Q: What do i do if a family member passed, no will was left. And only some assets were distributed not his money or land?
A cousin was a signer on his bank account as she was the one who would write out his checks to pay his bill. However when he passed she kept the money in his bank accounts and he was very wealthy. She designated one person and gave them a huge property and she has only separated other assets. What do I do? No will was left? He passed away in Louisiana but is from Texas. He had property in Louisiana and Texas.
A:
You should DEFINITELY talk with a Texas probate attorney. Probate is the legal process necessary to transfer a deceased person's assets. Typically, when there's no will, your probate attorney will handle the Determination of Heirship process for you.
This cousin was probably able to access those accounts because she was a "joint tenant with rights of survivorship" on some of the accounts. Everything else will probably need to go through the probate process.
You might be pleasantly surprised at how streamlined and affordable probate is in Texas.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
