What Happens If You Die Without A Will In Texas?
Thinking about the end is never an easy task, is it? The looming question, “What happens to my loved ones when I am no longer around?” is enough to keep you up at night. If you’ve been losing sleep over not having a Will or comprehensive Estate Plan, you are not alone, and we are here to help.
Dying Without a Will: What Does it Mean For Your Assets in Texas?
A house is just a pile of stuff with a cover on it.” But we know that it’s not just “stuff.” It’s your legacy, memories, and hard-earned assets. The belongings you treasure and the home you’ve made your own shouldn’t be left vulnerable.
Don’t let this happen. Contact us now. Our Estate Planning attorneys can help protect your family’s future and legacy. Give yourself the peace of mind that comes with creating an effective Last Will & Testament and sound estate planning. We have offices in San Antonio (210) 570-2458 and Austin (512) 910-8977.
Ready to Take Control of Your Estate’s Future?
Our Texas Estate Planning Lawyers are dedicated to drafting a Last Will & Testament that reflects your wishes, ensuring your peace of mind and the security of your loved ones. It’s crucial to prepare for the inevitable by creating a will, health care directive, living will, and other essential estate planning documents. Ready to safeguard your legacy and provide for your family? Let us help you embark on this journey.
Probate In Texas Without A Will
The late comedian George Carlin said, “A house is just a pile of stuff with a cover on it.”
That may be true, but some of that stuff is important stuff. We all have stuff that is of sentimental value and other stuff that has real financial value.
Don’t forget about that “cover” as Carlin put it: your home and other real estate are also of financial value.
Create an Estate Plan Now
Contact our Texas Estate Planning Lawyers to draft a Last Will & Testament and ensure that your assets pass according to your desires.
You want to provide for your family. You should be prepared for the inevitable, that you’ll pass away at some point and also that you may die expectantly. That preparation includes drafting a will, a health care directive, living will, and other estate planning documents.
But What If I Don’t Do It? What Happens If I Don’t Have a Will?
In our state, if you don’t have a Will, the distribution of your belongings is NOT straightforward. However, it’s not personalized and may not reflect your wishes. These factors will determine who gets what:
- Whether you’re married;
- Whether you have children;
- Whether you have any children from a previous marriage or relationship;
- Whether your parents are still alive; and
- Whether you have any siblings still alive.
Your answers to these questions will determine who gets your stuff when you die and don’t plan ahead by creating a will.
Isn’t it Better To Make These Decisions Yourself?
With a will, you can make thoughtful bequests to loved ones or donations to causes you believe in. But without a will, there’s no debate or dispute—it’s all determined by Texas’s impersonal intestate succession laws.
Don’t you want to be the decision-maker of your legacy’s future? / Do you really want the state to decide who gets your belongings? Make your wishes known with a Will.
Make your wishes known with a Will.
Texas Intestate Succession Laws – What Does it Mean for You?
These laws aim to split your assets—your valued possessions—based on your closest relationships. However, keep in mind that this distribution might not be according to your personal wishes. If you have multiple groups of relatives, your legacy could be divided according to these laws, resulting in unexpected outcomes.
Are you ready to ensure your estate is passed on according to your wishes, and not predetermined by the law?
Contact The Hailey-Petty Law Firm, PLLC
Directions to Austin Estate Planning Lawyers
Will your spouse be perfectly taken care of after you’re gone?
While we may wish for our spouse to inherit everything, without a legal will in place, this could become a complex and costly situation. Unnecessary court proceedings, and the hiring of multiple attorneys… are the last things you want to leave behind for your spouse in their time of grief.
What if there was a clear, more secure path?
With a legal will, you take the wheel. You decide who shall take care of your cherished possessions, from charities you favor to friends and family. Without a will, the law takes over and the fate of your belongings could become uncertain.
Why not secure your family’s future today?
Contact Pamela Hailey-Petty and let the Hailey-Petty Law Firm guide you through the process of creating a foolproof Will and Estate Plan. Dial (512) 910-8977 for our Austin office, (210) 570-2458 for San Antonio, or send us an email at info@haileypettylaw.com.
What If I want everything to go to my spouse?
If you don’t have a legal will when you die your assets may or may not go to your spouse, depending on your family situation. It is a myth that you will not need to take any court action. Even if you have a simple estate (your house) and a straightforward family situation (spouse and two kids), you will have to go to court, be represented by an attorney in probate court, and hire an Attorney ad Litem to determine the heirs of your spouse’s estate. Yes, you are required to hire two attorneys in that situation. As you can see, not having a will becomes expensive.
If You Have a Will: You get to decide which charities, friends, and relatives get your stuff.
If You Have No Will: The law decides who gets your stuff.
Take the time to prepare for your family’s future by preparing a will and a complete estate plan with an experienced attorney. Talk to Pamela Hailey-Petty by contacting the Hailey-Petty Law Firm by calling (512) 910-8977 to reach our Austin office, (210) 570-2458 to reach our San Antonio office, or email info@haileypettylaw.com.
Your future and the future of your family are our business.