Temple Legal Help for Disability, Estate Planning and Probate
Temple sits about 30-40 minutes from our Killeen office, and most of the work on a disability, estate planning, or probate matter happens by phone and through documents, not in person. Bell County probate and court matters generally run through the county seat in Belton, and we handle that routing for you.
Free consultations, no fee until the firm recovers. Car crashes, truck accidents, and serious injuries.
Distance
The drive rarely matters once the file is open.
After the first conversation, most of the work is document review, phone calls, and filings, so the 30-40 minute trip from Temple to our Killeen office on E. Stan Schlueter Loop is not something most clients think about again. Denial letters, wills, powers of attorney, and probate paperwork can be photographed and sent in rather than delivered by hand, and we schedule calls around work and family instead of asking clients to take a half day off to sit in a waiting room. In-person meetings still happen, but only when a signature has to be witnessed or notarized, or when a step in the case genuinely calls for it, like signing a will, a power of attorney, or a probate application. For everything else, whether the file is a Social Security denial letter or a stack of estate paperwork, the file moves whether or not anyone is physically in the building that day.
Bell County
Temple is in Bell County, and probate runs through Belton.
Temple sits inside Bell County, so probate and many civil court matters for Temple residents are filed and heard in Belton, the county seat. That is true whether the person who passed away lived in Temple, Killeen, or anywhere else in Bell County, since Texas probate generally follows the county where the deceased was domiciled, not where the heirs happen to live. Independent administration and muniment of title are two of the paths Texas probate can take, and which one fits depends on whether there is a valid will, whether the estate has debts, and what property is involved. Muniment of title is often the faster path when there is a valid will and no unpaid debts other than a mortgage, while independent administration gives an executor more ongoing authority to manage the estate. We already handle Bell County filings routinely for clients across the county, so a Temple address does not add a new court system, a new set of local rules, or a new learning curve to a probate case.
Many Temple households are connected to Fort Hood.
Temple sits along the same I-35/Central Texas corridor as Fort Hood (formerly Fort Cavazos), and a number of our Temple clients are active-duty, retired, or family of someone stationed there. That changes what an estate plan or disability claim needs to account for. A power of attorney has to keep working through a PCS move or a deployment, not just while everyone is still in Bell County. Beneficiary choices on SGLI, SBP, and the Thrift Savings Plan need to match the will and any trust, not conflict with it, since a beneficiary form usually controls over what a will says. A VA disability rating does not automatically become an SSDI approval, even though both claims can run at the same time and often involve overlapping medical records. And a will drafted before a marriage, a PCS move, or the birth of a child may no longer reflect what the service member actually wants. Ted Smith served as an active-duty Army JAG officer at Fort Hood before opening this practice, so these are questions the firm has sat on both sides of, not just read about.
Disability claims
A Social Security denial does not reset just because you live in Temple.
If a claim was filed from a Temple address, the SSA paperwork, medical records, and work history already on file carry forward no matter where the hearing itself is eventually held. Our first call after a denial usually covers what stage the claim is at, what the denial letter actually said, and what records still need to be gathered, whether that is treatment notes from a Temple provider, work history, or documentation of when symptoms started affecting the ability to work. Denial letters explain the specific reason for the decision and the deadline for the next step, and that deadline matters, so we ask clients to send it over as soon as it arrives rather than setting it aside. From there we handle the appeal steps and keep the client updated by phone rather than requiring office visits at every stage, saving the trip for when something actually needs a signature or an in-person hearing.
Estate planning
Wills, powers of attorney, and transfer-on-death deeds, built around your actual property.
