How Property Distributed When Someone Dies Without A Will, Intestacy

What are the Inheritance Rights of Half-Siblings When Someone Dies Without a Will?

When someone dies without a Will in Texas, the deceased person’s property is distributed according to a statutory formula found in the Texas Estate Code. According to…

How Property Distributed When Someone Dies Without A Will, Intestacy

Dying Without A Will Can Be A Nightmare!

Intestacy laws are rigid and inflexible and may result in a distribution that seems neither fair nor equitable.

How Property Distributed When Someone Dies Without A Will

Dying Without A Will: The Texas Intestacy Statutes

The law gives you the freedom to make a Will that distributes your property how and to whom you wish. But if you die without a Will in…

How Property Distributed When Someone Dies Without A Will

The Complexities of Intestacy in Non-Traditional Families

I received a note last week that highlights the heartbreaking consequences of dying without a Will in non-traditional families. The couple had lived together for twenty-one years…

How Property Distributed When Someone Dies Without A Will

If You Don’t Have a Will, Texas Makes One For You

I received a phone call this week from a woman I’ll call Ellen, whose grandfather had succumbed to pancreatic cancer. His own children were…

How Property Distributed When Someone Dies Without A Will

The Rigidity of the Intestacy Statutes

I received an email this week from a grieving and very frustrated man. He lost his wife this month after sixteen years of marriage. Both he…

How Property Distributed When Someone Dies Without A Will

Who Inherits When Unmarried Sibling Dies Without a Will in Texas

When an unmarried sibling dies without a will in Texas, the distribution of his estate will depend on whether he has any surviving descendants or parents. If…

How Property Distributed When Someone Dies Without A Will

The Unintended Consequences of Not Having A Will: Deadbeat Dad Claims Part of Deceased Son’s Estate

While I was in Houston over the Holidays, I read an article in the Houston Chronicle that illustrates the unintended consequences of not having a will. It…

How Property Distributed When Someone Dies Without A Will

The Price of Not Having a Simple Will

I read an article by Don McNay recently, which highlights the complexities, expense and unwanted results that can arise in cases of intestacy. McNay is…

How Property Distributed When Someone Dies Without A Will

What are the Inheritance Rights of Adopted Children?

If you are a parent of an adopted child in Texas and you die without a will, your adopted child will be entitled to the same inheritance…