The Colony Probate Lawyers

Entering her fourth decade as a practicing attorney, Gretchen Benolken has chosen to divide her professional time into a small handful of areas. First, she spends some time in the service of long time, loyal, existing clients with various needs. Second, the majority of her time is spent with new clients, providing legal services in two specific areas: a) the drafting of wills and trusts for the purpose of protection of assets, and b) representing clients in the probating of the estates of their deceased loved ones and guiding them step-by-step through this judicial process during what is a most...

Laura Starr joined the firm in 2014. Laura received her undergraduate degree from Texas Christian University, graduating with a B.S. in political science. Laura attended law school in Chicago, Illinois at DePaul University College of Law where she received a certificate in business law. During law school, Laura externed for the Honorable Michael F. Otto at the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois and was a member of the International Commercial Arbitration Moot Team. She was also a member of the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity. As a member of Starr Law Firm, P.C. Laura focuses in the areas of...

I grew up in Grayson County and currently live in Sherman, Texas. I graduated from Austin College in 2008, and I have been practicing law in Texas since I graduated from law school in 2011. My practice has been devoted to family law, probate, and estate planning, and I have handled cases in numerous counties throughout north Texas. I am a partner at the law firm of Mackoy, Hernandez, Jones, & Woods, LLP, and I manage an active caseload in Grayson, Collin, and Denton Counties. I have been active in the legal community and maintain memberships in...

Jake is an estate planning attorney and the owner of Estes Law Office, P.L.L.C., with offices in Frisco, Texas (principal office) and McKinney, Texas. His practice is specifically limited to estate planning (i.e. Wills and trusts), probate administration, probate litigation, guardianship (contested and uncontested guardianship matters), and business entity formation. Previous to opening Estes Law Office, P.L.L.C. in 2014, Jake was an estate planning/probate associate attorney at The Law Office of M. Todd Estes, P.C. in Sherman, Texas. In addition to this experience, Jake had the pleasure of serving as an Assistant District Attorney at the Grayson County...

I manage a diverse law practice to meet the unique legal needs of individuals. My primary practice areas are in Criminal Defense and Family Law. I have 18+ years of courtroom, trial, and consulting experience in entrepreneurial, small office, and government work environments. My multi-discipline practice in criminal defense and prosecution, family law, and environmental regulatory consulting (non-legal) provides me with a diverse and robust background that aids me in all my cases. Along with experience working at my own firm, I have worked at the Collin County District Attorney’s office, where I was responsible for investigation and prosecution of atypical criminal...

As a seasoned attorney currently practicing in the areas of family law and probate, my goal is to tenaciously fight for my clients while always taking time to provide compassionate communication and exceptional client service. As a litigator, I am involved in every step of a client's case - from intake to final trial. During a case, I take the time to listen to and know my clients, because I know that clear and regular communication is one of the most important pieces of practicing law.

With almost twenty-five (25) years of experience as a dual-licensed Attorney and Certified Public Accountant, Darryl V. Pratt has practiced law in all areas of corporate and business law, non profit law, estate planning, probate, guardianship, asset protection planning, bankruptcy (Chapters 7, 13 and 11), real estate, and taxation. Mr. Pratt focuses his practice on business representation and estate planning-probate and is a regular speaker on a variety of business law, non profit law, estate planning, asset protection, tax, bankruptcy, real estate and taxation topics. Mr. Pratt is a member of the Collin County, Denton County and Dallas...

Albin Yates Balius Roach believes in aggressively preserving the truth for our clients while advancing the integrity of the profession. We also recognize that we cannot successfully cast a positive vision for our clients’ futures without possessing one for ourselves. The attorneys, paralegals and support staff of Albin Yates Balius Roach have chosen to commit their time and talent to the firm because we believe in the firm’s priorities and its future.

Welcome to Atrium Legal Group – Gateway to Comprehensive Estate Planning Focusing on specific types of law allows our attorneys to understand the finite details of both simple and complex situations, quickly and efficiently. They work constantly to keep up on the latest tax, estate, and business laws to ensure the plan you put together will continue to work for you, as things change. When you sit down with one of them, they will always: factor in the probate process, possible tax ramifications, and the validity of the pieces you’ve put in place. Then they help you understand how to minimize the...

Taylor Mohr distinguishes herself by offering effective, affordable, and compassionate legal services. Her practice focuses on family law in Williamson and Travis counties. She is a member of the Williamson County Bar Association, Texas Bar Association, Texas Trial Lawyers Association and the Baylor Law Alumni Association.

Taylor graduated from the Baylor Law School. She attended this prestigious university with a full-tuition scholarship. As a law student, she balanced her studies with a variety of extracurricular work, serving as Secretary and Executive Vice-President for the Student Bar Association and working as an editing assistant for professor Gerald Powell, director of...

