Trusts, Estates & Probate

TX Specific

Texas Estate Administration From Start to Finish

Credits Available
Credit Status Total
New Mexico CLE Approved 6.6 Total
Texas CLE Approved 6.5 Total
Texas State Bar of Paralegal Division Approved 6.5 Total
OnDemand
6 hours 40 minutes
Thais Amaral Tellawi
Joseph Epstein
Brenton Hill
Don Ford
With Thais Amaral Tellawi from Amaral Tellawi Law + 3 others
Recorded March 04, 2026.
Product ID 101486

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Overview

A Comprehensive Step-By-Step Guide to Estate Administration

Whether you're new to estate administration or need a basic refresher, this course will provide you with a comprehensive overview of estate administration, including proper asset valuation and distribution, taxation, and account closing procedures. You'll also learn how to correctly deal with thorny estate administration debt issues, including jointly held assets, business ownership and complex tax issues. Equip yourself with real-life, practical knowledge to ensure you are fully prepared to handle the entire estate administration process from start to finish - register today!

  • Learn how to meet every deadline, follow procedures, and complete essential forms.
  • Identify key estate administration pitfalls you need to avoid.
  • Come away with helpful forms, sample documents, and checklists to assist in the process.
  • Acquire strategies to ensure you can help your clients through every step of the probate process.
  • Manage your client's entire estate administration procedures properly and effectively.
  • Learn how to tackle complex estate administration issues such as tax issues, jointly held assets, and will contests.
  • Understand how to properly transfer and distribute assets.
  • Explore proper procedures and processes when dealing with insurance claims and debt during estate administration.
  • Gain a better understanding of the probate court's procedures so that you can avoid common pitfalls and mistakes.
  • Get the latest information on allowances and elections against the will.
  • Identify how to properly distribute assets to minors, surviving spouses and trusts.

Abbreviated Agenda

  1. Commencement of Proceedings and Information Gathering
  2. Initial Steps to the Estate Administration Process
  3. Marshalling Assets
  4. Handling Creditor Claims and Debt
  5. Distribution and Closing of the Estate
  6. Complex Issues in Estate Administration
  7. Handling Estate Administration Tax Issues
  8. Ethics and Estate Administration

Related Topics

Product ID 101486

Credit Details

Credits Available
Credit Status Total
New Mexico CLE Approved 6.6 Total
Texas CLE Approved 6.5 Total
Texas State Bar of Paralegal Division Approved 6.5 Total
Select Jurisdiction
CLE
Paralegal

Agenda

All times are shown in

  1. Commencement of Proceedings and Information Gathering

    1. Appointment of Estate Administration
      1. Formal vs. Informal Proceedings
      2. Sample Letters of Authority
    2. First Meeting With Family or Designated Personal Representative and Determination of Heirs
    3. Written Fee Agreements
    4. Tips to Locate Information Quickly Using Online and Government Resources
    5. Dealing with Multiple States

  2. Initial Steps to the Estate Administration Process

    1. Understanding the Laws of Intestacy
    2. Sample Estate Administration Checklists, Forms and Required Notices Needed
    3. Interpreting Provisions and Terms of Art Found in Wills
    4. Using Disclaimers Correctly

  3. Marshalling Assets

    1. Procedures to Locating and Marshalling Probate and Non-Probate Assets
      1. Safe Deposit Boxes and Bank Accounts
      2. Real Estate
      3. Brokerage Accounts, 401Ks, IRAs, Pensions and Life Insurance Policies
    2. Sample Forms and Documents Needed
    3. Appraisers and Valuing the Property of Probate Estates

  4. Handling Creditor Claims and Debt

    1. Sample Forms and Required Notices Needed
    2. Priority and Payment of Claims
    3. Late Claims and Contested Claims
    4. Steps to Ensure all Debt is Located and Handled Correctly
      1. What if the Assets Don't Cover the Bills?
      2. Bankruptcy and Foreclosure
    5. Selling of Assets and Properly Dealing with Creditors

  5. Distribution and Closing of the Estate

    1. Sample Forms, Agreements and Documents Needed
    2. Proper Transferring and Distribution of Probate and Non-Probate Assets and Timing of Distributions
      1. Real Estate
      2. 401Ks, IRAs, Pensions and Life Insurance Policies
      3. Distribution of Miscellaneous Assets (Automobiles, Jewelry, Etc.)
    3. Distributions in Kind
    4. Distribution to Minors, Surviving Spouse and Trusts
    5. Disposition of Unclaimed Assets
    6. Proper Settlement of the Estate
      1. Formal and Informal Estate Accountings
      2. Choosing the Appropriate Closing Procedure
      3. Compensation and Discharge of the Personal Representative

