Probate

Texas 10th Court of Appeals, Civil Procedure, Guardianship, Jurisdiction, Probate

Guardianship of Stewart — Personal Service on Proposed Ward Is Mandatory; Failure to Serve Father’s Application Voids Guardian Appointment

automatic / June 27, 2026

The Texas Court of Appeals, Tenth District, vacated a permanent guardianship order because the proposed ward was never personally served with the petitioning party’s guardianship application, holding that a complete absence of service—as opposed to a technical defect—deprives the court of personal jurisdiction and renders any order void, even if the proposed ward was served with a competing application and represented by an attorney ad litem.

Texas 15th Court of Appeals, Civil Procedure, Oil & Gas, Probate, Real Estate

Parker v. Parrack — Court Cannot Declare Rights of Non-Party in Adverse Possession Dispute Over Family Ranch; Fiduciary-Duty Deed Challenge Fails on Sufficiency Review

automatic / June 8, 2026

The Fifteenth Court of Appeals affirmed the jury’s finding that a sister did not breach her fiduciary duty in accepting a deed to mineral executive rights from her brother, but vacated the adverse-possession declaration because the company asserting ownership was never joined as a party, rendering the declaration advisory and jurisdictionally void.