Duncan is the sole shareholder of the firm whose practice primarily focuses on estate planning, trusts, business matters, and construction law. He graduated from Southern Methodist University in 1977 with a business administration degree in accounting and finance and earned his law degree from SMU in 1980.

Duncan has more than thirty-five years of legal experience and has been admitted to practice in the United States Tax Court, United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, and Fifth Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals.

During the three years Inside Collin County Business conducted its annual awards,...

AV Rated
40 plus years of experience
Less than 14% of attorneys throughout the entire United States are “AV” Rated
logo_peer-review



We have limited our practice to Estate Planning and Taxation. And we are dedicated to giving you the legal solutions and tools you will need to plan and build for your future with confidence.


Member of The College of the State Bar of Texas
The College of the State Bar of Texas is an honorary society of lawyers who are among the best trained attorneys in Texas. Members are qualified attorneys who are interested in both high ethical standards and improved training for...

Matthew Gilpin began working for McCathern as a partner in 2018 and his practice primarily focuses on probate matters, estate administrations, and inheritance issues in the North Texas region.

Mr. Gilpin’s probate experience involves managing all aspects of cases – legal and administrative – from start to finish. This includes helping his clients find the most efficient and cost-effective solutions to settling estate matters. Additionally, he advises clients regarding estate planning and asset protection and he drafts trusts, wills, directives, releases, and other estate planning documents.

Mr. Gilpin firmly believes that to create the most effective estate plan, it must be...

I have more than 30 years of experience practicing Elder Law, Business and Real Estate Litigation, and Appeals among other areas of the law. I've represented business and the government in both state and federal court.

I am Alisha Melvin, Esq., I have been a practicing attorney for more than 10 years, a licensed broker of real estate since 1998, and a minority woman-owned (MWBE) business owner of both law offices and real estate brokerages in four states. I am extremely proficient in real property, probate and estates law. In addition, I broker the sale and purchase of commercial and residential real estate. I have consistently been a multi-million dollar producer in real estate sales. I represent individuals, churches, schools, cities, counties and state entities. In my spare time, I teach Legal Update...

Matthew Tadlock was born in Dallas, but raised in Fort Worth. He studied political science at Baylor University and proceeded to the University of Tulsa College of Law, which was a natural fit. His love of learning and travel lead him to study abroad in Ireland and Austria, where he was taught by the United States Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy & studied European and International Business Law at the University of Vienna. Passionate about practicing law in Texas, Matt made is way back home so he could serve the community that had set him up so well...

Attorney P. Keith Staubus is the Senior Partner of Staubus & Randall, LLP, in Dallas, Texas. Mr. Staubus has dedicated his decades of practice to Will Contests, Trust Litigation, Fiduciary Litigation, Guardianship Disputes, and other disputes in the Probate Courts.

Services We Provide Include: • Probate & Estate Planning: Estate Administration, Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney, Living Wills; • Business Formation & Transactional Matters: Creation of Business Entities (i.e. LLC, Corp., Partnerships) & Other Business Agreements including Mergers & Acquisitions; • Income Tax Returns: Planning & Preparation (Individuals, Partnerships, Corp., Trusts, Gift & Estate Tax, Tax-Exempt Org., Payroll & Others); and • Audits & Appeals: Representation in Problematic Tax & Regulatory Matters.

I was born and raised in Denton, Texas and graduated from Denton High School in 1998. My mother is and has been a physician in Denton since 1980. I feel that my educational background in science, business, and law gives me a unique perspective on any dispute including those involving complex business structures. Additionally, due to my experience with small businesses, I understands the issues and potential obstacles that affect them as well.

I received my law degree from Texas Wesleyan University School of Law in 2008. Prior to law school, I received an undergraduate degree in Mechanical...

Abraham C. Bloomenstiel of Bloomenstiel P.C. is a North Texas attorney with a strong, proven record of success in bankruptcy, probate, and estate planning. Mr. Bloomenstiel works closely with his clients to find smart, direct, and cost-effective solutions to even the most complicated problems. We can help with the following: BANKRUPTCY: If you are are struggling with debt, have had a judgement taken against you, or suffered a business failure, know that there are solutions. We can help. PROBATE: We can help you get letters testamentary, probate wills, access bank accounts of a deceased person, or get title to...

Originally from New Orleans, Kathy E. Roux graduated from Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center. While in law school, she was elected Freshman Class Representative and appointed Ombudsman for LSU’s Student Government Association. She won 1st place for the Southern Region in the Frederick Douglass Moot Court competition, and was chosen to represent LSU in the National Moot Court competition.
After graduation, she began working for Southeast Louisiana Legal Services in New Orleans, practicing poverty law. While there, her practice areas included Consumer Bankruptcy, Consumer Protection, Housing Law, and the Low...

