Charlotte Key

Probate lawyer, Estate planning lawyer, Guardianship lawyer, Business lawyer

Charlotte Key is committed to helping her clients prepare for the unexpected and unavoidable events we face in life. She is often a calm presence for her clients in the midst of the storm. She strives to help her clients plan for incapacity and to leave a legacy that promotes family harmony in her client’s absence.

Charlotte’s areas of expertise are estate planning, probate, guardianship and business matters. She also comes from a corporate and securities background and uses her corporate experience to help clients create estate plans that encompass personal and business assets. Not only is Charlotte experienced in creating uniquely tailored estate plans, she is also skilled in representing executors, legal heirs and beneficiaries in probate court. Her experience spans representation in both uncontested and contested probate matters. Charlotte is also a former staff attorney for the Dallas County probate courts, so she is knowledgeable of court proceedings and processes from the bench side as well as from the attorney side.

In addition to her estate planning and probate work, Charlotte has represented clients in various guardianship procedures, including temporary guardianships, limited guardianships, permanent guardianships and restoration of rights cases. She is also experienced in contested guardianship matters. She routinely advises clients regarding guardianship as well as what alternatives may be available to families through accessible supports and services.

As a seasoned business law attorney, Charlotte offers comprehensive legal counsel in areas such as entity formation, contract drafting and negotiation, employment law compliance, and dispute resolution. She is passionate about empowering entrepreneurs and business owners with the knowledge and resources they need to make informed legal decisions and achieve their goals. Her approach is proactive, strategic, and always focused on delivering value to her clients.

Charlotte often speaks to groups in the community about estate planning, probate, business and guardianship matters because she believes it is important that individuals and families understand their rights when faced with common issues that arise in her areas of expertise. She is a former adjunct professor for both Collin College and the University of North Texas College of Law and enjoys speaking to the community.

Collin County Probate Attorney

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Expertise Highlights

Charlotte is certified by the Texas State Bar to practice as an Attorney Ad Litem in Texas Courts and receive court appointments from statutory probate courts in North Texas. She is also dedicated to assisting all Texans with access to justice and devotes part of her practice to pro bono work in the areas of estate planning, guardianship and probate cases from Legal Aid of North West Texas.

Education

Charlotte attended Howard University School of Law and received her Juris Doctor in 2006. She also attended the
University of Texas at Austin where she received her Bachelor of Arts in English with honors and a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations.

Bar Admissions and Associations

Charlotte is licensed to practice law in the states of Texas and California. She is a member of the Texas State Bar and the Collin County Bar Association, where she serves as a Board of Director for the Estate Planning and Probate section.

Get to know Charlotte

Prior to reopening her own practice, Charlotte worked for Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas (“LANWT”) for seven years, where she served as the managing attorney for the Community Lawyering Center and McKinney offices, respectively. Prior to joining LANWT, Charlotte worked for top firms in the Los Angeles and Dallas areas as a corporate and securities attorney, as well as ran her own private practice from 2014 to 2016. Her private practice focused on representing small to middle-market businesses as well as advising individuals regarding estate planning, probate and guardianship matters.

Originally from Lufkin, Texas, she is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and Howard University School of Law in Washington, DC. She loves serving her community and often volunteers her time with various organizations. She enjoys spending time with her family, rooting for her Longhorns, reading and singing in her church choir.