Most Temple estate planning clients start with a short conversation about what they own, who they want handling things if they cannot, and whether an existing will or power of attorney needs updating after a marriage, a move, or a new grandchild. Drafts, revisions, and reviews are typically handled by phone and email, with a single in-person appointment scheduled for signing once the documents are ready, since a will and most powers of attorney require witnesses and, for some documents, a notary. A transfer-on-death deed can be part of that plan for real property, letting a house or land pass to a named beneficiary without going through probate, and we walk through whether it fits your situation rather than defaulting to it for every client. For blended families, out-of-state property, or a beneficiary who is a minor, the plan usually needs more than a template can offer, and that is where a phone conversation with the attorney does more good than a form.
Why Temple families call a Killeen firm
Same attorney, same Bell County process, decades of it.
Ted Smith Law Group has practiced in Central Texas since 1976, more than 50 years of Bell County disability, estate planning, probate, and injury work, and the firm is rated 4.6 out of 5 across more than 500 Google reviews. Ted Smith started this practice after serving as an active-duty Army JAG officer at Fort Hood, so the firm's roots in this community and its familiarity with military families go back to the beginning, built over decades of Bell County cases.
First call
What to have ready when you call from Temple.
A first call goes faster when there is something specific to look at, so we ask Temple clients to have the document or deadline that started the question nearby before calling. For a disability claim, that means the denial letter or any recent notice from the Social Security Administration, along with a rough sense of medical providers seen and jobs worked in the last several years. For estate planning, it means a general list of property, accounts, and family members, plus any existing will or power of attorney, even an old or outdated one, since it helps to see what is already in place. For probate, it means the will if one exists, a death certificate or funeral home paperwork, and a rough list of property, debts, and who the heirs are. None of this has to be perfect or complete. The point of the first call is to figure out what is missing and what the next step actually is, not to arrive with a finished file.
How we help
What Temple clients bring us
The first call should turn a confusing legal issue into a clearer next step.
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Disability claims
Denial letters, medical records, work history, and any recent SSA mail. We review the claim stage and the denial reason before the first call ends.
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Estate planning
Existing wills or powers of attorney, a list of property and accounts, and who you want handling things. Most of this is drafted and reviewed by phone and email.
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Probate
The will, a death certificate, and a rough list of property, debts, and heirs. We file in Belton and keep you updated without requiring a trip in for every step.
Why Temple families use a Killeen firm
Temple clients get the same attorney, the same Bell County court experience, and the same phone-first process as clients who live five minutes from our door.
Since 1976
Ted Smith has practiced in Killeen since 1976, after serving as Fort Hood JAG counsel.
“Ted Smith is the best in the area! I can't say enough good things. The whole office cares about their clients and make sure your case is taken care of swiftly and done perfectly.”
“I used Ted Smith Law group to probate my wife's estate. Ted Smith and Barbie King were absolutely terrific in supporting my Probate case. They far exceeded my support expectations.”
“The Ted Smith Law group helped me with my SSDI case. It was a lengthy process and they were there all the way through. They kept me up to date on what was needed to be done and documents that needed to be completed.”
How far is Temple from your office, and do I have to drive in?
It is about a 30-40 minute drive from Temple to our Killeen office. Most clients only come in when a document needs an in-person signature or notarization; everything else is handled by phone, email, and mailed or photographed records.
Which court handles probate for a Temple resident's estate?
Temple is in Bell County, so probate matters are generally filed and heard in Belton, the county seat. We file and appear there routinely for clients across Bell County.
Can you help with a Social Security disability denial if I live in Temple?
Yes. We review the denial letter, the claim stage, and your medical and work records by phone or through documents you send in, then handle the appeal steps from there.
I have a power of attorney from before a PCS move. Does it still work?
It depends on how it was drafted and whether it addresses out-of-state or overseas use. We review existing powers of attorney for Fort Hood-connected families and update them when a move or deployment changes what is needed.
Do you handle both estate planning and probate for the same family?
Yes. Many Temple clients start with an estate plan and later come back when a probate matter opens for a parent or family member. Both go through the same Killeen office and Bell County court process.
Ask the Killeen office about a Temple legal question.
Call or text the Killeen office and the team will get back to you, usually within one business day.
Contacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship.
