Probate

John McCall Jr. is one of a handful of Court Appointed Attorney Ad LItem for Collin County. This role serves as the Attorney for the "Unknown heirs" on any estate filed in Probate without a valid Will.

Probate is the court supervised process of verifying the authenticity of a will, if the deceased, the “decedent”, made one, and to make sure that that person’s debts are paid and their assets go to the correct heirs and/or beneficiaries. This means courts and lawyers, whose fees are paid from estate assets, are tasked with tracking down all the assets and liabilities of the recently deceased person’s estate and making sure remaining assets are transferred to the appropriate heirs. In Texas there is a probate court in every county and Dallas county itself has three different ones. There are different types of probate processes for different circumstances and it is essential that you understand your specific legal situation and the obstacles. In Texas the three types of probate administration are: Dependent Administration, Independent Administration and, unique to Texas, Muniment of Title. All three have their advantages and disadvantages along with varying levels of court oversight, requirements and cost. The type of probate that will best get you to a successful resolution depends on a several factors such as: the status or existence of a will (see probate with a will or probate without a will), the nature and value of the assets, debt, conflict among heirs and/or beneficiaries. If you find yourself, willing or not, in the role of an executor, administrator, heir to an estate you do not have to be intimidated by this daunting legal process. The Law Offices of John P. McCall Jr. is ready to help you at any stage of probate, help you make wise decisions and understand and avoid costly pitfalls.