Welcome to the Kazi Law Firm! We are a boutique law firm steeped in Texas tradition personifying the warmth and congeniality consistent with southern hospitality. We believe in preserving integrity and professionalism with true Texan charm, staying true to our roots, while providing essential, affordable legal services to all. Located just north of Dallas, Texas in the rapidly growing suburb of Frisco; the Kazi Law Firm concentrates on contracts drafting and review, immigration law, will & estates, real estate law, landlord, tenant, mediation, and general business law needs.
If you’re familiar with estate planning, you probably understand what a crucial and helpful tool a codicil is. For those of you who are not familiar with this document, a codicil to a Will saves people the time and expense associated with rewriting their entire Will from scratch. Once executed, the codicil is considered part of the original Will. As people’s lives change, so should their Wills.
Executing the Codicil
In order to make your codicil legally valid, you need to ensure that it is properly executed. This means you must sign your codicil in the presence of two disinterested witnesses. You must be at least 18 years old to sign the Will. Also, you should avoid the appearance that you are being pressured to execute your codicil according to someone else’s wishes or that your true intentions are otherwise being restrained.
Witnesses
You should choose people who are disinterested parties to witness you sign your codicil. Note, if you are unable to physically sign the codicil, then you may direct another person to sign for you. This means that you should not use as witnesses any person named in the codicil or the Will it is altering. You also should not use any relative, since a court will probably find that they have an interest in your Will whether they are named in it or not. Finally, the witnesses should be over the age of 18 in Texas.
Self-Proving Affidavit
Texas probate law allows for a document called a “Self-Proving Affidavit.” This document is useful for speeding up probate of the Will by helping to establish that the Will was properly executed and witnessed. A self-proving affidavit is a document, signed by you and two witnesses, that verifies under oath that your witnesses saw you sign your Will and that it’s legally valid. Generally speaking, your self-proving affidavit must be notarized, meaning you and the witnesses sign it in front of a notary public.
It’s highly recommended to engage the help of an experienced Texas probate attorney to draft your Will and subsequent codicils as needed, to ensure their legal validity.
I built my law practice on the premise of being a life raft in a sea of sharks. I want to be an advocate for those that have been wronged and are too intimidated to seek help. My firm is here to explore your options, guide you through your legal journey, and give you that safe space to ask questions! There’s no such thing as a stupid question…Only the ones you don’t ask. So, my question to my clients is not “do you have any questions?” But rather “what questions do you have?”
As always, the Kazi Law Firm is standing by to help you in your time of need. Don’t hesitate to contact us today. We specialize in real estate law, landlord-tenant disputes, immigration, and wills & estate planning. Family is at the core of our practice. Just as we treat our family with respect and understanding, we treat yours. Come join the Kazi Law Firm family today!
Why swim alone in shark-infested waters when you don’t need to?
