Fort Worth Probate & Estate Administration Attorneys

Serving Tarrant County and Surrounding Texas Communities

At the Fort Worth law firm of Grover Loudermilk, PLLC, we provide comprehensive legal services relating to probate and administration of Texas estates. We assist clients throughout Tarrant County and beyond.

Our Experience and Credentials

Our practice focuses on legal matters relating to Texas probate and estates. Much of our work is courtroom-based, involving issues like complicated estate administrations, contested estates and guardianships, and complex creditor issues.

We assist individuals, as well as banks and other professional and corporate fiduciaries, with all matters relating to Texas probate and estate administration. Many of our clients come to us through referrals from other attorneys, which demonstrates our solid reputation in the Tarrant County legal community for providing exceptional service in probate and estate matters.

Our background includes both court service and private practice experience. The co-founders of the firm, attorneys Mike Grover and Bob Loudermilk, served for three years as staff attorneys at Tarrant County Probate Court No. 2, working on matters relating to estates, wills, trusts, probate, and guardianships. Both lawyers also have extensive probate and estate experience in private practice in Tarrant County.

Our credentials and experience set us apart and position us uniquely well to provide transactional and courtroom-based probate and estate administration services to our clients.

Texas Probate

Probate is the statutory process for settling a decedent’s estate. The Texas Estates Code governs the process, which is designed to protect the interests of beneficiaries or heirs and the rights of creditors with claims against the decedent or estate.

Estates are subject to probate requirements whether a decedent had a will or died intestate (without a will). However, some estates and some assets do not go through probate. Small estates may qualify for a small estate affidavit process. Some types of assets and property in certain types of trusts also are not subject to the probate process.

The nature of the probate process for a specific estate depends a number of factors, including whether the decedent had a valid will or died intestate without a will, and whether family members challenge the will or the probate proceedings are otherwise contested. Since the laws governing probate are extremely complex, navigating through the probate process requires assistance from an experienced probate lawyer.

Our attorneys at Grover Loudermilk assist clients with all aspects of the probate process, regardless of the circumstances of the estate. We have substantial experience representing clients in all types of probate situations, including complex probate matters, such as challenges to the validity of a will.

Estate Administration

Estate administration is a detailed process that includes notifying beneficiaries or heirs, collecting the decedent’s property, notifying creditors and resolving alleged debts, resolving any disputes, and eventually distributing the remaining assets of the estate to the beneficiaries or heirs.

In limited circumstances, no estate administration is necessary. An Affidavit of Heirship, Small Estate Affidavit, or Order Determining Heirship may be sufficient to settle a small estate. These alternatives to estate administration are available only in narrowly defined circumstances. In many cases, administration of the decedent’s estate is required.

The type of administration is based on the financial and family circumstances of the decedent and the estate. Texas has three different estate administration processes.

An independent administration does not require court supervision for most of the process. A dependent administration requires close court supervision. Muniment of title is a simplified probate procedure to transfer assets that is available only in limited situations.

The estate administration process is different for an estate with a will and one without a will. When there is a valid will that designates an executor to administer the estate, that person handles the process after petitioning the probate court for Letters Testamentary, which provide authorization to serve as personal representative for the estate. Where there is no will or where a will does not have a personal representative that can serve, a qualified individual must petition the probate court for appointment as administrator of the estate and Letters of Administration, which authorize the person to administer the estate.

Administration of an estate is a detailed process with many steps and strict legal requirements imposed by the Texas Estates Code. An executor or a person wishing to serve as administrator should consult with a knowledgeable estate administration attorney before embarking on the process.

Our attorneys at Grover Loudermilk handle all aspects of estate administration for clients named as an executor or wishing to serve as administrator. We also represent clients with other interests in the administration process. Our practice includes handling unusually complex and complicated estate administration issues. Our attorneys also serve as estate administrator in special circumstances.

Contact Our Tarrant County Probate and Estate Administration Lawyers

From our Fort Worth office, Grover Loudermilk attorneys assist clients throughout Tarrant County and surrounding communities with all aspects of probate and estate administration. We are experienced in handling probate and estate administration of all kinds, including situations involving complex court proceedings and complicated circumstances. To request additional information or schedule a consultation, please call us at 817.730.9300 or use our online contact form.