty that...KEEP READING

Who will serve as personal representative after you’ve passed on? Many people think about this while planning their estate, but it’s important to know who is eligible to serve and who will serve by default if you don’t name a personal representative properly. Selecting The Personal Representative (Executor vs Administrator) Specialized knowledge, training or experience...KEEP READING

Testamentary capacity is the legal term that refers to someone’s mental ability to make a will. Testamentary capacity can be diminished or lost if a person has certain delusions, but a delusion in and of itself might not establish a lack of testamentary capacity. This case answers the question: When does a court find that...KEEP READING