You Inherited Mineral Rights in Texas. Now Get Them Into Your Name.
Royalty Checks Suspended? Confused About Division Orders? We Help Heirs Transfer Inherited Oil and Gas Interests Through Texas Probate So You Can Start Receiving What’s Yours.
40+ Years
Title Experience in Texas
Attorney + Landman
Combined Expertise
Statewide
Texas Coverage
Landowner-Only
Never Represent Operators
YOU INHERITED TEXAS PROPERTY. NOW WHAT?
Your parent or grandparent owned mineral rights in Texas. Maybe they were receiving royalty checks. Maybe the minerals have been in your family for generations without anyone ever leasing them. Either way, those minerals are now yours.
Except they’re not. Not yet. Not until you complete the right probate process.
Here’s what you’re probably dealing with:
- Royalty checks stopped after you notified the operator about the death
- Division orders arrived but you don’t know if the percentages are correct
- You’re not sure if the existing oil and gas lease transfers to you automatically
- Multiple family members claim ownership and nobody agrees on the split
- You live in California or Florida and have never set foot in Texas
The operator won’t send royalty payments to unclear ownership. Your money sits in a suspense account, accumulating month after month, while you wait for “title requirements” nobody explained to you.
You Didn’t Ask to Become a Texas Mineral Expert
Your job is to receive the inheritance your family member wanted you to have. Our job is to get those mineral rights legally transferred into your name so the royalty checks start flowing to you.
Nixon spent ten years working as a landman for major oil companies before becoming an attorney. Our title specialist has four decades of experience clearing complex mineral ownership throughout Texas. We know exactly what operators require from heirs, and we use that experience to get your minerals into your name, not to impress you with industry jargon.
WHICH SITUATION MATCHES YOURS?
Independent Administration
You have a valid will, death was under 4 years ago, You get appointed as executor. You manage the estate with minimal court oversight. Most efficient path when you need full authority.
Muniment of Title
Estate is just real estate, no significant debts. The will serves as your title transfer document. No executor appointment needed. Fastest path when the estate is simple.
Dependent Administration
No will exists, death was under 4 years ago, Court appoints you as administrator and supervises distribution. Required path when your loved one died without a will.
Determination of Heirship
No will exists, death was over 4 years ago, Court proceeding establishes you as legal heir. Required when the probate window has closed. Attorney ad litem investigates.
Affidavit of Heirship
Simple situation, everyone agrees. Sworn statement by disinterested witnesses establishes ownership. Works when complications are minimal.
Ancillary Probate
Will was probated in another state, Texas property exists. Texas court recognizes the foreign will for Texas property. Coordinates with your primary estate proceedings.
Small Estate Affidavit
No will exists, modest estate value. Court-filed affidavit transfers ownership without full probate proceedings. We determine if your estate qualifies and handle the filing. Quicker resolution, lower cost.
Statutory Transfer
Out-of-state estate, Texas minerals only, You may qualify for transfer without full ancillary administration. Streamlined process when minerals are the only Texas asset.
MINERAL INHERITANCE COMPLICATIONS YOU MIGHT BE FACING
The Royalty Checks Stopped and Won't Start Again
You sent the death certificate to the operator. They responded with a letter about "title requirements" and suspended your payments. Thousands of dollars accumulate in suspense every month. We prepare the probate documentation proving your ownership so they release your money.
I Don't Know What Percentage I Own
Your grandmother's minerals have passed through three generations. Original 640 acres now split among seventeen cousins. The division order shows a decimal interest you can't verify. We conduct heirship research establishing exactly what percentage belongs to you.
There's an Existing Lease I Never Signed
Your father signed an oil and gas lease five years ago. He passed away last year. The lease is still producing. Does it transfer to you automatically? Can the operator hold you to terms you never agreed to? We clarify how lease obligations pass to heirs and protect your interests going forward.
Family Members Disagree About Who Owns What
Three siblings, one set of minerals, zero agreement. One claims dad promised them the minerals verbally. Another found a handwritten note. The third says everything should be split equally. We guide the probate process to determine legal ownership, not family arguments.
Multiple Operators, Multiple Counties, Total Confusion
Your inheritance includes mineral interests in Midland, Reeves, and Loving counties. Three different operators. Division orders with conflicting information. We handle comprehensive title work across all tracts and coordinate notification to every operator.
I Live in New York and Have Never Been to Texas
You inherited Texas minerals from a relative you barely knew. You've never visited the property. You don't understand Texas law. We handle everything remotely, you don't have to take time off work or book flights to Houston.
Great-Grandpa Never Did Probate
The minerals have been in your family since 1920. Nobody ever formally transferred title through the generations. County records still show your great-grandfather as owner. We conduct comprehensive heirship proceedings establishing the complete chain of ownership to present day.
WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR OIL AND GAS LEASE WHEN YOU INHERIT
The Lease Continues. When you inherit minerals subject to an existing oil and gas lease, that lease remains in effect. You step into the shoes of the original lessor. The operator can continue drilling and producing under the existing terms.
But You Need Documentation. The operator won’t recognize your ownership without proper probate documents. They’ll suspend royalty payments until you provide certified court orders or properly recorded heirship affidavits proving you’re the legal successor.
Lease Terms May Surprise You. Your family member agreed to specific royalty rates, pooling provisions, and deductions you’re now bound by. Before assuming the lease favors you, have someone review what was actually signed.
YOUR ROYALTIES SHOULDN'T SIT IN SUSPENSE
Every month you wait, more royalty payments accumulate in accounts you can’t access. Oil prices fluctuate. Wells deplete. Operators won’t wait forever to resolve title issues before questioning whether they should keep producing.
You inherited these mineral rights. You deserve to actually receive the income from them.
YOU MIGHT ALSO NEED
Protect Your Minerals for the Next Generation
Don't leave your heirs the same probate headache. Transfer on death deeds, Lady Bird deeds, and mineral trusts keep your oil and gas rights in your family without court involvement.
Ownership Unclear Beyond Probate?
Inherited minerals with clouded title that predates the recent death? We clear complex mineral ownership issues going back generations.
Division Order Problems?
Receiving royalty payments but the decimal interest looks wrong? We review division orders and resolve calculation errors with operators.