Overview

Mineral and royalty interests continue paying after their owner dies as long as the operator can identify the proper successor-in-interest. When an estate plan ignores them, checks go into suspense, title splinters among heirs, and a family asset can turn into a family argument.

Doré Rothberg Law plans for, administers, and distributes oil, gas, and mineral interests as part of Texas estate planning and probate. We have represented Texas Oil & Gas clients since 1990, and we bring our working knowledge of leases, royalties, division orders, and operators to the estate side of the conversation.

Who We Help

• Mineral and royalty owners who want their interests to pass cleanly without leaving heirs to sort out decades of fractional title.

• Families with inherited minerals, which are often held by grandparents, sometimes in counties or states the family has never visited.

• Executors, administrators, and trustees who need to collect, manage, and distribute mineral income and title correctly.

• Heirs whose royalties sit in suspense because an operator cannot confirm who owns the interest.

Estate Planning for Mineral Owners

We build plans around what the owner actually holds: royalty, overriding royalty, non-participating royalty, working interest, or unleased minerals. Each behaves differently, so the estate plan should function accordingly.

• Inventory and title review of mineral and royalty holdings, including interests in multiple counties and states

• Wills and revocable trusts that describe mineral interests precisely enough for operators and title examiners to rely on

• Mineral trusts, family limited partnerships, and LLCs that keep ownership consolidated and limit fractionalization across generations

• Transfer on Death Deeds for Texas mineral interests where a simpler path fits the family

• Planning for executive rights, leasing authority, and who signs the next lease

• Coordination with appraisers and CPAs on valuation for estate and gift tax purposes

Estate Administration and Distribution

When a mineral owner dies, we move the interests from the decedent to the proper successors and get the checks moving again.

• Probate of wills, independent administration, and muniment of title proceedings in Texas courts

• Affidavits of heirship and heirship proceedings when the owner left no will

• Executor's deeds, distribution deeds, and mineral deeds that convey each fractional interest correctly

• Ancillary probate coordination for minerals located in other states

• Division order review and transfer of ownership with operators and purchasers

• Recovery of suspended royalties and unclaimed mineral proceeds

• Ongoing trust administration for trustees managing mineral income

Title, Curative, and Operator Issues

• Curing gaps in the chain of title left by prior unprobated estates

• Responding to operator title requirements and division order title opinions

• Reviewing new leases and lease offers presented to estates and trusts

Why Doré Rothberg Law

We know both sides of the lease. Our oil and gas practice works with operators and oilfield service companies every day. We read division orders, lease terms, and title requirements the way the operator's landman does, which shortens the path to payment.

We plan for the next generation, not just this one. A royalty split among four children becomes a royalty split among eleven grandchildren. We structure ownership with that math in mind.

We have been here since 1990. Many of our clients have trusted us for decades across more than one generation of the same family. We serve clients from offices in Houston and Fort Worth.

Contact Us

If you own minerals, inherited them, or are administering an estate that holds them, call Doré Rothberg Law at (281) 829-1555 or schedule a consultation here. Bring the last royalty check stub or division order you received. It tells us a great deal of pertinent information about your situation.

This summary provides general information, not legal advice. Every estate turns on its own facts, and no attorney can promise a particular result.