By Nicholas “Nick” Noe, Partner, Romano & Sumner, PLLC.
If you believe a loved one’s will doesn’t reflect what they actually wanted — because someone pressured them, because they weren’t of sound mind when they signed, or because the document itself looks wrong — you can challenge it in court. Romano & Sumner is a Sugar Land estate-litigation firm, and contesting and defending wills in Fort Bend County is squarely what we do. The two things that decide whether you have a case are simple to state and easy to get wrong: you need a real legal ground, and you have to act inside the deadline — generally two years from the day the will is admitted to probate. The sooner you find out where you stand, the more options you have.
Worried you’re running out of time? Call Romano & Sumner at (281) 242-0995 for a free consultation. We’ll tell you honestly whether you have a case and how much of the clock is left — before the deadline decides for you.
Two questions decide it, and a Fort Bend will contest lawyer can usually tell you the answer in one conversation:
You don’t have to know which ground fits before you call. Sorting that out is our job. What matters right now is not waiting, because the clock is usually already running (see below).
In Texas, you generally have two years from the date the will is admitted to probate to contest it (Tex. Est. Code § 256.204). There are narrow exceptions — for forgery or other fraud the clock can run from when you discovered it, and there’s a separate rule for people who were incapacitated — but you should never count on an exception saving a late claim.
Here’s the trap we watch swallow good cases: the deadline starts when the will is admitted, which is often months before you’re formally notified anything happened. By the time most families stop reeling and start asking hard questions, a chunk of that clock is already gone — sometimes all of it. If a will is bothering you, the single most useful thing you can do is find out how much time is actually left. We break the deadline down in full — including the exceptions and what to do the day a notice arrives — in our guide on how long you have to contest a will in Texas. This page is about getting you to a lawyer who can act on it.
Fort Bend County doesn’t have a separate “probate court.” Unlike Harris County, which has statutory probate courts, probate matters in Fort Bend, including will contests, are handled by the county courts at law, which exercise probate jurisdiction, along with the constitutional county court and, in some matters, the district court (Tex. Gov’t Code § 25.0812). For you, the practical point is this: a will contest here is a real lawsuit, filed and litigated in the Fort Bend courts in Richmond, with deadlines, formal proof, and a burden that often falls on you. It’s not a form you file. It’s litigation, and it rewards moving early and being represented.
We’ve worked both sides of these disputes — challenging wills that don’t add up, and defending wills against challenges that don’t hold up. That two-sided experience is exactly why we can tell you early and honestly whether you have a real case or just a bad feeling, before you spend money finding out. When we take a will contest, we move to:
We handle the related disputes that ride alongside will contests, too — undue influence, executor and trustee misconduct, and beneficiary rights — so if your situation crosses those lines, you don’t have to go find another firm.
Romano & Sumner is a probate, guardianship, and estate-litigation firm based in Sugar Land, in the heart of Fort Bend County. This is not a sideline for us — estate disputes are the core of what we do, and we handle them in the Fort Bend courts and across the Houston area. When a family is in the worst stretch of their life, and someone is fighting over what a parent left behind, we’re the people who carry it for them. We can’t promise you a particular outcome — no honest lawyer can — but we can promise you a straight answer and a firm that knows these cases cold.
Estate-litigation matters at Romano & Sumner are handled by our partners — Paul Romano, Kenneth “Kenny” Sumner Jr., and Nicholas “Nick” Noe. Paul Romano is Board Certified in Estate Planning and Probate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
The sooner you call, the more of the clock you keep. A short, free call tells you where you stand. Call (281) 242-0995 or reach us through our contact page, and bring whatever paperwork you’ve received.
It depends on the case, but many will contests can be handled on a contingency fee — no attorney’s fees up front, and you owe fees only if there’s a recovery. That’s often what lets someone who’s been cut out of an estate stand up to the person now sitting on the money. We’ll walk through the options, and the honest tradeoffs, at the free consultation.
Generally, two years from the date the will is admitted to probate (Tex. Est. Code § 256.204), with narrow exceptions for fraud, forgery, and incapacity. The clock often starts before you’re notified, so don’t wait to find out where you stand.
A will contest is a lawsuit with strict deadlines, formal proof requirements, and a burden that often falls on the person challenging the will. The evidence that decides these cases has to be gathered and preserved early — that’s very hard to do well on your own, which is why most people who succeed are represented.
Fort Bend County has no separate statutory probate court; will contests are heard in the county courts at law that exercise probate jurisdiction (and, in some matters, the constitutional county court or district court), in Richmond.
Preserve every document and notice you’ve received, write down the date you found out, get a copy of the will and the probate file, and talk to a will contest attorney before the deadline runs. The first call with us is free.
This article is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice, and it is not a promise or guarantee of any particular result. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every situation is different. For advice about your circumstances, speak with a qualified Texas attorney.\
Romano & Sumner, PLLC
