Texas Probate Litigation

When challenging an asset transfer, it is important to understand the difference between probate assets and assets that pass through a beneficiary designation.

Probate vs Non-Probate Assets — Texas Probate Litigation We are lawyers who handle will contests and account beneficiary disputes in Texas. It is important to understand whether an assets passes through probate or through a designation.

A transfer of land ownership can be accomplished via a deed or a will. Can a deed be challenged? Yes.

Challenging land transfers — Texas Probate Litigation The major assets a person typically owns are either land (real property) or financial accounts. And many of the latter pass through beneficiary designations, not directly through an estate.

Many estate disputes do not involve the validity of a will, but instead disagreements over the meaning of particular terms. How do Texas courts resolve those disputes?

Interpreting a Will - The Primary Consideration — Texas Probate Litigation We often handle will contests, disputes regarding the validity of a will. But another very common form a dispute regarding a will isn’t over its validity, but instead its meaning. There can be disputes regarding the interpretation of a particular phrase contained in a will. This often comes up

Children successfully void father's marriage — Texas Probate Litigation In Estate of Durrill The Corpus Christi Court of Appeals considered a suit by children to void their father’s marriage, pursuant to Chapter 123 of the Texas Estates Code. In 2008 William R. "Dusty" Durrill, a prominent Corpus Christi businessman was widowed after fifty years of marriag

What is inheritance theft?

Ultimately, it is the wrongful appropriation of an inheritance from the rightful heirs or beneficiaries.

That could be accomplished before or after death. Before a person dies, their assets can be stolen or diverted, so there is very little left in their estate. It can be accomplished after death by a bad will or beneficiary designation or by taking from an estate.

Inheritance theft might be committed by third parties, such as caregivers, neighbors, or advisers. It is also often committed by the testator’s own children or family members.