Court Opinion

ID: 9715637
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 06:10:33.875573+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:23:50.912889
License: Public Domain

Opinion filed August 24, 2023

                                      In The

        Eleventh Court of Appeals
                                   __________

                                No. 11-23-00131-CV
                                    __________

             IN RE ESTATE OF JAMES DWAIN VINSON

                          Original Mandamus Proceeding

                      MEMORANDUM OPINION
      This mandamus proceeding arises out of requests to probate competing wills.
Relator, James D. Vinson, seeks to probate a will dated December 8, 1994 and Real
Party in Interest, Alma Ruth Vinson, seeks to probate a will dated October 7, 2022.
Relator asserts that the decedent, James Dwain Vinson, lacked testamentary capacity
at the time that he executed the October 7, 2022 will, or that it was executed as a
result of undue influence by Alma and her son.
      Relator has filed a motion to disqualify members of McMahon Surovik Suttle,
PC (McMahon) from representing Alma. Relator maintains that, because the 2022
will was drafted by Chet Caldwell, a member of McMahon, the entire firm should
be disqualified from representing Vinson, arguing that Caldwell’s former
representation of the decedent creates a conflict of interest. See TEX. DISCIPLINARY
RULES PROF’L CONDUCT R. 1.05, 1.06, 1.09, reprinted in TEX. GOV’T CODE ANN.,
tit. 2, subtit. G, app. A (Tex. State Bar R. art. X, § 9). Relator also argues that,
because Caldwell is a witness in the case, McMahon’s representation of Alma will
lead to a violation of the attorney-witness rule. See TEX. DISCIPLINARY RULES
PROF’L CONDUCT R. 3.08 (Tex. State Bar R. art. X, § 9).
      Respondent denied Relator’s motion to disqualify, but expressed a willingness
to reconsider the issue as the case develops. We have concluded that Respondent
has not abused her discretion in the provisional disposition of Relator’s motion. See
In re Turner, 542 S.W.3d 553, 555 (Tex. 2017) (orig. proceeding) (motion to
disqualify law firm reviewed under an abuse of discretion standard). Accordingly,
we deny the petition for writ of mandamus.

                                             W. BRUCE WILLIAMS
                                             JUSTICE

August 24, 2023
Panel consists of: Bailey, C.J.,
Trotter, J., and Williams, J.

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