{"id":12978,"date":"2024-04-01T01:51:37","date_gmt":"2024-04-01T06:51:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/texasaglaw\/?p=12978"},"modified":"2026-04-17T15:10:38","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T20:10:38","slug":"family-dispute-leads-to-litigation-over-handwritten-will","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/texasaglaw\/2024\/04\/01\/family-dispute-leads-to-litigation-over-handwritten-will\/","title":{"rendered":"Family Dispute Leads to Litigation Over Handwritten Will"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>This case,\u00a0<em>In the estate of Marilyn Frances Martinez<\/em>, pits father against daughter in a dispute over whether language in a handwritten will is a valid devise of property under Texas law.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_12979\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12979\" class=\"wp-image-12979 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/texasaglaw\/files\/2024\/03\/alvaro-serrano-hjwKMkehBco-unsplash-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/texasaglaw\/files\/2024\/03\/alvaro-serrano-hjwKMkehBco-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/agrilife.org\/texasaglaw\/files\/2024\/03\/alvaro-serrano-hjwKMkehBco-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/agrilife.org\/texasaglaw\/files\/2024\/03\/alvaro-serrano-hjwKMkehBco-unsplash-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/agrilife.org\/texasaglaw\/files\/2024\/03\/alvaro-serrano-hjwKMkehBco-unsplash-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/agrilife.org\/texasaglaw\/files\/2024\/03\/alvaro-serrano-hjwKMkehBco-unsplash-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-12979\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Photo by <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/@alvaroserrano?utm_content=creditCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=unsplash\">\u00c1lvaro Serrano<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Background<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Marilyn Martinez died of COVID in November 2020.\u00a0 Less than 5 days later (117 hours, to be precise), her second husband, Raymond Martinez, died as well. She was survived by her son, Clifton, his daughter (her granddaughter) Desiray, and Desiray&#8217;s two siblings.<\/p>\n<p>After Marilyn&#8217;s death, Desiray, found a handwritten document among her belongings.\u00a0 The first page of the document said that Raymond was &#8220;to get everything if I die first to include all my belongings, valuables, jewelry.&#8221;\u00a0 Then it said, &#8220;I will list what special items to give to who.&#8221;\u00a0 In that list, she left 69 acres in Campbellton, TX &#8220;equally to Clifton, Desiray, and Desiray&#8217;s two siblings.&#8221;\u00a0 The second page lists a property on Peterson Avenue in San Antonio and says &#8220;Desi lives here.&#8221;\u00a0 It then listed a property on Kingley Drive in San Antonio and said that Marilyn and Raymond &#8220;live here.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Desiray filed a petition for declaratory judgment seeking a construction of the will with regard to the San Antonio properties. Clifton argued Marilyn did not intend to devise to the two San Antonio properties, that she merely identified who occupied them.\u00a0 He argued that since the will used &#8220;no testamentary language&#8221; with regard to the San Antonio properties, she died intestate as to those properties and he is entitled to both as her sole heir.<\/p>\n<p>The trial court granted Desiray&#8217;s petition, holding that the Peterson Ave. property went to Desiray pursuant to the will and that the Kingley property went to Clifton since her husband did not survive her by 120 hours as required by Texas law to inherit.\u00a0 Clifton appealed.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Applicable Law<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In Texas, a holographic (handwritten) will is valid if it is written wholly in the testator&#8217;s handwriting.\u00a0 While a typewritten will requires two witnesses, a holographic will has no witness requirement. A holographic will should be liberally construed to effect the testator&#8217;s intent. Words used in a holographic will are construed &#8220;as a lay person would use them absent evidence that the testator received legal assistance in drafting the will or was otherwise familiar with technical meanings.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>When construing any will, a court seeks to &#8220;ascertain the testator&#8217;s intent and to enforce that intent to the extent allowed by law.&#8221;\u00a0 A court looks to the instrument&#8217;s language as a whole and seeks to harmonize all provisions to give effect to the will&#8217;s intent.\u00a0 One presumption in interpreting wills is to disfavor any construction that would render the decedent intestate (having died without a will).<\/p>\n<p>Under Texas law, a person who does not survive the decedent by 120 hours is considered to have predeceased the decedent for purposes of the homestead allowance, exempt property, and intestate succession.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Appellate Court Opinion<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The San Antonio Court of Appeals affirmed.