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…
Tag: Articles
9 Records to Locate after the Death of a Loved One
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…
Probating a Will in Texas
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…
Who Will Serve as Personal Representative of Your Estate?
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…
When Is a Texas Cause of Action “Appertaining or Incident to” an Estate?
Legal Terminology Estates Code on Probate Suit Transfer: Texas law authorizes a statutory probate court to transfer to itself from a district court a cause of action “appertaining to or incident to an estate pending in the statutory probate court.” Mandamus relief: Available only when a trial court clearly abuses its discretion and when there…
When Heirship Status Becomes a Texas Jurisdiction Matter
A court must have jurisdiction to enter a valid, enforceable judgment on a claim. If there is a situation where jurisdiction is lacking, litigants, through various procedures, may retroactively challenge the validity of a judgment to potentially have it rendered void. Subject matter jurisdiction is one type of jurisdiction a court must have. It is…
Can Reasonable Diligence Trump a Probate Statute of Limitations in Texas?
Default for failing to file? Default at Law A default is the failure to do something required by law or the failure to comply with a contractual obligation. When it comes to filing a will for probate, there is a timeline that the filer must comply with in order to avoid being found in default.…
Closing a Probate in Texas
After a loved one dies, it can be difficult to know what to do next. One of the things you may need to do is close their probate in Texas. This can seem like a daunting task, but luckily this article will walk you through everything you need to know! Are you the Executor or…
What Can a Probate Court Do About Child Support?
Legal Terminology Ad Litem Means for the suit, a person appointed such a role is responsible for a ward’s affairs in a particular aspect of litigation. Texas Probate Code, Section 608 [Now Texas Estates Code] Allows a probate court to transfer a matter from a district, county, or statutory court to itself when the matter…