Contingency Fees In Will Contest?

Contesting a will in Texas

Written by Robert Ray

Robert Ray is the Editor and owner of this site. Board Certified, Personal Injury Trial Law — Texas Board of Legal Specialization. We handle inheritance disputes throughout Texas. Our principal office is in Lantana, Texas (DFW area).

Last updated Nov 18, 2020

Contesting A Will

When you are forced to contest a will in Texas because someone is trying to keep you from your rightful inheritance, you have to retain an inheritance attorney. How you pay that lawyer may determine whether you can or can’t contest the will.

Other Inheritance Issues

Other inheritance disputes that don’t involve a will contest like heirship proceedings, obtaining your inheritance from others and DNA issues can also be handled on a contingency basis.

Hourly Fee

When you are contesting a will in Texas, you normally pay the attorney on an hourly fee basis. You pay month in and month out as the inheritance lawyer works on your case.

You also pay the expenses as they are incurred by the attorney. This is the preferred method of payment for the lawyer. He works, he gets paid. Expenses are repaid when they are incurred. This works well for the client as long as the client has the resources to fund the lawsuit.

Some attorneys won’t agree to contingency fees when contesting a will in Texas. They will only handle a will contest on an hourly basis. Will contest can get expensive quickly. Will contest may last for several years. In addition to the fees, the expenses can become a burden.

Contingency Fees When Contesting A Will?

Many people do not have the resources to fund an expensive case contesting a will. If their choice is contesting a will on an hourly pay basis or not contesting a will, they are often left not being able to contest the will.

While many attorneys won’t agree to contingency fees when contesting a will in Texas, we handle a select few will contest on a contingency basis. We won’t handle every case using contingency fees when contesting a will but we handle some. Small estates don’t lend themselves to contingency fees when contesting a will, large estates do. Small and large are relative terms but generally, if your part should you win is less than $300,000, it is a small estate.

The Right Client

We won’t agree to contingency fees when contesting a will or handling an heirship problem unless our client has been or will be deprived of what is rightfully theirs by someone trying to gain an unfair advantage. If we agree to contingency fees when contesting a will, we advance cost and expenses as the case progresses. While you will have to repay these cost and expenses if you win, you are not out any money while the case is progressing. Because of the risk to the attorney, we are selective in the cases that we handle on a contingency. Attorney’s fees are paid before expenses are deducted from the recovery.

If you have a Texas inheritance dispute, we can help. The initial contact is free and there is no obligation. You need to act now because delay may mean that you lose what is rightfully yours. Click the red button to the right.

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Who and What we Are

Robert Ray is Board Certified

Robert Ray is the Editor and owner of this site. Board Certified, Personal Injury Trial Law — Texas Board of Legal Specialization. We handle cases throughout Texas. Our principal office is in Lantana, Texas (DFW area).
Contesting a will in Texas

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