Probate & Estate Administration

Our lawyers possess decades of experience in issues related to administering the estate of a deceased person. We represent individuals and corporations in Comal, Guadalupe, Bexar, Hays, and Travis counties, although our offices are physically located in New Braunfels, Texas.

At Reagan Burrus, we have extensive backgrounds in representing executors, administrators, beneficiaries and guardians. On a regular basis, we are retained to represent individuals and corporations who are serving as executors, as well as beneficiaries named in a will or trust. Areas of expertise in connection with the administration of estates include the following:

  • Representing executors in probating wills and managing the estate administration process
  • Representing administrators when there is no will
  • Preparing and/or assisting in the preparation of federal estate and gift tax returns
  • Counseling clients with regard to post-mortem tax planning
  • Ensuring that beneficiaries’ rights are protected
  • Representing guardians throughout the entire guardianship process

Our attorneys at Reagan Burrus are also experts at counseling clients on trust issues of all kinds. Over the years, we have provided guidance to trustees. We represent trustees when their discretion is being challenged by a beneficiary, when questions have arisen with regard to the fulfillment of their fiduciary obligations, and on general trust administration questions.

We can also provide professional guidance related to a beneficiary’s rights under a trust. Areas of expertise in connection with the administration of trusts include the following:

  • Counseling trustees to ensure that actions of the trustee are consistent with the terms of the trust
  • Providing guidance to trustees on how to protect the trustee from liability
  • Addressing issues associated with the relationship between trusts and federal estate and income taxes and/or generation-skipping transfer taxes
  • Working with a trustee in the preparation of an accounting, whether required by the Texas statutory law or in response to a demand from a beneficiary
  • Assisting trustees of court-created trusts
  • Aiding a beneficiary in making a demand upon a trustee for a distribution
  • Assisting a beneficiary who wishes to obtain more information concerning the trustee’s activities with regard to a trust and its assets
  • Reviewing and analyzing information contained in a trustee’s accounting