T. Aaron Dobbs
Partner

Estate and trust matters can be overwhelming, complicated and emotionally draining, especially when litigation or controversy is involved. My approach is to always be thorough in my work product and thoughtful in my counsel so that at the end of the day, my clients have the confidence they need to make the best decisions for their case, their families and their goals.

Beneficiaries, trustees, executors, other fiduciaries, families and charitable organizations count on Aaron Dobbs to guide them through all aspects of estate and trust administration, probate, fiduciary litigation, and trust and probate litigation. He has extensive experience handling litigation that involves the validity of wills, trusts, beneficiary designations and gift transfers; breach of fiduciary duty claims; creditor claims; and contested guardianships before trial and appellate courts across Texas.

In addition, Aaron assists individual executors, trustees, guardians and agents, and corporate fiduciaries with fiduciary risk management, preparation of accountings and beneficiary communications, fiduciary succession, and trust modifications. He also helps individuals and families develop effective estate plans to achieve long-term goals, including tax efficiency and mitigation of inheritance disputes.

Before entering private practice, Aaron worked as a Legislative Aide to U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas and as a Legislative Counsel for the Texas Legislative Council. During his tenure with the Texas Legislature, Aaron was a member of the team of lawyers responsible for drafting the first installment of the new Estates Code, which replaced the Texas Probate Code on January 1, 2014.

As a seventh generation Texan, Aaron is proud to have handled cases across all regions of the vast state of Texas, including Amarillo, Harlingen, Odessa, Paris, Eagle Pass, Athens, Beaumont, Austin, Dallas, Houston, historic Fort Bend County and many other places in between.

Representative Experience
  • Obtained unanimous $1.2 million jury verdict and permanent injunction in favor of beneficiaries in a dispute involving the trustee who breached her fiduciary duties by refusing to administer trust assets. Click here for press release.
  • Co-authored winning brief in an appeal in which the Dallas Court of Appeals upheld a probate court's denial of a motion to assess the executor's attorney's fees against the beneficiary, thus preventing the executor from seeking fees from beneficiary client.
  • Obtained the removal of a trustee who was accused of breaching his fiduciary duties to a trust beneficiary by misapplying trust assets for his personal gain.
  • Obtained injunction against an individual who was accused of using his position of authority to exploit an elderly person for purposes of gaining access to her finances.
  • Obtained summary judgment in favor of a beneficiary disputing a trustee's interpretation of a provision of the trust relating to the beneficiary's right to receive distributions from the trust.
  • Obtained summary judgment in favor a child contesting his father's last will and testament on grounds of undue influence and lack of capacity.
  • Obtained summary judgment in favor of a spouse defending the validity of her husband's last will and testament.
  • Obtained an order restraining a person from using a power of attorney who was accused of taking an elderly family member's assets.
  • Obtained the appointment of a temporary guardian for an elderly woman who was being held captive by non-family members attempting to exploit her finances.
  • Defended a trustee in litigation involving accusations that trustee was neglectful in fulfilling his responsibilities and duties to properly manage assets of a trust which was for client's benefit.
  • Prepared and defended a trustee's multi-year accounting of the activities of a complex trust with numerous beneficiaries.
  • Represented trust beneficiaries in the modification of provisions of an irrevocable trust.
  • Represented trust beneficiary in a proceeding involving the early termination of an irrevocable trust.
  • Represented trust beneficiary in the negotiation of the distribution of trust assets upon the termination of a trust. 
  • Represented a child in a contest of the validity of her father's beneficiary designations on bank accounts and life insurance policies.
  • Represented family members in a probate administration involving substantial farm and ranch holdings.
Thought Leadership / News
May 18, 2023 
 Speeches and Presentations
Lessons Learned in Fiduciary Litigation

Texas Bankers Convention

January 3, 2023 
 Press Releases
May 2, 2022 
 Speeches and Presentations
Get it in Writing – How to Get Donors to Document a Gift

Charitable Gift Planners of Houston 

2021 
 Speeches and Presentations
Account Me In!: Accountings for 1301 Management Trusts, Guardianships, Dependent Administrations, Etc.

32nd Annual Estate Planning and Probate Drafting Course, Texas Bar Association

2021 
 Speeches and Presentations
Celebrity Planning Mistakes: Robin Williams

Houston Bar Association Probate, Trusts & Estates Section

Honors
  • Selected by his peers for inclusion in Woodward/White, Inc.'s The Best Lawyers in America in the fields of Trusts & Estates Litigation (2020 - 2023) and Trusts & Estates (2022 - 2023)
  • Named a "Super Lawyer" (2019 - 2022) and a "Rising Star" (2014, 2015, 2018) by Texas Super Lawyers (a Thomson Reuters company) as published in Texas Monthly
  • Named a Top Lawyer for Wills, Trusts & Estates by Houstonia Magazine (2017 - 2023)
  • Named a Top Lawyer for Wills, Trusts & Estates by H Texas Magazine (2014 - 2015, 2017 - 2018)
Organizational Involvement

Professional Activities, Memberships & Affiliations

  • State Bar of Texas
    • Real Estate, Probate and Trust Law Section
    • Descendents' Estates Committee (2019 – present)
  • Houston Bar Association
    • Probate, Trusts and Estates Section
      • Council Member (2016 – present)
  • Fort Bend County Bar Association
    • Probate, Trusts and Estates Section
      • Treasurer (2021 – present)
      • Founding Co-Chair (2016 – 2017)
  • Dallas Bar Association
    • Probate, Trusts and Estates Section
  • Texas Bar Foundation
    • Fellow (2014 – present)
  • Attorneys in Tax and Probate
    • Vice President of Membership (2015 – 2016)
    • Secretary (2014 – 2015)
  • Disability and Elder Law Attorneys Association
    • Board member (2014 – 2016)
  • Charitable Gift Planners of Houston (formerly, Planned Giving Council of Houston)
    • President (2019 – 2020)
  • Texas Probate Law American Inn of Court - Inaugural Member (2021 - present)

Community Activities, Memberships & Affiliations

  • Fred and Mabel R. Parks Youth Ranch - Fort Bend County, Texas
    • Board member (2016 - 2021)
    • President (2020)
  • Skeeters Baseball Foundation - Sugar Land, Texas
    • Board member (2018 - 2019)
  • Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce Leadership Forum, Class of 2017
  • Excellence for Nonprofit Leadership, Class of 2018
Education
  • J.D., South Texas College of Law Houston (2005)
  • B.S., Texas A&M University (2001)
Bar Admission
  • Texas (2005)
Court Admission
  • United States District Court, Southern District of Texas
When I Feel Most At Home
  • Traveling across Texas with my wife and kids
  • Coaching (and watching when not coaching) my kids' tee-ball and soccer teams
  • Recreational rowing (crew) - I am terrible at it but it is a lot of fun and good exercise
  • Trying out BBQ restaurants around Texas with my daughter (our current favorite is in Brenham, Texas)