An affidavit is based upon either the personal knowledge of the affiant or his or her information and belief. Personal knowledge is the recognition of particular facts by either direct observation or experience. Information and belief is what the affiant feels he or she can state as true, although not based on firsthand knowledge.
An affidavit is a written statement of facts voluntarily made by an affiant under an oath or affirmation administered by a person authorized to do so by law.
Note: This Small Estate Affidavit needs to be signed by the two disinterested witnesses in front of a notary. The Court usually does not require a hearing on SEA applications, but in some circumstances the Court may require a hearing before a SEA will be approved.
In Texas, the small estate affidavit must be filed with the court and the court must approve the affidavit. After the court has approved the affidavit, it can be presented to a bank, organization or person, which then has to release the assets to the person with the affidavit.
Some of the essential requirements include the following: The decedent died without a will. The decedent left no more than $75,000 in property (not including homestead property, exempt property, and other non-probate property). The assets are worth more than the debts.
An Affidavit of Heirship is a legal document used in Texas to establish the heirs of a deceased person when there's no will. This affidavit helps transfer property ownership without probate court involvement. Typically, it's used to clarify rightful heirs for real estate and other assets.
In Texas, you may use a general affidavit form to compile your statement so long as you include the details pertinent to the reason you need an affidavit. You must also have the document notarized.
You can use the small estate affidavit to transfer real property to a surviving spouse and surviving minor children. If you only need to transfer real property to a surviving spouse, you can use an affidavit of heirship. An affidavit of heirship cannot be used to transfer other assets like cars or bank accounts.
The Texas affidavit of heirship form must be filled out and filed on behalf of a decedent's heir and can not be completed by the heir. Instead, two disinterested parties who know the necessary details about a decedent's family life need to fill out the form.
An affidavit of heirship must be signed and sworn to before a notary public by a person who knew the decedent and the decedent's family history. This person can be a friend of the decedent, an old friend of the family, or a neighbor, for example.
No. You are not required to hire a lawyer to file a Small Estate Affidavit in Texas. Many probate courts offer downloadable forms and clear instructions for filing. For example, Harris County provides a very good small estate affidavit form (pdf), as well as detailed instructions for filling it out.
