{"id":12704,"date":"2023-04-09T06:00:29","date_gmt":"2023-04-09T11:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legaltalktexas.hammerle.com\/?p=12704"},"modified":"2025-06-18T13:04:19","modified_gmt":"2025-06-18T18:04:19","slug":"shortcut-with-long-odds-seldom-successful-small-estate-affidavit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hammerle.com\/legaltalk\/probate\/shortcut-with-long-odds-seldom-successful-small-estate-affidavit\/","title":{"rendered":"A Shortcut with Long Odds: The Seldom Successful Small Estate Affidavit"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Part 2 of a 3- part series on estate administration shortcuts. <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/hammerle.com\/legaltalk\/probate\/shortcut-or-short-sighted-muniment-title-proceeding\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">View part 1 of the series<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Successfully pulling off the Small Estate Affidavit on your first try is asking to hit a home run the first time you pick up a bat. Sure, it can happen, but\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>When Would a Small Estate Affidavit Be Available?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Small Estate Affidavit is a probate shortcut that is available only when the decedent dies without a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/hammerle.com\/legaltalk\/wills-trusts\/this-is-what-you-need-to-know-before-signing-a-will\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">valid will<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It is signed by all the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/hammerle.com\/legaltalk\/probate\/explaining-laws-of-descent-and-distribution\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">decedent\u2019s heirs<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and then filed with the court clerk of the appropriate court. The Court examines the affidavit and, if it complies with the statutory requirements, the Court approves it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once the affidavit is approved, then the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/hammerle.com\/legaltalk\/estate-planning\/five-secret-laws-that-could-undermine-your-estate-plan\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">estate property of the decedent<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can be distributed without formal administration or the appointment of an administrator.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In theory, a Small Estate Affidavit is a great shortcut to<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/hammerle.com\/legaltalk\/estate-planning\/good-friends-bad-legacies-dealing-with-the-aftermath\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> clean up the mess left by someone who died without a will.<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> So what are the problems?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Problems That Occur When Taking Shortcuts With a Decedent&#8217;s Estate<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first problem is that the statutory requirements are tough to meet. Really tough.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The second problem is that judges vary widely on how much information they require on the Affidavit. An Affidavit that one judge might consider acceptable may not meet the requirements of a different judge.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Small Estate Affidavit can be used when the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/hammerle.com\/legaltalk\/wills-trusts\/different-types-of-trusts-in-estate-planning\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">value of the estate<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> assets, excluding homestead and exempt property, is less than $75,000 and exceeds the known liabilities of the estate. The known liabilities do not include any liabilities secured by the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/hammerle.com\/legaltalk\/real-estate\/homestead-property-tax-exemptions\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">homestead and exempt property<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s parse that out a bit. The decedent is dead. The decedent did not leave a valid will. You need to figure out the identity of the heirs, all the decedent\u2019s assets, and all the decedent\u2019s liabilities before you can even start preparing the Small Estate Affidavit.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let us hope the decedent left good records and you can access them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Then you must <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/hammerle.com\/legaltalk\/estate-planning\/adulting-18-marks-turning-point-for-young-adults-and-parents\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">contact the heirs<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and convince them that they need to sign an affidavit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Then you need to find 2 \u201cdisinterested\u201d witnesses who know the family history and are also willing to sign the affidavit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After that you need to determine if the decedent left a homestead and identify what assets are considered \u201cexempt.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shall we go on?<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Steps Needed To Execute A Small Estate Affidavit<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The affidavit cannot be filed until at least 30 days have passed from the decedent\u2019s death. The affidavit, which will be a public record once you file it. In addition to listing the heirs and their addresses, and the decedent\u2019s assets and liabilities, the affidavit must also include relevant family history facts that show each distributee\u2019s status as an heir.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How many relevant family history facts do you have to include? See Problem Two above \u2013 who knows what will be enough for the judge? A starting point would be the date of birth of the decedent, the birthdate and birthplace of any children, the history of decedent\u2019s marriages and divorce or death of any spouses, and places the decedent lived. If the decedent did not leave children, or a child predeceased, then you must go further out on the family tree.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0The Affidavit must then be signed by every heir with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/hammerle.com\/legaltalk\/estate-planning\/six-common-power-of-attorney-documents-in-texas\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201clegal capacity\u201d<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the natural guardian or next of kin of any minor or incapacitated heir, and by 2 disinterested witnesses. The Affidavit should state how the witnesses knew the decedent.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the Affidavit is approved, then the heirs can provide a certified copy of the Affidavit to the people holding the decedent\u2019s property and demand that it be turned over to them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If. That is a big If.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hammerle Morris Can Help With Your Estate Planning Needs\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wondering what solutions would work best for you and your family? <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/hammerle.com\/lewisville-attorney\/#form\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Schedule a consultation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with one of the experienced <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/hammerle.com\/lawyers\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">attorneys<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at Hammerle Morris to discuss your options.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Attorney <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/hammerle.com\/lawyers\/virginia-hammerle\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Virginia Hammerle<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has practiced litigation and estate planning for 40 years. She is founder and managing attorney for <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/hammerle.com\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hammerle Morris Law Firm<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Part 2 of a 3- part series on estate administration shortcuts. View part 1 of the series. Successfully pulling off the Small Estate Affidavit on your first try is asking to hit a home run the first time you pick up a bat. Sure, it can happen, but\u2026 When Would a Small Estate Affidavit Be [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":12705,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1225],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-12704","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-probate"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Seldom Successful Small Estate Affidavit | Hammerle Morris Law Firm<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In the second installment of this 3 part series, Virginia Hammerle discusses when a Small Estate Affidavit is available and the necessary steps needed to complete one.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, 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