Executor Defense
Executor & Administrator Defense
When beneficiaries accuse you of self-dealing, delay, or mismanagement, the right response is documentation and discipline — not panic. We defend personal representatives across Collin County and the greater DFW metroplex.
Defense against removal petitions and personal-liability claims
Response to formal accounting demands under the Estates Code
Documentation strategy that proves good-faith administration
350+ five-star Google reviews; McKinney & Southlake offices
Why People Call
A removal threat moves faster than an estate does
Once a beneficiary files to remove you or demands a formal accounting, the clock is no longer yours. A personal representative can be removed for cause under the Texas Estates Code (§§ 361.051–361.052; § 404.003), and accusations land even on executors acting in complete good faith. Early, organized counsel is what separates a manageable dispute from personal exposure — call 214-250-4407.
Self-dealing and conflict-of-interest accusations
Beneficiaries often read ordinary administration decisions as disloyalty — selling estate property, paying yourself a fee, or hiring a relative. Executors owe duties of loyalty and full disclosure, so the defense is to show the transaction was fair, disclosed, and in the estate's interest, not the result of concealment or commingling.
Delay and failure-to-distribute claims
Estates take time, but heirs rarely see why. We document the legitimate reasons distribution is paused — unresolved creditor claims, a contested asset, a pending tax matter — so a complaint about 'sitting on the money' is answered with a record rather than an apology.
Accounting demands
A beneficiary may demand an accounting from an independent executor once fifteen months have passed since the representative qualified (Tex. Est. Code § 404.001). We help you assemble a complete, defensible accounting on time, because a clean accounting often ends the dispute before it reaches a courtroom.
Removal petitions and personal liability
A court may remove a personal representative for cause and, in serious cases, surcharge them personally for losses to the estate. We respond to removal petitions, defend your conduct against the statutory grounds, and work to keep the administration — and your reputation — intact.
Good Fit
Cases we are built to handle
You are a named executor or court-appointed administrator under fire
A beneficiary has demanded a formal accounting or threatened removal
You acted in good faith and can support your decisions with records
You want to finish the administration without personal liability
The dispute is in Collin, Dallas, Denton, or Tarrant County
May Not Need Us
When a full probate lawyer may not be necessary
You actually used estate funds for personal benefit and want it hidden
You have refused for years to account or communicate with heirs
The 'estate' has no meaningful assets to administer or fight over
How We Work
Clear next steps before you hire us
We start with a 15-minute attorney consultation to identify whether the estate has a court problem worth solving. If it does, we explain whether the matter fits a flat fee, hourly work, or contingency structure where appropriate.
Reconstruct the record
We gather the will, inventory, bank records, and your decision history, then identify where the documentation is strong and where it needs to be shored up before anything is filed against you.
Answer the demand
Whether the trigger is an accounting demand or a removal petition, we respond on the merits — showing compliance with the will, proper notice, and good-faith judgment — rather than letting silence imply wrongdoing.
Resolve or defend
Most executor disputes settle once beneficiaries see an organized administration. When they don't, Stephan Hwang carries the matter into contested probate court with the same record built from day one.
Common Questions
Probate Questions Before You Call
Can I be removed as executor even if I did nothing wrong?
A beneficiary is demanding an accounting. Do I have to give one?
Could I be personally liable for losses to the estate?
Related Probate Help
Overview of how WG Law handles contested estates and trust disputes in DFW.
Executor RemovalThe other side of the table — when beneficiaries seek to remove a representative for cause.
Breach of Fiduciary DutyHow loyalty, disclosure, and accounting duties are enforced against fiduciaries.
Defend your administration with a record, not a reaction
If you are an executor or administrator under scrutiny, talk to WG Law before the next filing. We serve McKinney, Southlake, and the greater DFW metroplex. Call 214-250-4407 for a confidential consultation.