\u00a0 [Read Opinion <a href=\"https:\/\/search.txcourts.gov\/SearchMedia.aspx?MediaVersionID=33f0cdda-9cff-40df-b83a-8e219c66ae05&amp;MediaID=a64b7f2e-5e1e-4708-ae03-af4d6f63dc15&amp;coa=%22%20+%20this.CurrentWebState.CurrentCourt%20+%20@%22&amp;DT=Opinion\">here<\/a>.]<\/p>\n<p>The court stated it is undisputed that the will is a valid holographic will under Texas law.<\/p>\n<p>Second, the court noted that Clifton is Marilyn&#8217;s sole heir.\u00a0 Because her husband died three hours less than the 120-hour requirement, he is treated as having pre-deceased Marilyn.\u00a0 Thus, he was entitled to inherit any property not devised by her will that passed through intestate succession.<\/p>\n<p>Next, the court turned to the issue of the San Antonio properties.\u00a0 Clifton claimed the document contained no testamentary language with regard to the San Antonio properties.\u00a0 It merely listed them and who lived there.\u00a0 Thus, he argued, they should pass to him by intestate succession.\u00a0 He contrasts this language with the language devising the Campbellton property that clearly showed intent to devise.\u00a0 Desiray argued that the listing of the address and who lived at each property, along with the prior page saying that Marilyn intended to list special items to give to certain persons demonstrated her intent to devise the properties to the persons living in them as listed in the will.<\/p>\n<p>The court sided with Desiray.\u00a0 &#8220;In reviewing the will&#8217;s language, considering its provisions as a whole, and attempting to harmonize them so as to give effect to [Marilyn&#8217;s] intent, it is clear Marilyn intended to devise the property she listed in the will.&#8221;\u00a0 The court noted that Marilyn was a layperson and there was no evidence she received legal assistance or was familiar with technical legal meanings. Although this will was &#8220;not a paragon of precision&#8221; the court reasoned that the will plainly states her husband was to receive all belongings and then provided that she would list special items to be given to others.\u00a0 Although she did not state whom the San Antonio properties would be devised, she did list them and identify by name who lived there.\u00a0 The court concluded this was sufficient proof of her intent to devise the properties to the listed persons who occupied them. Clifton&#8217;s interpretation would have rendered Marilyn listing these two properties as useless.<\/p>\n<p>Thus, the court affirmed the trial court holding that Marilyn left Desiray the Peterson Avenue property by will, and that because Raymond is deemed to have predeceased her by law, the Kingley property passed through intestate success to her only heir, Clifton.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>What Happens Next?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Clifton did not seek review of this decision by the Texas Supreme Court.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Key Takeaways<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Although this case is fact-specific and not overly complex, it offers some key reminders when it comes to Texas estate law.<\/p>\n<p>First, remember that wills can be handwritten if they are done completely in the testator&#8217;s own handwriting.\u00a0 Typewritten wills must be signed by the testator before two witnesses.\u00a0 Verbal wills are invalid under Texas law.<\/p>\n<p>Second, most people are likely not familiar with the 120-hour survival rule.\u00a0 This does not often come into play, but when someone who is included in a will dies within 120 hours of the testator, that person is deemed to have predeceased the testator.\u00a0 That can have major impacts on where property goes at someone&#8217;s death.\u00a0 Here, because Raymond was deemed to predecease Marilyn, Clifton inherited the Kingley property.\u00a0 Had Raymond lived the additional three hours and survived by 120 hours, the property would have passed by Marilyn&#8217;s will to Raymond and would have been disposed of either under Raymond&#8217;s will or to his heirs.\u00a0 This is a particularly important consideration for blended families or people with second marriages to consider when making an estate plan.<\/p>\n<p>Third, this case illustrates the importance of having a will that clearly devises property per the testator&#8217;s wishes.\u00a0 Had this will been written differently, this entire lawsuit (and the time and expenses that went along with it) could have potentially been avoided. This is why I always advise people to hire an attorney to draft a will.\u00a0 It may be an added cost up front, but it can save substantial money if it avoids a dispute down the road.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This case,\u00a0In the estate of Marilyn Frances Martinez, pits father against daughter in a dispute over whether language in a handwritten will is a valid devise of property under Texas law. Background Marilyn Martinez died of COVID in November 2020.\u00a0 Less than 5 days later (117 hours, to be precise), her second husband, Raymond Martinez, died as well. She was survived by her son, Clifton, his daughter (her granddaughter) Desiray, and Desiray&#8217;s two siblings. After Marilyn&#8217;s death, Desiray, found a handwritten document among her belongings.