Many families in Oklahoma who have lived here for a while or have family property here own mineral interests. Many have adhered to the adage "never sell your minerals," but what happens if you don't want to sell or lease your minerals? It happens all of the time. For example, a landman has approached you and wants to lease your land to extract oil, gas, or…

A loved one passing away can be a trying time for their close family and friends. The added stress of dealing with their estate can make the grieving period even harder. Dealing with probate matters like real estate, trusts, and estate taxes is the last thing on your mind. With years of experience as probate lawyers in Oklahoma City at Robertson &…

If you or your family are from Oklahoma, there is a chance that your family owns mineral rights. This is ownership in resources, such as oil or minerals, that families often pass down through the generations via inheritance. That sounds like an excellent way to secure a nest egg for your heirs. There is an old saying in Oklahoma, “never sell your mineral…

When one starts a new company with a partner or several partners, it is important to consider potential problems that could arrive in the future. For example, what happens if your partner dies or decides to move on from the business? If you don’t have a buy-sell agreement, these situations can be difficult to figure out. That’s why it’s important to go to…

Losing a loved one is one of the worst things that can happen to any of us. It is something that most of us try hard to avoid thinking about. When they pass away, the legal process of probate can be pretty complicated. To ensure that you don't have a troublesome process , you need a probate lawyer. You can't take it with you Think about all of the assets we…

  You’re a business owner. You put years of love and effort into your small business and are proud of what you’ve made. Now someone has made you a very tempting offer for it, and it seems like the time is right to sell, but you know nothing about small business law . While it seems like too much work to figure out, it would be nice to move on to…

You get contacted by a landman or an oil and gas company regarding a mineral interest your grandma owned in Oklahoma. You have been contacted as a possible heir to grandma’s estate. Grandma’s estate has not been through probate. The landman says you have to go through probate to get Grandma's minerals interest out of grandma’s estate and to her heirs.…

Plan ahead and give your friends and family peace of mind It’s not easy to think about what will happen after we pass on. But you want to ensure that your loved ones are taken care of. The best way to ensure that your legal, financial, and personal affairs are in place is to create an Estate Plan.  What is an Estate Plan? An Estate Plan is several…

Businesses survive on strong relationships. This cannot be achieved without contractual agreements that legally bind such business arrangements together. Legal contracts take your obligations and those of others into consideration. Therefore, every little detail goes into account when creating legal contracts. Apart from being a critical tool to enforce…

When you are finally ready to set up your small business, there are three necessary members you need on your team. And that is a small business lawyer, a financial advisor, and an accountant. Unfortunately, people tend to overlook hiring an attorney because they think they can handle all the legalities independently, but more times than not, they are…

Estate planning is necessary for the protection and transmission of wealth and to ensure the care of minor children. A good estate plan is prepared well in advance. In this article, we share 8 tips to help you plan your estate optimally. Let us share our tips with you! What is estate planning? Estate planning is the process of planning for the transfer,…

Robertson & Williams offers a range of legal services to its oil and gas law clients. Dealing with the complex area of oil and gas law, our attorneys provide counsel that underpins business-critical decisions that often have economic and political Dimensions. What is Oil and Gas Law? This particular area of law deals with exploration, refining,…

Oil and natural gas are two of the most important resources that are used in energy production today. To produce the required heat and power, massive amounts of these resources need to be removed from the earth each day. Once oil or natural gas are found on a piece of land, a company will either purchase the land outright, or simply purchase the right to…

When you divorce in Washington state, you can expect to make a lot of personal and financial changes. Many of them will involve any estate plan that you have in place. In this blog, we’ll explain how divorce affects common estate planning tools and what steps you can take to ensure that they reflect your new circumstances. Wills Under Washington law, all…

Trusts are an essential estate planning tool. Many people think they only need a will in their estate plan, but that’s simply not true. In today’s blog post, we’re explaining what a trust is and why you may need one. What is a trust? A trust is a legal vehicle through which you can grant someone you trust (who will be referred to as the “trustee” in this…

Many families in the Oklahoma and Texasarea have accumulated ownership of minerals over the years. Many of these families adhere to the old adage “never sell your minerals” resulting in mineral ownership in various amounts over several generations. As older family members die holding mineral interests, passing those minerals on to the next generation can…

Starting a business venture is always an exciting prospect. However, you need to take measures to legally protect yourself and your business as it grows, especially if you intend to co-own your business with someone else. A buy-sell agreement can be extremely beneficial for co-owners of a business. It puts a plan in place to be used if either owner’s…

It is not uncommon for property owners, residential and commercial, to allow a specific person, group of people, or a company to use or enter their property for a specific purpose. The right to use or enter property of another is called an “easement.” An easement is created by an agreement between two parties or is acquired from use over time. An example of…

At Robertson & Williams, we often find ourselves cleaning up legal messes caused by unclear or otherwise bad contracts. That’s why we encourage all business owners (and anyone else who uses a contract) to review their contracts with an attorney before signing or asking someone else to sign. Contract disputes can be costly and time-consuming. You will…

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the worldwide spread of COVID-19 a pandemic. On March 13, 2020, President Trump declared the COVID-19 pandemic a National Emergency. To stop the spread of the virus, the federal and state governments have issued orders for people to stay home and for businesses to close. Many U.S. states are still…

After a loved one dies, you may be named the personal representative of their estate. If you are, it becomes your responsibility to pay the deceased person’s final taxes as well as taxes on their estate. In some cases this may include an income tax return. In today’s blog posts, we’re looking at the basics of how this process works and what you need to know…

The threat of Covid-19 has brought social distancing, changes in our daily routines and uncertainty of when this will end. While we don’t know what will happen in the future, it is important to focus on what we can control. Spending more time at home, having quality time with our families and marking things off that to-do list are things that we can control…

Whether you are buying or selling a property, you need a real estate attorney by your side for your real estate closing. An attorney who is well versed in real estate transactions can protect your interests in more ways than you can imagine. Read on to discover the top reasons you need a lawyer at your real estate closing.  1. They can review the title…

When a person dies, it may be necessary to administer their estate in order that their assets may be properly distributed to their beneficiaries. This process is called Probate, if the deceased died with a Last Will and Testament or is referred to as an Administration if the deceased died intestate (without a Will). During the probate/administration…

If you’ve decided to start your own business, first of all, congratulations! This is a huge step on your path to success. It takes bravery and determination to take a business idea and commit to making it happen. Great job! You’ve already done a lot of the first steps of starting a business. You’ve had the initial idea, you’ve given it some time to grow…

Being named the personal representative of a loved one’s estate comes with some big responsibilities. The Personal Representative is responsible for executing or overseeing, the wishes laid out by the deceased, or testator, as well as winding up all affairs of the estate. You, in essence, usher the estate through the probate process, in accordance with…

If you’re like most of our clients, you devote most of your life to your family. You work hard so that you can provide your family with a nice home, good education, and the foundation for a secure future. You may worry about what will happen to your loved ones at your death. Taking the time to plan for your family after you pass can help to ensure…

Net revenue interest is a calculation of the total revenue interest that a person owns in a unit. What does this mean if you are a mineral owner? It means that the following formula will help you to determine your net revenue interest and in turn what you might anticipate receiving as your share of production from a well. To illustrate this we provide the…

Before an oil and gas company drills a well they generally employ an oil and gas title attorney to render a drilling opinion. A drilling opinion tells the operator of the well who owns an interest in the surface, minerals and leasehold interest in a proposed unit. In addition to detailing who owns the interest, the drilling opinion will also set forth any…

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