As a Texan with a large family, a passion for travel and entrepreneurship, familiarity with the ins and outs of moving and renting, and experience with the "dark side" of probate when family members pass without any estate plan, I built Zapalac Law Firm, PLLC, around my own history: we focus on landlord/tenant law, estate planning, probate, business creation and administration, and real estate transactions. In short: Family, Home, and Business.
These ideas are more closely related than they seem. People rent or own property, they operate businesses, they save wealth for the next generation and, inevitably, they pass away and need their wealth, properties, and businesses administered. Problems with any one of these aspects of life hinders your personal and financial development, so why not have a trusted law firm on call to help you with the things that matter most for you and your family?
The goal of Zapalac Law Firm, PLLC, is to be that trusted advisor and advocate for the legal matters that most directly affect you and your family's future. We take pride in resolving disputes without the need for costly and stressful litigation, we devise clear plans that are not overly complex or difficult to understand, and we ensure that your needs are met in the most cost-effective and efficient way possible.
- The University of Texas School of Law
- J.D. (2017)
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- University of the Incarnate Word
- B.A. (2014) | English
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- University of the Incarnate Word
- B.A. (2014) | Philosophy
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- Founder
- Zapalac Law Firm
- Current
- Attorney
- Greer Herz & Adams LLP
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- Associate Attorney
- Elizabeth Morgan and Associates
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- The Charging Order: Obstacle or Aid to Creditor’s Recovery?
- Asset Protection Strategies, Vol.1, 2nd ed., Ed. Alexander A. Bove, Jr.
- Estate Planning and Probate: Do I need it? How can I avoid it?
- Friendswood Activity Center
- Client Champion Gold
- Martindale Hubbell
- Texas State Bar # 24106618
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- Texas
- State Bar of Texas
- ID Number: 24106618
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Free Consultation
FREE CONSULTS ARE ONLY AVAILABLE FOR ESTATE PLANNING AND PROBATE MATTERS (provided no documents are being reviewed). Please call our office to set up a free consult for such matters. We offer PAID consultations of other matters, described in "Additional Information." -
Credit Cards Accepted
We accept Visa and Mastercard. American Express and Discover are not accepted. -
Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
For Landlord/Tenant matters we offer a 15 minute Q&A Call for $95. This does not establish an attorney-client relationship and is only for "quick questions" about general aspects of law. Any attorney-client relationship will only be established if a future engagement letter is signed by you and Zapalac Law Firm, PLLC. We offer paid 30-minute (or longer) consultations for matters where documents are to be reviewed or legal advice is desired. Paid consults tend to result in satisfactory conclusions since we are able to more thoroughly analyze the facts of your matter and can provide actual legal opinions or advice. Our consult fees differ per type of law, and if future work is to be performed, we may credit part of the consultation fee towards your initial retainer. For information on pricing and scheduling, please call our office at (832) 390-2949 or go to our website at www.zapalaclawfirm.com.
- Estate Planning
- Health Care Directives, Trusts, Wills
- Probate
- Probate Administration, Probate Litigation, Will Contests
- Real Estate Law
- Commercial Real Estate, Condominiums, Homeowners Association, Mortgages, Residential Real Estate
- Landlord Tenant
- Evictions, Housing Discrimination, Landlord Rights, Rent Control, Tenants' Rights
- Business Law
- Business Contracts, Business Dissolution, Business Finance, Business Formation, Franchising, Mergers & Acquisitions
- English
- German
- Russian
- Spanish
- Q. hello. what are the steps i need to take to get a property deed in my name?
- A: Generally, the owner of the property must sign a deed that would transfer all or a portion of the property to you. If the owner is deceased, this could be done through a regular probate proceeding, where a personal representative of the estate would be authorized to distribute the home from the estate to the Will beneficiaries or heirs-at-law. Potentially, title could also be transferred through a Muniment of Title action or a Small Estate Affidavit. Without knowledge of the ownership details it is uncertain what path would be appropriate to transfer title, however.
- Q. I recently tested the air in my hvac system with a mold kit. When I brought this to the property manager she immediately
- A: Under the Texas Property Code, a landlord is generally responsible for maintaining the rental property in a habitable condition and making necessary repairs to keep it in a safe and functional state. This typically includes ensuring that essential systems, like HVAC systems, are in proper working order. Your particular lease may set out different obligations for the landlord here regarding HVAC systems specifically, though what I am citing here is the most common scenario/duty.
If you have identified mold in your HVAC system and informed the property manager, they should take appropriate action to address the issue. At the very least, a simple inspection (even if just by the property manager ... Read More
- Q. My friend's mother died without a will. She is an only child. What does she need to do to have the deed put in her name?
- A: Generally, when there is no Will, you must go through some sort of probate administration whereby the heirs of the deceased are judicially determined and a personal representative is appointed. However, several states have a process available to assist those smaller estates that may not need "regular" administration. Texas, for example, has a Small Estate Affidavit that is sometimes available for low-value estates and can be handy when the only estate asset is the homestead. Arkansas' system of "Summary Administration" bears passing resemblance to the Texas Small Estate Affidavit, though the applicability and practicality of Summary Administration will depend on all facts ... Read More