A jury at the Tarrant County Probate Court 2 returned a verdict of $8.3 million in favor of a medical malpractice lawsuit earlier this month. Texas Harris Health Methodist Hospital Southwest Fort Worth will have to pay at least a part of that amount to the family of Angela Davis, a former parole office who…
Category: Probate Law
Probate When Heirs Live Outside the United States
Probate is the legal process by which a will, trust, or life insurance policy is administered and assets are distributed. The process is often complicated, especially when a person has assets located outside the U.S. where laws for probate administration may be different than those of Texas. If you are an heir of someone who…
What to Do If a Probate Lawyer Presents Excluded Evidence to a Jury
A jury is a sworn body of citizens convened to render an impartial verdict (i.e. decision) based on the evidence presented before it. A jury has both the power to acquit (not guilty) on a charge, and also to convict (guilty). In civil cases, the equivalent is to find the defendant liable or not liable.…
How Do You Effect Proper Process Service in Probate Court?
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…
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…
Control Over Funds Deposited With Probate Court
The probate courts will often hold funds in their registry. The probate court has authority and control over these funds. Once the funds are in the registry and an independent administrator is appointed to administer the probate estate, who has control over these funds? The concept of the independent administrator is that they are tasked…
Who Inherits a Joint Bank Account in Texas
It is common for a parent to create a joint bank account with the intent that someone accesses the account to pay for their funeral or last expenses. Who owns this account once the parent dies? What about other bank accounts that are held jointly? Does the joint owner, surviving spouse or someone else inherits…
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…
Pfizer: Vaccine Safe for Children
Parents of elementary school students in the Houston area felt welcome relief on Monday when Pfizer announced its vaccine is safe and effective for the 5- to 11-year-old age group. The findings represent a key step toward inoculating a younger population that so far is unprotected from the virus. Right now, only children 12 and…