Fritch, TX Estate Planning Law Firms & Lawyers

It depends on why you are changing the name. Since you posted in the estate planning law area, I will assume the original grantee on the deed is deceased. In order to have property taken out of a deceased person's name, that person's will must be submitted to probate (if he or she died with a valid will). If that person died intestate (without a will), there are other ways to handle this problem, namely via a small estate administration or an affidavit of heirship. Please make sure to contact an attorney to have a more in-depth discussion of the property deed in question.

Once a parents rights are terminated that also terminates the child's rights to inherit under the intestate laws of the state. However, a parent can make the child an heir under a Will.

Every state has different rules on how wills are to be properly authenticated. For instance, in Indiana, a will does not need to be notarized at all, but must be witnessed by two disinterested persons in the presence of each other at the time that the will is signed. However, your state may have different rules. You should consult with an estate planning attorney in the state in which the will was executed to be certain.