Steve Spitzer – Managing Shareholder
Steve Spitzer focuses on probate litigation, will contests, guardianships and trust disputes. He also litigates other civil matters, including personal injury cases and business disputes.
Mr. Spitzer’s probate clients have disputed wills, trusts, guardianships, and heirships. Mr. Spitzer handles business and commercial litigation, and was extensively involved in representing health care providers prior to the medical negligence tort reform that passed in 2003. He has been active in both personal injury and probate litigation from that point forward.
Mr. Spitzer was a successful litigator for a major Dallas law firm from 1989 to 2011, and has been with Ramey & Flock since 2012. He has litigated many types of cases in his over 30 years of practice. He has served as the first chair attorney in over two dozen jury trials, has been Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1997, and is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates.
Education
- Baylor University School of Law, J. D., cum laude (1989)
- Baylor University, B.B.A., with honors (1988)
Certifications
- American Board of Trial Advocates
- Martindale-Hubbell: AV Rating
Practice Areas
- Probate Litigation – Estate Disputes
- Business & Commercial Litigation
- Wills – Probate – Estate Planning
- Health Care
- Premises Liability
Representations
- Trial of will contest involving legal capacity and undue influence of an elderly person who executed a second will within days of death.
- Local Counsel for Fortune 500 company involved in multi-million dollar East Texas lawsuit.
- Guardianship defense of elderly client from claims of mental incapacity.
- Trust revision suit to update terms of decades-old trust containing over $1 million in assets.
- Jury trial involving defense of wrongful termination against an East Texas employer of over 500 employees.
- Multiple jury trials defending claims against health care providers in East Texas
- Representation of nationwide long term health care provider in contested arbitration
Professional Associations
- State Bar of Texas
- Smith County Bar Association
- Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce
- ABOTA (American Board of Trial Advocates)
Civic Activities
- Grace Community Church – Elder
- Grace Community School – Board Member
- East Texas Communities Foundation – Board Member
Admitted to Practice
- U.S. District Courts for the Eastern, Northern, Southern and Western Districts of Texas
- Texas State Courts
Selected Publications & Speaking Engagements
- November 2020, Steve Spitzer was featured speaker at Henderson Co. Bar Association Meeting on “Probate Litigation Update”
- January 2016, Steve Spitzer spoke at Gollob Morgan Peddy, CPAs on “2015 Legislative Update”
- September 2015, Steve Spitzer was featured speaker at TAALP monthly luncheon – “Probate, Guardianship & Trust Trends”
Probate Law Newsletters
Probate Dispute News: Aretha Franklin’s Holographic Will
Aretha Franklin’s legendary singing career spanned five-plus decades. The “Queen of Soul” made the most appearances on the Billboard charts of any female performer ever. She died from pancreatic cancer in August of 2018 at age 76. 1. Probate Case It was initially...
No Tortious Interference in Texas
Whether Texas recognizes a cause of action for tortious interference with inheritance has been unclear for years. This summer, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that the cause of action does not currently exist in our state. Past History: The first Texas case to recognize...
Prince Estate Drags On
It has been over two years since music star Prince died, and his estate has incurred millions in costs without any distribution to his heirs. Prince died in April of 2016 at age 57 from an accidental drug overdose. He did not have a will, and the litigation over his...
Bank Account Right of Survivorship Fails
In a 2017 case from the Tyler Court of Appeals, a signature card on a commonly used form failed to establish a right of survivorship in a bank account. Brief Facts: Both parties to the account initialed the signature card next to the box that said “multiple-party...
New Texas Power of Attorney Act
Texas recently adopted much of the Uniform Power of Attorney Act, resulting in a significant overhaul of the prior Texas power of attorney statutes. A few of the more significant changes are: Standing to Sue for POA Abuse: As discussed in the October 2016 edition of...
Life Insurance Disputes
Disputes over life insurance benefits usually involve challenges to the named beneficiary on the policy. Lack of Capacity: Undue Influence One challenge is whether the policyholder lacked mental capacity or was unduly influenced to make the beneficiary designation....
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