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Houston Will Contests Lawyer
Overview
Joe Marrs is a trial lawyer. He has represented clients in jury trials, arbitration, and bench trials throughout Texas. Mr. Marrs earned his law degree at the University of Texas, where he worked on the editorial board of the Texas Law Review. After graduation, he served as law clerk to the Honorable Guy Herman in the Travis County Probate Court Number One.
Since entering private practice, Mr. Marrs has tried multiple cases to jury verdict as lead counsel. He has won many types of cases for his clients, predominantly in trust and will contests, disputes involving fiduciaries, and probate procedure. Mr. Marrs believes in the idea that a trial lawyer should be prepared for any challenge, and he has cultivated a depth of experience in many areas of commercial litigation, representing Fortune 100 clients as well as individuals in business and tort disputes. He is a skilled, insightful, and aggressive advocate with the rare ability to master complex subjects and then translate them into clear language for juries and judges.
Mr. Marrs is admitted to practice in the United States District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas. He is also a member of the American Bar Association, the Houston Bar Association, the Austin Bar Association, and the Probate and Estate Planning section of the Houston Bar Association. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Estate Planning and Probate section of the Austin Bar Association.
In 2012, Mr. Marrs was rated "AV-Preeminent" by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest peer-review rating category.
About Joseph R. Marrs
Practice Areas
- Will Contests
- Trust Litigation
- Fiduciary Litigation
Current Employment Position(s)
- Partner
Qualifications
Bar Admissions
- Texas, 2002
- U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court Western District of Texas
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas
Other Affiliations
- Probate Section of the Houston Bar Association (Member)
- Estate Planning and Probate Section of the Austin Bar Association, 2011 - 2012 (Board of Directors)
Education
- The University of Texas School of Law, Austin, Texas, 2002
J.D.
Law Review: Texas Law Review, Book Review Editor - The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 1998
B.A., Plan II and Latin
Honors: With High Honors
Past Positions
- Honorable Guy Herman, Travis County Probate Court Number One, Law Clerk
Classes and Seminars
- “What the New ‘Fiduciary Rule’ Means for Trustees and Investment Advisors,” Fiduciary Litigation, Texas Bar CLE, Nov. 30-Dec. 1, San Antonio Texas
- “Remedies for Mismanagement of Trust Assets,” 9th Annual Damages in Civil Litigation, Feb. 16-17, 2017, Houston, Texas
- “How Not to Invest in a Trust: Pitfalls for Trustees and Brokers,” Bank of Texas and BOK, lunch series for CFP credit, Financial, Jan. 28, 2016
- “Avoiding Liability for Investing Trust Accounts: Trustees, FINRA, and Broker Liability,” Attorneys in Tax and Probate, Sept. 1, 2015
- Adjunct Professor of Wills, Trusts & Estates, South Texas College of Law
- “Busting a Trust,” Best Lawyers Business Edition, Summer 2021
Achievements
Other Sources of Feedback About Joseph R. Marrs
Included on the 2025 Texas Super Lawyers list
Past Lists
- 2024 Texas Super Lawyers list
- 2023 Texas Super Lawyers list
- 2022 Texas Super Lawyers list
- 2021 Texas Super Lawyers list
- 2020 Texas Super Lawyers list
- 2019 Texas Super Lawyers list
- 2018 Texas Super Lawyers list
- 2017 Texas Super Lawyers list
- 2016 Texas Super Lawyers list
- 2015 Texas Super Lawyers list
- 2014 Texas Super Lawyers list
- 2013 Texas Super Lawyers list
Honors
- Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation
- Super Lawyer, Texas Monthly magazine in the area of estate and trust litigation, 2016 - Present
- The Best Lawyers in America, BL Rankings, 2019
- Houston’s top lawyers in commercial litigation by H-Magazine
- “AV-Preeminent” in 2012 by Martindale-Hubbell
- Texas Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters, 2016-Present
- Top 100 Houston, Texas Monthly magazine, 2022
Office Information
Address
9811 Katy FreewaySuite 900 Houston, TX 77024
Phone
Fax
- 512-628-7169
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Office Hours
Monday - Friday: 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
Websites
Publication
Articles
- Playing the Probate Card: A Plaintiff's Guide to Transfer to Statutory Probate Court, 36 ST. MARY'S L.J. 99, 2004
- Temporary Guardianships: When Are They Appropriate?, Guardianship Course 2003, March 13, 2003
- Wills: What Will You Do?, The Austin Chronicle, April 7, 2004
- Intestacy: No Will, Several Ways, The Austin Chronicle, May 30, 2004
- The Use of Eminent Domain in Water Resources Management, TRWA/TWCA Water Law Seminar, January, 2007
- “Temporary Guardianships: When Are They Appropriate?” (coauthor), Guardianship Course 2003, Mar. 13, 2003, Dallas, Texas
Representative Cases
- In Re Estate of J.B. Wells, Jr., County Court of Gonzales, Texas
- Wellness Wireless, Inc. v. Infopia America, LLC, No. 4:12-CV-02856
- Burks v. XL Specialty Ins., No. 14-14-00740, 2015 WL 5436884 (Tex. App. Houston [14th Dist] Sept. 15, 2015, no pet. h.)
- J.P.V., et al. v. R.W.D., No. C-1-PB-13-001133; in the Probate Court No. 1 of Travis County, Texas (2015)
- D.L.B., et al. v. T. Corp., et al., Case No. 30-2012-00578962-CU-NP-CJC, in the Superior Court of Orange County, California (2014)
- In re G.A.L. Living Trust, No.D-1-GN-001084, In the 98th District Court, Travis County, Texas; No. C-1-PB-10-001106, In Probate Court No. 1 of Travis County, Texas; AAA Case No. 70 101 Y 00553 10 (2012)
- Estate of F.E.M., No. C-1-PB-10-000626, In Probate Court No. 1 of Travis County, Texas (2011)
- Estate of M.A.R., In Probate Court No. 2 of Harris County, Texas (2010)
- C.J.K. and Four Minor Plaintiffs v. R.F. and C.N., No. D-1-GN-10-002656, In the 201st District Court, Travis County, Texas (2010)
- State Farm Life Insurance Co. v. M.D., No. 09-CA-224 LY, In the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas; Estate of C.K., No. C-1-PB-09-089882, In Probate Court No. 1 of Travis County, Texas (2009)
- Manor v. Grady, No. C-1-PB-07-016035, In Probate Court No. 1 of Travis County, Texas (2008)
- First Evangelical Lutheran Church of Galveston v. C.M., No. 84,892-A, In Probate Court No. 1 of Travis County, Texas (2007)
- Academy Ltd. v. McKeand, In the 234th District Court, Harris County, Texas (2006)
- Binkley v. Binkley II, No. 360,899, In Probate Court No. 1 of Harris County, Texas (2006)
- Binkley v. Binkley I, No. 360,899, In Probate Court No. 1 of Harris County, Texas (2006)
- Republic Waste Services v. Pyle, In Harris County Court at Law No. 1 (2005)
- Tejas Yellow Rose v. 2nd Baptist, In Harris County Court at Law No. 1 (2005)
- Estate of W. H. Bruyere, In Probate Court No. 2 of Harris County, Texas (2005)
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