Johnson County

Johnson County Probate Attorney

Probate is the legal process that takes place when a loved one passes away and leaves behind their estate. In Texas, it’s important to initiate this process in the right county. Probates should be carried out in the county in which the deceased person used to reside.

At Keith Morris Attorney at Law, our Johnson County probate lawyer will be happy to assist you and your family in commencing the probate process for any decedent that used to reside in Johnson County. However, our assistance doesn’t stop there. Our legal professionals proudly provide probate guidance to families all over the North and East Texas regions.

For more information regarding the Texas probate process and how it works in your area, contact Keith Morris Attorney at Law today: (713) 636-5339.

How Does Probate Work in Texas?

Each state has its own way of carrying out probate. In Texas, the process is normal. However, one common error occurs within the first step of probate. Texas holds 18 different probate courts that are located within 10 different counties across the state. As the estate executor or administrator, if you try to file the estate documents at a court that’s not within your jurisdiction, your case could be thrown out or deemed void. This is where a probate lawyer can greatly assist all beneficiaries involved to make sure that the probate is initiated in the proper court.

Notifying Creditors

In Texas, before any beneficiaries can receive assets or property, all of the decedent’s debts must be paid off. This responsibility falls on the executor. Once the executor is done taking inventory of all assets, they should alert all creditors of the deceased party’s death. Since a death certificate usually isn’t available, creditors will accept a death notice from the local news as sufficient proof. In most cases, the debt is then paid off with the remaining assets held by the deceased party. Once all debts are cleared, the property and assets can be cleared for transfer to the beneficiaries.

Inheriting Assets

Assuming there are no will disputes and all debts have been paid, the time will come for beneficiaries to receive their owed property and assets. The good news? In Texas, state inheritance tax doesn’t exist. This means that no matter the amount of property or assets received, a beneficiary cannot be taxed on these items from the state. However, federal inheritance tax still exists. While federal taxes vary depending on the amount, in some situations beneficiaries could have to pay as high as a 40% tax rate on their inheritance. For a complete breakdown of federal inheritance tax rates, click here.

Seeking Legal Assistance

The probate process can be rather daunting, especially when trying to cope with the loss of a loved one. That’s why Keith Morris Attorney at Law is here to help. Our Johnson County probate attorney can help any estate executor, administrator, or beneficiary. Whether or not it’s your first time dealing with probate, it’s critical to make sure all the boxes are checked in an orderly fashion.

For more information regarding how we can assist you and your family, contact Keith Morris Attorney at Law today!