2024), https://corporate.exxonmobil.com/what-we- do/delivering-industrial-solutions/carbon-capture- and-storage/steel-ammonia-ai-what-cant-ccs-help- decarbonize; Carolos Nogueras Ramos & Alejandra Martinez, Texas Oil and Gas Companies Want State Oversight for Carbon Dioxide Injection , T he T exas T ribune ( Feb. 6, 2025), https://www.texastribune. org/2025/02/06/texas-primacy-carbon-capture-oil-gas/; Carlos Nogueras Ramos, Texas Energy Company Wins First-of-its-kind Permit to Suck Carbon Out of Air, Store Underground , T he T exas T ribune (A pr. 8,2025), https:// www.texastribune.org/2025/04/08/texas-direct-carbon- capture-oxy/. [55] Yoann Hispa, The Modern Landman: Renewable Energy Prospecting , L andgate (Jan. 16, 2025), https:// www.landgate.com/news/the-new-landman-the-future- of-renewable-energy-prospecting; Brooke Dudley, Transforming Economic Development: Government Wins on LandApp in 2024 , L and A pp (last updated June 5, 2025), https://www.landapp.com/post/transforming- economic-development-government-wins-on-landapp-
in-2024. [56] Bray Dohrwardt, The Intersection of Energy and AI: Legal Considerations for Data Centers in the Age of Machine Learning , A visen L egal (Jan. 16, 2025), https:// www.avisenlegal.com/the-intersection-of-energy-and- ai-legal-considerations-for-data-centers-in-the-age-of- machine-learning/#:~:text=AI%20data%20centers%20 process%20sensitive,with%20energy%2Defficient%20 operational%20practices.&text=Securing%20perm
[57] Id. [58] Id. [59] Id. [60] Id.
Authors: Attorneys with Oliva Gibbs, PLLC Robert Royce, Janette Uribe, and Alex Love CLE webinar hosted and published by them via Oliva Gibbs.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Probate
Division Order Analysts sometimes receive interesting division of interest maintenance documents. That said, I had one come across my desk a few years ago that I will always remember. I’ve decided to share it. A Will and death certificate came in under a cover letter from a young man claiming to be the executor of the estate of his deceased mother. The letter included a phone number in case I had questions. I saw on the death certificate that his mother died in Texas. The Order Admitting the Will to Probate and Letters Testamentary were missing. He claimed to be executor of the estate. I knew from training and experience that the Order creates the legal entity “Estate” and the Letters would grant him the authority of Executor of that Estate.
Putting that aside for the moment, I quickly glanced at the Will to see what property was to be distributed. My mouth dropped when I saw no less than four pages of legal descriptions, grouped into categories which then were bequeathed in the Will. From that, I knew that the estate was worth far more than the $75,000 limit Texas places on an Affidavit of Heirship, so I would need the other documents before I could make any changes to the divisions of interest. He answered my call and I politely asked him to either mail or email to me a copy of the missing documents. He replied that the Will was not being probated. The red flag that went up was huge. While still on the phone with him, I quickly glanced at the death certificate and noticed that she had died almost three and a half years before
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N at i onal A ssociation of D i v i s i on O rder A nalys t s
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