Living in the United States, especially in Texas, gives you considerable control over how your property is distributed after your passing. By creating a will, you can specify your preferences for who receives your assets and designate your beneficiaries. But who are the legal heirs of a deceased person? Understanding this is crucial for effective estate planning. We believe that every adult, regardless of financial situation, should prioritize creating a will. Crafting a well-drafted will is neither costly nor time-consuming, yet the advantages it offers to you and your family are profound and enduring.
Empowerment through Estate Planning
Despite recommendations to do so, some of you likely reading this blog post will not take this advice and have a will drafted before you pass away. Worse yet, you may get into a position where you are incapable of drafting a will while you are alive due to a mental or physical limitation. In that case, you would not be able to determine where and to whom your property goes after you pass away.
Not only can this be a helpless feeling for you, but it can seriously harm those around you. Imagine being someone who could stand to benefit from the property that you have worked hard for in your life. All it would have taken for you to benefit those folks would be to draft a will. Not having done so can cost these people a great deal of time, money, and peace of mind. When we talk about your legacy this is what we have in mind.
If you pass away without a will, the state of Texas will determine the division of your property. The Texas probate code guides a judge on property division in a probate proceeding. This process disregards your wishes and consumes time and resources that could have benefited your family or others. Not only that, but these statutes do not consider that your family may not be your desired recipients of yours regarding the property.
Understanding the Value of Wills
Some may consider drafting a will unnecessary, assuming that state statutes dictate property distribution to their spouse and close family members upon death. Where is the benefit to your family of drafting a will if the law provides for the property to go to those people regardless of what you say in the will itself? Bear in mind that you may want people outside of your family to inherit some or even most of your property. In addition, the probate process can be time-consuming and expensive. In many cases, a will allows you to bypass the probate process and allows an executor to divide property quickly after your passing rather than having to rely upon A probate court judge to administer the process and oversee the division of your estate.
Anytime you can remove a middleman or intermediary from your affairs is a good thing. Involving a middleman unnecessarily complicates your affairs, introducing someone else into your affairs when you can handle them independently. In this case, the probate court not only acts as a middleman between yourself and your family when it comes to your property but their presence also forces your family to have to wait to receive property that otherwise could and would be theirs.
Take Action on Your Will
That a probate court judge represents the government, and you will be citing authority to the government to divide your property at your passing should also give you plenty of reason to stop and consider why you have not had a will created yet. Regardless of your political views or voting preferences, I cannot envision a scenario where it would benefit your family to have the government make decisions instead of you.
If all of this talk regarding drafting a will has motivated, you to begin the process of will creation then please do not hesitate to contact the Law Office of Bryan Fagan today. Our licensed estate planning attorneys can work with you to learn about the estate planning process and develop a strategy on how to divide property patches of passing that considers your wishes and the needs of your family. A free-of-charge consultation with one of our estate planning attorneys is available to you six days a week in person, over the phone, and via video. We seek to serve our community as best we can and allowing for free-of-charge consultations opens the door to helping everyone in our area gain an insight into estate planning that they otherwise may not have.
Preserve Your Legacy: Create Your Will Today
Without knowing you on a personal level, it would be foolish of me to try to assume that I know what your legacy will be or what you want your legacy to be after you pass on from this life. However, building a legacy means improving the lives of those around you and leaving them with positive memories of you in most circumstances. If that sounds like a legacy to you then creating a will before you pass is one of the most effective ways of preserving or building a legacy in the first place.
Our attorneys do not make decisions for you when it comes to creating a will. Rather, our attorneys will guide you in the decision-making process and help you brainstorm ideas and solutions to problems that you may be experiencing. Along the way, we will seek to educate you about the estate planning process so that you can make better decisions for yourself and your family.
Passing away while unmarried without children
Certainly, the most common individuals I encounter who believe they don’t need a will are unmarried individuals without children. However, it’s crucial for this group to understand that the law applies to them equally. They shouldn’t assume they have less at stake or that their family wouldn’t benefit as much from their property as those with children or spouses. This is a dangerous way to approach an important subject.
Inheritance Distribution Rules Explained
If you pass away and both of your parents are still alive, then they will receive all of your property. Regardless of their marital status, whether married, divorced, or never married, both of your parents will receive an equal share of any property you own at the time of your passing, divided evenly with each receiving 50%. If one of your parents has predeceased, you then the surviving parent get 50% of your property and your siblings will share equally in the remaining 50%. Not having any surviving parents means that your siblings would receive all your property and would divide it into equal shares. Finally, if you have no surviving parents or siblings then your property would be divided equally between your mother’s side of the family and your father’s side of the family.
Here is something for you to chew on as you consider whether You as a single person truly need a will. If you have no family who could stand to benefit from the property that you own at the time of your passing, then the property will pass to the state of Texas. That’s right, the government of the state of Texas would be able to acquire all your property when you die. How they use the property or to whom they sell the property would be completely up to them. For my money, this is probably the most critical reason why you would want to have a will in place before passing away.
The Importance of Estate Planning
Wouldn’t you want to be able to exert control over how your estate is divided upon your passing? Wouldn’t it be better for you to be able to determine where your property goes after you pass away? Is there a charity, church, or other organization that you think he would like your property to benefit from? If so, you need to take steps to ensure that this organization will be able to receive your property. Otherwise, there will be no opportunity for a probate court judge to pick this cause or organization out in particular for your property to go.
Or think about a close friend or acquaintance that you have who could stand to receive property and receive the financial benefits of this property after you pass away. This may have been someone with that you have taken a shining to or developed a relationship over the years. Is that person a disabled person? A single mother? Or even an elderly neighbor who you know could stand to benefit from you being a state no matter the size? These would all seem to be worthy recipients of your property after your passing. Again, the probate court judge would not be able to pick your elderly neighbor out of a hat and say that he or she gets your property at your passing. This can only be accomplished by your having a will completed before your passing away.
