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Michael Anthony Duran

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Avvo Rating10
  • Dallas, TX
  • Licensed for 18 years
Michael Anthony Duran
Michael Anthony Duran
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About Michael

Experienced Probate Attorney that accepts Uncontested Matters for Fixed Fee. Call 469-708-6050.

Michael's experience as a probate and guardianship attorney began in 2005 when he was selected to work directly for Judge Nikki DeShazo of the Dallas County Probate Court.  While working in the Probate Court, Michael reviewed approximately 300 applications for probate and guardianship.  This experience allows him to avoid common pitfalls that disrupt probate cases.  Michael also wrote the book, so to speak: Michael created a manual to instruct future court clerks on the process of reviewing the various probate applications.

 

After completing his duties in the Probate Court, Michael formed The Duran Firm, PLLC.  In addition to serving private clients, Michael has been appointed by all three Dallas County Probate Courts as well as the Collin County Probate Court, to serve as either an estate administrator, guardian of the person and/or estate, and attorney ad litem in complex estate and guardianship matters. 

 

Michael is also a member of the Dallas Bar Association and is currently the Chair of the Dallas Bar Association Probate, Trusts and Estate Planning Section which is comprised of over 800 attorneys.

Practice areas

Wills and living willsGuardianshipProbate
  1. Probate: 60%

    The Duran Firm is a Dallas probate, wills, and guardianship law firm with extensive experience in the areas of the probate of wills, probate without a will, and the administration of decedents’ estates. The Duran Firm offers fixed-fee probate in uncontested cases where the Will and estate meet certain requirements. The overwhelming majority of our probate cases are for a fixed fee, particularly in cases where the Will was drafted by an attorney.

    16 years, 500 cases

  2. Guardianship: 20%

    The Duran Firm also has experience in guardianship administration and can help you to obtain a guardianship over your incapacitated adult loved one (due to dementia or mental retardation). For parents of sons and daughters with special needs who are approaching adulthood, the Duran Firm offers Guardianships for a fixed-fee.

    16 years, 500 cases

  3. Wills and living wills: 20%

    Willing Goodness! - Goal-Driven Planning. Your Will is your last opportunity to accomplish your goals for your family. Promote self-sufficiency, encourage education or entrepreneurship, or simply provide a basic level of support.

    16 years, 100 cases

Languages spoken

English, Spanish

Photos and videos

79905 1535639225

Contact

13355 Noel
address map

The Duran Firm, PLLC

13355 Noel
Suite 1100, LB 20A
Dallas, TX, 75240

Website
http://duranfirm.com

Video on Administering a Probate Estate in Texas

Resume

License
StateStatusAcquiredUpdated
TXEligible To Practice In Texas 200312/05/2020
COInactive200211/10/2020
We have not found any instances of professional misconduct for this lawyer.
Avvo Contributions
Legal answers183
Legal guides0
Awards
Award nameGrantorDate granted
Best LawyerD Magazine2017
Rising StarSuper Lawyers2010
Peregrinus CounselUniversity of Texas School of Law2002
Military HonorsUnited States Air Force Academy1993
Work Experience
TitleCompany nameDuration
ICBM Crew CommanderUnited States Air Force1997 - 1999
Orbital AnalystUnited States Air Force1994 - 1997
Associations
Association namePosition nameDuration
Dallas Bar Association, Probate, Trusts and Estate SectionChairperson2018 - Present
Dallas County Bar Association - Probate SectionN/A2005 - Present
Publications
Publication nameTitleDate
YoutubeVideo on Administering a Probate Estate2017
Education
School nameDegreeGraduated
University Of Texaslaw2002
United States Air Force AcademyBS - Bachelor of Science1993
Speaking Engagements
Conference nameTitleDate
North Texas Probate Bench BarCourse Director2019
Dallas Association of Young LawyersProbate Basics Fall 20092009

Reviews

(7)
5 Star
100%
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Review Michael Duran

Mr. Michael Duran

Posted by

We wholeheartedly recommend Mr. Duran. He was very thorough and kept us informed about what to expect. Not having much experience with the court system he was always kind and never made us feel beneath him.

A stressful day made much easier!