  6. Complex Issues in Estate Administration

    1. Jointly Held Assets
    2. Spousal Claims
      1. Allowances and Elections Against the Will
    3. Handling Unmarried Couples and Stepchildren
    4. Will Contests, Trust and Estate Disputes
    5. Business Ownership
    6. Agency Problems Involving Guardianships, Conservatorships, Powers of Attorney or Other Agency Relationships

  7. Handling Estate Administration Tax Issues

    1. Examples of Forms Needed
    2. Federal and State Estate Tax Considerations
    3. Income Tax Issues for the Estate and the Heirs
    4. Resolving Disputes With Taxing Authorities
    5. Deductions and Exemptions
    6. How the Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Affects Your Clients
    7. Tax Deadlines and Handling Extensions
    8. Sales of Real Property

  8. Ethics and Estate Administration

    1. Breach of Fiduciary Responsibility
    2. Avoiding Conflicts of Interest
    3. Attorney-Client Privilege
    4. Fee Agreements

Who Should Attend

This basic level online seminar is designed for professionals who want to be more effective in the estate administration process, such as:

  • Attorneys
  • CPAs and Accountants
  • Paralegals
  • Wealth Managers
  • Tax Professionals
  • Trust Officers

Speakers

Thais Amaral Tellawi
Thais
Amaral Tellawi
Amaral Tellawi Law
Joseph G Epstein
Joseph G.
Epstein
Joseph G. Epstein PLLC
Brenton D Hill
Brenton D.
Hill
McMahon Surovik Suttle, P.C.
Don D Ford III
Don D.
Ford, III
Ford + Bergner LLP
Speaker bio
Thais Amaral Tellawi

Thais Amaral Tellawi

Amaral Tellawi Law
Thais Amaral Tellawi

is a managing partner with the law firm of Amaral Tellawi Law, where she focuses her practice on estate planning, including wills, trusts, guardianship, and probate. Ms. Tellawi represents individuals, families and business owners. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas, Attorneys in Tax and Probate, and she is an Estate Planning instructor at Rice University. Ms. Tellawi earned her B.A. degree from the University of Houston and her J.D. degree from Texas Southern University.

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Speaker bio
Joseph G Epstein

Joseph G. Epstein

Joseph G. Epstein PLLC
Joseph Epstein

is a managing member at Joseph G. Epstein PLLC. His practice focuses primarily on estate planning, probate, and business law. Mr. Epstein earned his B.B.A degree from the University of Texas at Austin and his J.D. degree from the University of Houston Law Center. He is a member of the  State Bar of Texas (Real Estate, Probate & Trust Law, Business Law and Bankruptcy Law sections), and the Houston Bar Association (Probate, Trusts & Estates section). Mr. Epstein is licensed to practice in Texas; Supreme Court of Texas; U.S. District and Bankruptcy Courts for the Southern, Northern, Eastern and Western districts of Texas; and U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit.

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Speaker bio
Brenton D Hill

Brenton D. Hill

McMahon Surovik Suttle, P.C.
Brenton Hill

is an attorney at McMahon Surovik Suttle, P.C. where his practice now focuses on estate planning, probate, trust administration, business and commercial law, entity formation and governance, and oil and gas matters. He earned his B.A. degree, summa cum laude, from Baylor University and his J.D, degree, magna cum laude, from Baylor University School of Law.

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Speaker bio
Don D Ford III

Don D. Ford, III

Ford + Bergner LLP
Don Ford

is the managing partner with the law firm of Ford + Bergner LLP, and is board-certified in estate planning and probate. He has lectured to various professional groups on tax and estate planning, probate, and guardianships topics, and practices exclusively in these areas. In 2014, Mr. Ford was appointed by the chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court to serve as a commissioner on the Judicial Branch Certification Commission as a subject-matter expert in the area of guardianships. Additionally, he served from 2006 to 2014 on the Texas Guardianship Certification Board, where he served as the vice-chair of the committee and chaired the Rules Committee. Mr. Ford has also served on the editorial board of the Houston Lawyer Magazine, and the Board of Trustees for the Houston Lawyer Referral Service. He is a member of the Probate, Trusts and Estates sections of both the Houston and Dallas bar associations. Mr. Ford earned his B.B.A. and J.D. degrees from Baylor University, and worked on his Masters in taxation while in law school. 

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