John Wesley Urquhart

Founding attorney John W. Urquhart represents people in probate, estate planning, wills, estate litigation, guardianship, guardianship litigation, wrongful death, personal injury, terrorism litigation, and general civil litigation. John's combat experience as an infantry Marine provided a powerful foundation to launch a career as a probate lawyer and trial lawyer in our adversarial system of justice.

The Urquhart Law Firm believes in expeditiously and affordably achieving their clients' goals whether its a simple probate, basic will, estate planning, truck accident, or a complex international lawsuit.

Unfortunately, disputes often occur when the time comes to distribute a deceased loved one's estate. Many probate/estate attorneys are not as experienced in litigation and their clients and the estate often pay the price. Proper planning and the right probate lawyer with litigation experience can mitigate risks to the estate's assets and/or resolve disputes as expeditiously as possible if they arise. The Urquhart Law Firm's clients have the extra layer of security, without the extra cost, knowing their lawyers are vigilant in preventing and resolving disputes as expedetiously as possible, should they unfortunately arise.

As an example, an individual hired a very large probate firm in Houston, tricked the probate judge, and then stole approximately $140,000 from his late mother's estate leaving his siblings nothing that their late mother wanted them to have. The other heirs then hired The Urquhart Law Firm who obtained a judgment against that bad heir for approximately $533,000.

Founding attorney John W. Urquhart was the last attorney to train under the legendary Richard "Racehorse" Haynes where he learned invaluable pre-trial and trial skills. John then founded The Urquhart Law Firm, which has been a powerful force for individuals to aggressively and affordably enforce their rights, protect estate assets, and fulfill their deceased loved one's last wishes.

University of Texas - Austin

South Texas College of Law

J.D. | Law

Founding Attorney

Urquhart Law Firm

Current

State Bar of Texas  # 24079944

Member

Current

Texas

State Bar of Texas

U.S. District Courts for the Southern Districts of Texas

ID Number: 1374147

Since 2012

• Free Consultation
  One free initial office consultation.
• Credit Cards Accepted
• Contingent Fees
• Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
  Hourly rate and flat fees for probate, estate, wills, guardianship, trusts, and elder law matters.

• Jones Act Claims
• Commercial Litigation
• Iraq War Veterans & Gold Star Families Terrorism Lawsuits Against Iran

Q. My ex husband in Texas pass away. He has 3 adult children and they cannot find a will. His dad hold the mortgage on the

May 28, 2020

A: You need to see if there was a written contract. There are many other questions that need to be answered. Check with the county clerk to see if they have a copy of the will. Sometimes a copy of the will can be found in a safe deposit box at the bank. If you know of the attorney who prepared the will then that attorney may have a copy. If you know of an attorney he used before then that attorney may know of the attorney who prepared the will. If you don't find a will then the heirs will need an attorney to file an application to determine heirship. However that takes longer and is more expensive than probating an estate with a will. If the estate is worth less than $75,000 then a small estate affidavit may be a possibility. That is much cheaper and does not take as long as the other two options, assuming the pandemic does not delay the process too much. Ultimately you should speak to an attorney with experience in contract law, real estate law, probate/estate administration, and litigation. Unfortunately that will cost some money. However some attorneys offer payment plans. You should speak to more than one attorney and weigh your options as not all are created equal. ... Read More

Q. Is a person liable for anything if they give a known alcoholic a car and they kill someone?

March 3, 2020

A: Not necessarily just because the driver is a known alcoholic, but whether the driver is known to the owner of the vehicle as an incompetent or reckless driver and there is a record to prove it. Of course alcohol could play a big part of that, but it's a case by case fact intensive analysis. I would need more facts of course to determine whether I think a judge or jury would find the owner of a vehicle liable in a scenario like this. What you're referring to is called negligent entrustment. Under the doctrine of negligent entrustment, the owner of a vehicle who knowingly allows an unlicensed, incompetent, or reckless driver to operate the vehicle is liable for an injury caused by the driver. The owner is held liable for the owner’s own negligence in entrusting the vehicle rather than for the negligence of the driver. A plaintiff would have to prove to the judge or jury the following elements by a preponderance of the evidence to find the owner liable: (1) entrustment of a vehicle by the owner; (2) to an unlicensed, incompetent, or reckless driver; (3) who the owner knew or should have known to be unlicensed, incompetent, or reckless; (4) who was negligent on the occasion in question; (5) and whose negligence proximately caused the accident. Again, alcohol could play a big part in the driver being known to the owner as an incompetent and/or reckless driver. However, being an alcoholic alone is not sufficient to establish liability.

Of course, there are many different fact scenarious that could lead to no liability on the part of owner or liability of other potential defendants. Sometimes a bar can be held liable if certain criteria are established under the Texas Dram Shop Act. ... Read More

Q. My mother died leaving money behind can my sister keep that to herself. My mother wanted it split five ways.

February 24, 2020

A: It depends on many factors including whether the will is valid, what the will says, whether there were any designated beneficiaries named on an account, etc. It's best to speak with a probate attorney to review the will and gather more information from you.