Passing away while single with children
If you are single and have children, then your property would pass all to your children in equal shares when you die without a will. An example of this circumstance would involve you passing away with three children. If you die without a will and all three of your children are still alive at the time of your passing, then each of them would receive 1/3 of your state. This can become slightly trickier if you consider that one of your children may have predeceased you. In that case, when you pass away your two surviving children will receive 1/3 of your estate while your deceased child’s children would divide up evenly the one-third that would have gone to your child if he or she were still living.
Passing away as a married person without a will
If you die without a will in Texas and are married, the assumption is that your spouse would receive all of your property. While this can be the case it depends upon how your property is classified at the time of your passing. Texas is a community property state. In the event of divorce or death, community property presumes that all property owned by you is community property. Consequently, if all your property is classified as community property, your spouse inherits it all. However, if you own any separate property then the circumstances can become more complicated.
Texas Inheritance Laws: Spousal and Child Rights
Under Texas laws, if you’re married and both your spouse and children survive you, your spouse inherits all your community property, assuming all your children are also your spouse’s children. However, if you have children who are not from your marriage to your spouse then half of your interest in the community state would go to your children from outside the marriage and your spouse would keep only their 1/2 portion of the community estate. Again, if you have no children then your spouse would inherit all your community estate.
Treatment of Separate Property
This is only a portion of the discussion that we need to have on the division of property at the time of your passing without a will. Let’s also discuss how separate property will be treated and divided. Separate property includes any assets you owned before marriage or acquired during marriage by gift or inheritance. It does not undergo the same distribution process as community property upon your passing. For separate property, if your spouse and children survive then your spouse would receive 1/3 of your separate property. Additionally, your spouse would receive a life estate in 1/3 of your separate property that is real estate. This would mean your family home would be a life estate for your spouse. Your children would inherit all the rest of your separate property.
It can become cumbersome when talking about separate property that you own if you die married but without children. In that case, your separate property that is not real estate will be distributed to your spouse. Keep in mind that if you have parents or siblings that are alive at the time of your passing your spouse would receive only half of your separate real estate property. In that case, the other half would go to your parents or siblings based on the language In the Texas probate code.
Final thoughts on heirs and dying without a will
Identifying who the legal heirs of a deceased person are is a key aspect of estate planning, crucial for determining how assets should be allocated. In Texas, if there is no will, the state’s intestacy laws provide default rules for distributing assets, typically designating spouses, children, parents, and other close relatives as legal heirs.
However, complications can arise with blended families or stepchildren, who may not qualify as legal heirs under these laws. To ensure that your assets are distributed according to your wishes and to avoid potential conflicts, having a well-crafted will is essential. Regardless of your family structure or financial situation, a comprehensive will offers peace of mind and clarity in the distribution of your estate.
Questions about the material contained in today’s blog post? Contact the Law Office of Bryan Fagan
if you have any questions about the material contained in today’s blog post, please do not hesitate to contact the Law Office of Bryan Fagan. Our licensed estate planning attorneys offer free-of-charge consultations six days a week in person, over the phone, and via video. These consultations are a great way for you to learn more about the world of Texas estate planning as well as about how your family circumstances may be impacted by an end-of-life situation or the drafting of a will. Thank you for your interest in our law office and we hope that you will join us again tomorrow as we continue to share interesting and unique information about the world of Texas estate planning.
Other Related Articles:
- Who are the heirs to an estate when someone dies without a will?
- What is an Heirship Proceeding in Texas Probate?
- The Basics of Texas Probate: A Guide for Executors and Heirs
- Determining The Heirs of An Intestate Estate In Houston Or Elsewhere In Texas
- What are the benefits of creating a will as a veteran?
- Do Beneficiaries Get a Copy of The Will?
- Contesting A Will in Texas: What You Need To Know
- Inheritance Laws in Texas: What Happens Without a Will?
- How do you make a valid holographic will in Texas?
Frequently Asked Questions
In Texas, property inheritance follows the state’s laws of intestate succession. With a valid will, property distribution adheres to the will’s terms. Without a will, Texas law governs the distribution among legal heirs.
In Texas, the order of heirship typically follows the rules of intestate succession. Spouses and children have priority in inheriting the property, followed by parents, siblings, and other more distant relatives.
Yes, in Texas, children have a right to inherit from their parents under the laws of intestate succession. If the deceased parent has no will, the children will inherit a share of the property.
Bryan Fagan, a native of Atascocita, Texas, is a dedicated family law attorney inspired by John Grisham’s “The Pelican Brief.” He is the first lawyer in his family, which includes two adopted brothers. Bryan’s commitment to family is personal and professional; he cared for his grandmother with Alzheimer’s while completing his degree and attended the South Texas College of Law at night.
Married with three children, Bryan’s personal experiences enrich his understanding of family dynamics, which is central to his legal practice. He specializes in family law, offering innovative and efficient legal services. A certified member of the College of the State Bar of Texas, Bryan is part of an elite group of legal professionals committed to ongoing education and high-level expertise.
His legal practice covers divorce, custody disputes, property disputes, adoption, paternity, and mediation. Bryan is also experienced in drafting marital property agreements. He leads a team dedicated to complex family law cases and protecting families from false CPS allegations.
Based in Houston, Bryan is active in the Houston Family Law Sector of the Houston Bar Association and various family law groups in Texas. His deep understanding of family values and his professional dedication make him a compassionate advocate for families navigating Texas family law.