\u00a0 The first page&#8230; <span class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/texasaglaw\/2024\/04\/01\/family-dispute-leads-to-litigation-over-handwritten-will\/\">Read More &rarr;<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2444,"featured_media":12979,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12978","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-estate-planning"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Family Dispute Leads to Litigation Over Handwritten Will - Texas Agriculture Law<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/texasaglaw\/2024\/04\/01\/family-dispute-leads-to-litigation-over-handwritten-will\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Family Dispute Leads to Litigation Over Handwritten Will - Texas Agriculture Law\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This case,\u00a0In the estate of Marilyn Frances Martinez, pits father against daughter in a dispute over whether language in a handwritten will is a valid devise of property under Texas law. Background Marilyn Martinez died of COVID in November 2020.\u00a0 Less than 5 days later (117 hours, to be precise), her second husband, Raymond Martinez, died as well. She was survived by her son, Clifton, his daughter (her granddaughter) Desiray, and Desiray&#8217;s two siblings. After Marilyn&#8217;s death, Desiray, found a handwritten document among her belongings.\u00a0 The first page... Read More &rarr;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/texasaglaw\/2024\/04\/01\/family-dispute-leads-to-litigation-over-handwritten-will\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Texas Agriculture Law\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/texasaglaw\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-04-01T06:51:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-17T20:10:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/texasaglaw\/files\/2024\/03\/alvaro-serrano-hjwKMkehBco-unsplash-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"tiffany.dowell\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@tiffdowell\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@tiffdowell\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"tiffany.dowell\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":[\"Article\",\"BlogPosting\"],\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/agrilife.org\\\/texasaglaw\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/01\\\/family-dispute-leads-to-litigation-over-handwritten-will\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/agrilife.org\\\/texasaglaw\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/01\\\/family-dispute-leads-to-litigation-over-handwritten-will\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"tiffany.dowell\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/agrilife.org\\\/texasaglaw\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f44cbb97df9edaa18011b5258d733f73\"},\"headline\":\"Family Dispute Leads to Litigation Over Handwritten Will\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-04-01T06:51:37+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-17T20:10:38+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/agrilife.org\\\/texasaglaw\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/01\\\/family-dispute-leads-to-litigation-over-handwritten-will\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1180,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/agrilife.org\\\/texasaglaw\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/agrilife.org\\\/texasaglaw\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/01\\\/family-dispute-leads-to-litigation-over-handwritten-will\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/agrilife.org\\\/texasaglaw\\\/files\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/alvaro-serrano-hjwKMkehBco-unsplash-scaled.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Estate Planning\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/agrilife.org\\\/texasaglaw\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/01\\\/family-dispute-leads-to-litigation-over-handwritten-will\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/agrilife.org\\\/texasaglaw\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/01\\\/family-dispute-leads-to-litigation-over-handwritten-will\\\/\",\"name\":\"Family Dispute Leads to Litigation Over Handwritten Will - 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Texas Agriculture Law","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/texasaglaw\/2024\/04\/01\/family-dispute-leads-to-litigation-over-handwritten-will\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Family Dispute Leads to Litigation Over Handwritten Will - Texas Agriculture Law","og_description":"This case,\u00a0In the estate of Marilyn Frances Martinez, pits father against daughter in a dispute over whether language in a handwritten will is a valid devise of property under Texas law. Background Marilyn Martinez died of COVID in November 2020.\u00a0 Less than 5 days later (117 hours, to be precise), her second husband, Raymond Martinez, died as well. She was survived by her son, Clifton, his daughter (her granddaughter) Desiray, and Desiray&#8217;s two siblings. After Marilyn&#8217;s death, Desiray, found a handwritten document among her belongings.\u00a0 The first page... 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