If you are involved in a lawsuit, you need to know how to properly serve the lawsuit papers on the person you are suing. Learn how to properly serve process of court documents. If you have a claim against a person or company, you need to serve process on that person or company and provide…
Tag: probate administration
Can You Prove Title After Probate Statute of Limitations Has Expired?
Legal Terminology Texas Estates Code, Statute of Limitations (SOL): No will shall be admitted to probate after the lapse of four years from the death of the testator unless there is a showing of proof that the party was not in default and no testamentary letters are issued where a will is admitted after the…
How Long Does Probate Take in Texas
Yahoo! Finance ran an article entitled “How Long Does Probate Take.” The article sets out several circumstances that can slow down the probate process. The article is not Texas-specific, so many of the circumstances do not really apply for probates in Texas or are more nuanced than mentioned in the article. The article provides an…
What Do You Do if You Lost the Original Copy of a Will?
What do you do if you lost the original copy of a Will or you cannot find the original? What if you can find a copy of the Will? Can you probate a copy of the Will? If you can probate a copy of the Will, how do you go about probating a copy of…
Probate After a Muniment of Title
Muniment of title is an alternative to the probate process in Texas. It is cost-efficient. It is fast–relatively speaking. A Will is required. Instead of appointing you as the executor, the probate court enters an order distributing property according to the Will. And walla! But what if the story does not end there? What if…
Drafting Agreements in Probate Cases
The beneficiaries and heirs of a probate estate are not stuck with the distributions set out in the decedent’s will or by Texas intestacy laws. The beneficiaries and heirs can agree among themselves to some other distribution scheme. This usually involves negotiating and recording the agreement in a family settlement agreement. A carefully drafted settlement…
Guardianship Claim Bars Probate Claim?
Guardianship Claim Bars Probate Claim? Imagine that you are owed money by someone who becomes incapacitated and they have a guardian appointed. Your debt is not secured by any property, such as real estate. The guardian sends you a notice to submit your claim for payment. The debtor is of an advanced age or not…
Broken Promise to Leave Property to Heir
What happens if someone makes a promise to leave property to another person in their will, but then they update their estate plan and fail to provide the property as promised? Can the person who expected to receive the property recover from the property from the probate estate? If so, what if the promise was…
Adult Child’s Rights to Parent’s House
Living arrangements can pose a number of problems when an older family member is placed in a home or they die. The family members have to decide what to do with the property. These issues often result in probate litigation after the parent dies. But what about when the parent is alive, but incapacitated? If…