We bring 20 years of committed experience helping individuals and families throughout Comanche County address their estate planning and probate needs with skill and compassion. Over nearly two decades of practice, the Law Office of Brett H. Pritchard has adopted a hands-on approach, resulting in the successful representation of thousands of clients facing diverse legal challenges.

How We Assist in Estate Planning

Creating a comprehensive estate plan protects your loved ones and ensures that your wishes govern the distribution of your property to future generations. We work closely with clients to develop customized strategies that address family circumstances, financial goals, tax considerations, and personal values through legally enforceable documents and strategic planning techniques.

Drafting Wills

We prepare testamentary instruments that specify exactly how you want your assets distributed, who will manage your estate, and who will care for minor children after your death. Texas has specific requirements for wills and we ensure your documents are enforceable under the law.

Planning for Incapacity

Unexpected illness or injury can leave you unable to manage financial affairs or make healthcare decisions without proper advance planning. We draft durable powers of attorney that authorize trusted individuals to handle banking, real estate transactions, and business matters on your behalf, along with medical directives that communicate your treatment preferences and appoint healthcare agents to make decisions when you cannot.

Minimizing Taxes

Strategic estate planning reduces or eliminates tax burdens that can substantially diminish the inheritance your beneficiaries receive from your life's work. We implement techniques, including spousal transfers, charitable giving strategies, and lifetime gifting programs that maximize available exemptions while keeping assets within your family rather than paying unnecessary taxes to government entities.

Designating Guardians

Parents of minor children must appoint guardians in case both parents pass away. At the Law Office of Brett H. Pritchard, we help you choose qualified guardians and document the appointments in legally binding, court-recognized instruments.

Asset Protection and Beneficiary Designations

Our Comanche County estate and probate lawyers implement legal structures that shield your wealth from creditors, lawsuits, and excessive taxation while maintaining your access to assets during your lifetime. Additionally, we ensure retirement accounts, life insurance policies, and payable-on-death accounts include current beneficiary designations that coordinate with your overall estate plan to achieve seamless transfers.

Updating the Plan

Life changes such as marriages, divorces, births, deaths, relocations, and significant asset acquisitions require corresponding updates to estate planning documents to maintain their effectiveness. We recommend regular reviews of your plan and promptly modifying documents when circumstances change, ensuring your estate strategy continues reflecting your current situation and intentions rather than outdated information.

How We Help Families Through Probate

Administering estates through Texas probate courts involves numerous procedural requirements and fiduciary responsibilities that executors must fulfill under judicial supervision. Our Comanche County estate and probate lawyers guide personal representatives through every phase of estate settlement, from initial court filings through final asset distributions, while protecting them from potential liability and ensuring compliance with all statutory obligations.

Validating the Will

The probate process starts with filing an application to admit the will and obtain court authorization for the executor to act on behalf of the estate. We prepare all required petitions, assemble necessary documentation, publish statutory notices, and represent executors at hearings where judges validate the will and issue letters testamentary, granting legal authority to administer the estate. 

Identifying and Appraising Assets

Executors must identify all estate property, prepare detailed inventories, and obtain professional valuations for major assets. We assist in locating accounts, including:

• Bank accounts and certificates of deposit.
• Investment portfolios and brokerage accounts.
• Real estate holdings and mineral interests.
• Business ownership interests and partnerships.
• Vehicles, boats, and recreational equipment.
• Personal property and household furnishings.
• Digital assets and cryptocurrency holdings.

Texas Estates Code § 309.051 requires executors to file sworn inventories with probate courts within ninety days after qualifying unless courts grant extensions for sufficient reasons.

Distributing Assets

After paying valid debts and taxes, executors distribute the remaining estate property to beneficiaries in accordance with the will's provisions or intestacy statutes. We prepare distribution plans, transfer deeds, assignment documents, and beneficiary receipts that document proper asset transfers while releasing executors from continuing liability for estate administration.

Resolving Disputes

Conflicts among beneficiaries, challenges to will validity, disputes over executor conduct, and disagreements about asset valuations can complicate estate settlement and delay distributions. We mediate conflicts when possible to preserve family relationships and avoid expensive litigation. We also provide vigorous advocacy in contested proceedings when amicable resolution proves impossible.

Handling Intestate Cases

When someone dies without a valid will, Texas intestacy laws determine which relatives inherit property and in what proportions. We guide administrators through intestate proceedings, helping families understand statutory inheritance priorities and ensuring proper distributions in accordance with Texas Estates Code § 201.001.