Someone is keeping you from what you were meant to inherit.

Only an "interested person" can contest a will, bring a claim against a fiduciary, or file an heirship proceeding in Texas. The Estates Code defines that as an heir, a devisee, a spouse, a creditor, or anyone else with a property right in or claim against the estate.

In practice that usually means: you're named in the will, you'd inherit if there were no will, or you're owed money by the estate. A friend, a neighbor, or an adult child who was intentionally left out of a valid will and isn't otherwise an heir generally is not.

Honestly: they are expensive. Inheritance litigation involves depositions, medical records, sometimes expert witnesses, and a trial. Most lawyers will not take these on contingency.

I take a limited number on contingency, which means the fee comes out of the recovery rather than out of your pocket as the case goes along.

Because of what these cases cost to fight, I generally take them where a successful outcome would mean the client receives at least $500,000 — a case that's expensive to try can otherwise consume most of a modest recovery. But people frequently underestimate what an estate is worth, so don't rule yourself out on a guess. The cost page explains how to work it out.

The basic rule for a will contest in Texas is two years from the date the will is admitted to probate. Note carefully: that is not two years from the date of death, and the two dates can be far apart.

If you aren't contesting a will but are simply trying to establish that you're an heir and get what's yours, you may have more time. There are also narrower rules for people who were minors or under a legal disability, and for claims of forgery or fraud. Because the exceptions are technical, treat any deadline question as urgent rather than assuming you're fine.

That's the accusation the other side almost always makes, and it stops a lot of people from calling.

Most of these cases are not about a family member who's unhappy with their share. They're about an elderly person who became dependent on someone — often a person who arrived late, sometimes a caregiver or a new partner — and whose estate plan changed to match that person's wishes rather than their own. Bringing the case is how the law protects people who can no longer protect themselves.

No. My office is in Lantana, in the Dallas–Fort Worth area, but I handle cases across Texas and most of what we do together happens by phone, video, and email. Court appearances happen in the county where the estate is being probated.

You tell me what happened. I ask about dates — when they died, when the will was filed, when the changes were made — and about who was around at the end. Usually within one conversation I can tell you whether there's something worth looking into, what documents to gather, and whether you have a timing problem.

If I don't think you have a case, I'll say so. That's a better outcome for you than spending money to find out slowly.