The quick answer is no, he can’t. Texas has a statute that says that a devise or bequest of property in a will to the attorney who prepares or supervises the preparation of the will or to an heir or employee of the attorney is void. This statute applies to anyone who is not related to the attorney. The attorney can be a beneficiary of his family’s wills even if he prepares it.
In a recent case, an attorney had a woman working in his office that was an independent contractor. She was not an employee of the attorney. She was a paralegal but she just did occasional work for the attorney. She also did occasional work for other attorneys who shared office space with the attorney who drafted the will. The will made her a beneficiary and also appointed her as the executor of the will.
A sister of the testator contested the provisions of the will leaving part of the estate to the paralegal. The court agreed with the sister and ordered the paralegal to return all of the property that she had received to the heirs of the testator. The court also ordered the paralegal to pay the attorney fees of the sister.
The paralegal appealed claiming that the statute did not apply to her since she was not an employee. The appeals court denied her appeal and held that the gift to the paralegal was void. Jones v Krown.
By Robert Ray a Texas inheritance attorney. The foregoing information is general in nature and does not apply to every fact situation. If you are concerned about Texas inheritance laws, inheritance rights, probate limits, have a family inheritance dispute, a property dispute or want to know the reasons for contesting a will or protecting a will from a contest and need an inheritance lawyer, we can help. Please click on the “Contact Us” tab above and use the contact form to contact us today. We are Texas inheritance lawyers and would love to learn about your case. There is no fee for the initial consultation.
Your Privacy
We take your privacy very seriously. We are keenly aware of the trust you place in us and our responsibility to protect your privacy. We treat all information provided to us with care and discretion.