Mrs. Lori Ashmore Peters was admitted to practice in Texas in 1996. Her background is in Probate, Business Planning, Ancillary Probate, Estate Planning, Guardianships and Mental Health Law. She has been certified to serve as Attorney Ad Litem and Guardian Ad Litem in the Probate Courts in Texas. She has served as Court appointed Attorney Ad Litem on numerous cases, as well as Guardian and Guardian Ad Litem. She works with litigation law firms as a probate consultant and speaks with litigation attorneys regarding the necessity for probate, ancillary probate and possible estate planning as it relates to lawsuits. She...

I tried over 50 jury trials and, as a trial lawyer, I loved every minute of it, but as a human being, I came to realize that a trial in a courtroom is no place to restructure a family who is having to go through a divorce. The courtroom will finalize a divorce, but the collateral damage done to a family, especially the children, in a trial, is something from which they (and future generations) many never recover. Even though over 95% of all cases are settled before trial, few people consider the difference in a case that is settled...

Matthew Davidson was born in Austin, Texas. He spent his high school years on a family ranch in Dripping Springs, Texas in the beautiful Texas Hill Country. After High School, Matthew attended and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts in English and American Studies. After working in the financial industry, Matt attended Regent University School of Law in Virginia Beach, Virginia where he earned his Juris Doctorate. After law school, Matthew moved back to his home state and began practicing law in Fort Worth, Texas. Ultimately, Matthew and his brother,...

David S. Bouschor, II is a 1991 graduate of the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. Mr. Bouschor was a sole practitioner and a shareholder in a previous law firm until January 2000 when he opened The Law Office of David S. Bouschor, II, P.C. in Denton, Texas. For over twenty-five years, Mr. Bouschor’s legal practice has consisted of Family Law, Guardianship, and Probate. Since 1995 Mr. Bouschor has been Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization - a certification awarded to lawyers who have proven specialized knowledge of state laws, codes and who have...

Hunter Sargent is an experienced attorney who has been licensed to practice law in Texas since 2014. He is the founder and managing attorney of Hunter Sargent, PLLC, quickly growing the firm into Denton's premier estate planning law firm. Hunter focuses his practice entirely on estate planning and business planning. Hunter obtained his law degree from Texas A&M School of Law in 2014. After graduating from law school, Hunter began his legal career by working as an attorney in Denton, where he gained extensive experience in estate planning and business law. He then founded his own law firm, Hunter Sargent, PLLC,...

Katrina has been practicing law since 2015 and is a member of the Texas Bar College. Additionally, she is a Certified Guardian Ad Litem and Certified Civil and Family Law Mediator. Katrina’s practice focuses on divorce, child custody, estate planning, guardianship, real estate transactions and mediation services.

Attorney Isaac Shutt focuses his law practice on Wills, Legal Trust creation, Probate Law, and help with Estates, primarily in Dallas County and Collin County Texas. He is passionate about assisting families with the necessary legal process to distribute property after the death of a family member. Mr. Shutt genuinely cares for every client and strives to make Wills, Probate, and Estate Administration as affordable and simple as possible.

Mr. Shutt’s Qualifications And Memberships:
Isaac Shutt is licensed to practice law in the State of Texas.

Southern Methodist University, Dedman School of Law, juris doctor, Cum Laude
Southern Methodist University, Bachelor of...

With over 44 years of experience, Stephen Kaplan is able to provide clients with comprehensive advice and counsel in a wide variety of areas of legal practice. Our entire firm is client-centered and strives to tailor the representation we offer to suit our clients' needs and goals. He is AV ® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell. Areas of Practice: Administrative Law Banking & Finance Law Business & Commercial Law Contracts Business Organizations Construction Law Employment Law -- Managerial and Executive Employees Employment Law -- Employer Estate Planning Government Agencies & Programs Labor Law Litigation & Appeals...

I spent the first 8 years of my practice in the Dallas County District Attorney's Office in its Trial Division. There I tried over 300 cases to final verdict before juries and hundreds more bench trials, motions, and probation revocations. I took all that experience into the private practice of law which has now lasted 35 years. Thus equipped and trained, I have applied those skills to expand into civil litigation while continuing to practice criminal defense. I maintain membership in the State Bar of Texas College, which means I take 30 or more hours of Continuing Legal Education each...

A native of Commerce and Temple, Texas, Attorney Paul F. Wieneskie brings over 30 years of practice experience to Bailey & Galyen, with an emphasis on civil appeals, municipal law (representing cities or private citizens), economic development concerns, and land use and planning. He has been board-certified in civil appellate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1994, an honor accorded to less than one in every ten lawyers in the state of Texas. He is also AV-rated by his colleagues in the legal profession under Martindale-Hubbell’s Peer Review Rating System®* (since 1997). Paul has successfully represented clients...