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Texas Statutes (Last Updated: January 4, 2014) |
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PROBATE CODE |
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Chapter IV. EXECUTION AND REVOCATION OF WILLS |
Sec. 67. PRETERMITTED CHILD
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(a) Whenever a pretermitted child is not mentioned in the testator's will, provided for in the testator's will, or otherwise provided for by the testator, the pretermitted child shall succeed to a portion of the testator's estate as provided by Subsection (a)(1) or (a)(2) of this section, except as limited by Subsection (e) of this section.
(1) If the testator has one or more children living when he executes his last will, and:
(A) No provision is made therein for any such child, a pretermitted child succeeds to the portion of the testator's separate and community estate to which the pretermitted child would have been entitled pursuant to Section 38(a) of this code had the testator died intestate without a surviving spouse owning only that portion of his estate not devised or bequeathed to the other parent of the pretermitted child.
(B) Provision, whether vested or contingent, is made therein for one or more of such children, a pretermitted child is entitled to share in the testator's estate as follows:
(i) The portion of the testator's estate to which the pretermitted child is entitled is limited to the disposition made to children under the will.
(ii) The pretermitted child shall receive such share of the testator's estate, as limited in Subparagraph (i), as he would have received had the testator included all pretermitted children with the children upon whom benefits were conferred under the will, and given an equal share of such benefits to each such child.
(iii) To the extent that it is feasible, the interest of the pretermitted child in the testator's estate shall be of the same character, whether an equitable or legal life estate or in fee, as the interest that the testator conferred upon his children under the will.
(2) If the testator has no child living when he executes his last will, the pretermitted child succeeds to the portion of the testator's separate and community estate to which the pretermitted child would have been entitled pursuant to Section 38(a) of this code had the testator died intestate without a surviving spouse owning only that portion of his estate not devised or bequeathed to the other parent of the pretermitted child.
(b) The pretermitted child may recover the share of the testator's estate to which he is entitled either from the other children under Subsection (a)(1)(B) or the testamentary beneficiaries under Subsections (a)(1)(A) and (a)(2) other than the other parent of the pretermitted child, ratably, out of the portions of such estate passing to such persons under the will. In abating the interests of such beneficiaries, the character of the testamentary plan adopted by the testator shall be preserved to the maximum extent possible.
(c) A "pretermitted child," as used in this section, means a child of a testator who, during the lifetime of the testator, or after his death, is born or adopted after the execution of the will of the testator.
(d) For the purposes of this section, a child is provided for or a provision is made for a child if a disposition of property to or for the benefit of the pretermitted child, whether vested or contingent, is made:
(1) in the testator's will, including a devise or bequest to a trustee as authorized by Section 58(a) of this code; or
(2) outside the testator's will and is intended to take effect at the testator's death.
(e) If a pretermitted child's other parent is not the surviving spouse of the testator, the portion of the testator's estate to which the pretermitted child is entitled under Subsection (a)(1)(A) or (a)(2) of this section may not reduce the portion of the testator's estate passing to the testator's surviving spouse by more than one-half.