Inheriting real estate in Texas can be a dream come true or a legal labyrinth, depending on the circumstances. While it often signifies the transfer of family wealth and heritage, it can also spark contentious disputes that test family bonds. Here, we explore some...
Estate administration makes a personal representative responsible for fulfilling certain financial obligations. They have a duty to manage a decedent's estate, which includes paying their debts. Personal representatives must review incoming mail and various financial...
When you create a will, you likely expect that it will be followed precisely without question. While that’s what happens in most cases, there are times when one or more parties may challenge the will. One of the most important things for you to remember as you create...
There are several scenarios in which the beneficiaries or heirs of an estate may have grounds to take action against a personal representative. Sometimes, incompetence or inaction can be a reason to replace a personal representative. Other times, people may question...
Undue influence is one of the grounds on which specific people can challenge a person’s will or estate plan. Typically they do this when they think someone has persuaded the person making the estate plan to alter things in their favor. But how does undue influence...
The loss of a loved one is a traumatic life event. For some people, having to deal with the estate plan afterward is extremely complicated because it may contain provisions that they weren’t aware of. Challenges to the estate plan can sometimes occur under these...
An executor is someone willing to carry out your wishes when you pass away. Most people choose the executor of their will carefully, naming a family member or close friend they inherently trust. However, there are times when your loved ones may have a valid basis to...
Conflicts often occur over the value of a business that’s involved in an estate, especially when the beneficiaries of the estate disagree on one or more factors. Sometimes, the disputes boil over and can’t be resolved without legal action. There are often complex...
People may leave holographic wills rather than documents drafted by a lawyer for a number of reasons. Some testators do not trust anyone else with their last wishes. Others may find themselves needing to plan in an emergency where they cannot access legal assistance....
Most of the time, trust management follows some fairly predictable patterns – until some conflict arises. Trustees can then end up facing difficult dilemmas that require additional legal clarity. In these situations, either the trustee or the beneficiaries of the...