Posted by

Michael had all the i’s dotted and t’s crossed to make the probate process virtually painless for me. He understood that this was a very difficult and emotional day for me and did his best to put me at ease, answered questions patiently and just made me feel as if I weren’t alone in this process. Thanks, Michael and Jacqueline for your patience, understanding and professionalism!
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
Hired attorney

Highly Recommend for Probate

Posted by

Great experience with Michael Duran and his staff. Web site made it very easy to determine the type of service I required, and to submit the information for the Duran firm to review. I did not have my mother's original will, only a copy. Another attorney I contacted said this would be extremely difficult and expensive to probate. Mr. Duran's firm said this would not be a problem, and could be handled by the fixed rate quoted on their website. Appeared at the probate court with Mr. Duran, and was able to file the copy of the will and receive the Letters Testamentary I required to fulfill my role as executor of my mother's account. Whole process was painless and the cost exactly as listed on the website.
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
Hired attorney
Michael Duran's response: Clients are always leery of attorneys fees. Offering a fixed fee allows the client to focus on the process of getting the estate probated without having to worry about the cost. In order to offer a fixed fee, an attorney must have the experience to know when such a fee arrangement is appropriate. Having personally handled hundreds of probate cases, I am able to spot the problems that could make me regret a fixed fee. One of the typical problems is not being able to locate the original will. In your case, we were able to easily overcome the problem and still do your case for a fixed-fee which was a win-win for both of us. I am glad you were happy with our work. Thank you for taking the time to write a review.

I had a great experience with the Duran Law Firm.

Posted by

Mr. Duran helped me probate my mother's will. He did an excellent job. He made navigating the system very easy for me and my family. I highly recommend his work. A plus is that he appeared well known and genuinely well liked by the staff at the probate court. I felt like I was in good hands.
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
Hired attorney
Michael Duran's response: Incredibly, there are some attorneys that attempt to argue with the staff but be oh-so-sweet to the judge. This is not the way to get what you need for your clients. Having worked in the Dallas County Probate Court and having been part of the staff, I know how integral the staff is to the process. Besides, you should always be nice! I am a low-cost law firm. I am also highly-experienced. Reviews like yours let people know that they do not have to drop a lot of money to get through probate. Therefore, thank you for taking the time to write a review.

Excellent Response

Posted by

Albeit, Michael was unable to assist me he not only responded to me but also gave me a reference for what I was needing. Thank you so Michael for taking the time to respond and be helpful as well.
This review is from a potential client who consulted with this attorney.
Consulted attorney

Great guidance given that we were new to this process!

Posted by

Mike assisted my wife and I in setting up our first will, given that the birth of our first born was quickly approaching. His style was extremely helpful because neither my wife nor I were familiar with this process. Additionally he provided us some good things to think about as we tried to finalize certain aspects of our will. He also gave us some great advice related to how we should communicate certain details of our will to people who will be impacted by the decisions we made. His advice and counsel was greatly appreciated and we are glad we utilized his services.

Quick response and very helpful

Posted by

I really appreciated Mr. Duran contacting me right away. He answered all of my questions throughly and was very easy and pleasant to talk with.

Attorney endorsements

(11)
Are you an attorney? Endorse this lawyer

Derek Jacques, Guardianship Attorney on Jan 10, 2019
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

Mr. Duran is an excellent advocate for his clients. I would not hesitate to recommend him to a client in need. He is also an asset to the Avvo Community, providing invaluable resources to those seeking help.

R. Davenport, Guardianship Attorney on Feb 1, 2016
Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

Michael is excellent attorney—honest, accurate, and very knowledgeable on probate and guardianship matters.

Christian Lassen

Top-notch attorney. Highly respected in the legal community.

Robert von Dohlen

I endorse this lawyer. Great attorney for Wills and Estate matters!

Paul Wright, Probate Attorney on Oct 8, 2013
Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

Michael is a gifted probate lawyer.

Juan Renteria, Guardianship Attorney on Aug 6, 2013
Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

Michael is an excellent attorney. He is honest and straight forward. I endorse this lawyer.

Jeffrey Yates, Probate Attorney on Jul 12, 2012
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

I endorse this lawyer.

David Pyke, Probate Attorney on Apr 14, 2011
Relationship: Worked together on matter

Michael is diligent, effective, and efficient in moving his matters forward.

Christopher Everett, Guardianship Attorney on Feb 28, 2010
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

I endorse this lawyer's work. I have worked with Michael on a guardianship matter and appreciated his attention to detail and the assistance he offered on the case. He is a great attorney who serves his clients well.

David Wilburn, Probate Attorney on Feb 25, 2010
Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

Michael Duran is the most diligent and detail oriented lawyers I have ever encountered. I have worked with Michael as opposing counsel on numerous cases. He is always well prepared, and he has a detailed understanding of the probate and guardianship process. I give Michael my highest recommendation.

Tanya Rodak, Probate Attorney on Feb 25, 2010
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

I endorse this lawyer's work. I have worked with him on guardianship and probate cases for the past five years. His reputation with local judges is impeccable. Moreover, he is ethical, knowledgeable, and efficient in his practice of law.