Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in Texas

The lawyer representing my Dads estate Took several calls from my niece who wanted to know if she could have his house for free even though she wasn't even listed in the will or Trust. He spoke with her more than once six months ago. As Executrix of His Estate I just received the $125 bill from this lawyer for HER phone calls to him. Does My Dads Estate owe this bill, since I didn't instigate these phone conversations nor have anything to do with her whining. As Executor and Successor Trustee, I was not aware she had called him on several occasions.

The lawyer's office staff says the Estate owes it because we were his clients and billing my niece would be unethical. I told them that SPEAKING to her should have been considered unethical, since she was NOT an interested party.


Asked on 1/03/12, 4:06 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Unfortunately, dealing with side issues such as this is a common part of the estate administration. It doesn't matter if she's nuts, if she has questions or complaints, it's reasonable for your attorney to address them. It's no different than if a creditor calls the attorney, but has the wrong debtor (this is common, especially in cases where the deceased had a common name.) The attorney still spends billable time dealing with spurious complaints. Going forward, you can instruct your attorney not to take further calls from this person.

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Answered on 1/03/12, 5:06 pm


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