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Are Non-Competes Enforceable in Texas? (2026 Guide for Business Owners)
Yes, Texas enforces non-competes when they pass the two tests in Texas Business and Commerce Code §15.50. The covenant has to be part of another enforceable agreement, such as your promise to give the employee confidential information. Its limits on time, geographic area, and scope of activity also have to be reasonable. If a judge
Texas Business Divorce (Buying Out an LLC Partner, Forced Exits, and Deadlock in 2026)
A Texas business divorce guide for LLC and partnership co-owners. Learn how buyouts, valuation, member removal, deadlock, and court-ordered winding up work under the Texas Business Organizations Code.
The Texas Prompt Payment Act (What Contractors and Subs Can Do When a Payment Stops)
The Texas Payment Act sets 35-day and 7-day payment deadlines on private jobs, 10-day deadlines on public work, interest on late money, and a 10-day stop-work notice. Here are the rules and a 30-day plan for unpaid contractors and subs.
Real Estate Attorney vs. Title Company: Which Do You Actually Need?
A title company handles the administrative and insurance side of a real estate closing, verifying that the title is clear and issuing title insurance, while a real estate attorney provides legal advice, reviews and negotiates contract terms, and can represent you if a dispute arises. Texas does not require an attorney for a residential closing,
How to Choose a Construction Attorney in Austin
Choosing a construction attorney in Austin comes down to four criteria. Confirm the attorney actually specializes in construction law rather than treating it as one of many practice areas, make sure the firm can handle both contract work and litigation, ask about direct experience with your specific issue, whether that is a lien, a payment
How Much Does a Business Attorney Cost in Austin, Texas (2026)
Most small business owners put off calling a lawyer for one reason. They’re afraid the bill will cost more than the problem itself. That fear is usually misplaced. The honest answer is simpler than most owners expect. Much of the legal work you’ll need has a known price before you start. Forming a company, drafting
Williamson County Real Estate and Business Attorney for Round Rock, Georgetown, and Cedar Park
You found the house in Round Rock. The title company sends over a stack of paperwork, and one form names a municipal utility district with a tax rate you didn’t plan for. Now you’re wondering who reads all this for you. In Texas, a title company runs most closings, and no law requires a lawyer
Condo Reserve Fund Red Flags: What Texas Buyers Must Know Before Closing
Most condo buyers spend their due diligence period focused on the unit – the kitchen, the finishes, the view. The reserve fund study sits in a stack of HOA documents that gets skimmed at best and ignored at worst. That’s a mistake with a price tag that can run into the tens of thousands. The
Condo Inspection Checklist for Austin Buyers: What to Look For Before You Close
Buying a condo in Austin is nothing like buying a house – and if you treat the inspection process the same way, you’ll likely miss the issues that matter most. A standard home inspection covers the walls and systems inside your unit. What it won’t tell you is whether the HOA is sitting on a
HOA Foreclosure Texas: Rights, Options & How to Stop It
If you just received an HOA foreclosure notice in Texas, stop and read this first. Yes, your homeowners association can foreclose on your home in Texas – even if your mortgage is current, even over a few hundred dollars in unpaid dues. But you have legal rights, you have time, and you have options most
Condo Special Assessment in Texas: What It Is & What To Do
A condo special assessment is one of the most common surprise costs in Texas condo ownership – and one of the least discussed. You close, you budget for HOA dues, and then a bill for $4,000 (or $40,000) arrives with a 60-day deadline attached. I’ve seen it catch first-time buyers and seasoned investors equally off
HOA Dispute Attorney: When to Stop Negotiating and Start Fighting Back
Most HOA disputes don’t start as legal problems. They start as a letter – a fine notice, an architectural denial, a demand for an assessment you didn’t know was coming. You respond. They respond. Things escalate. And at some point you realize that the informal back-and-forth isn’t going anywhere, the association isn’t backing down, and
Questions to Ask When Buying a Condo: The Legal Due Diligence Most Buyers Skip
There are questions to ask when buying a condo that most buyers never think to raise – and those are exactly the questions that protect you from the most expensive surprises in real estate. A condo purchase looks simple on paper: find a unit you love, your realtor pulls comps, you make an offer. But
Construction Retainage Laws Texas: Contractor Rights Guide
I’ve seen it happen more times than I care to count. A subcontractor finishes their scope of work on an Austin commercial project, invoices for their retained funds, and then waits. Thirty days pass. Sixty days. The general contractor keeps saying the owner hasn’t released funds yet. By the time the subcontractor walks into my
Fraudulent Deed Recording in Texas: What Property Owners Must Know in 2026
Fraudulent deed recording in Texas is no longer a fringe crime targeting vacant land or absentee owners. It is happening to occupied homes, active investment properties, and commercial real estate across Travis, Williamson, and Hays counties. Someone files a false deed at the county clerk’s office, and on paper, your property changes hands without your
Texas Business Court Jurisdiction Requirements Explained
Every month, I talk with business owners who just discovered they’ve been filing complex commercial disputes in the wrong court. They chose a general district court out of habit – or because no one told them there was a better option. By the time they reach my office, the case is moving in a direction
Texas SB 15 Lot Size Requirements: What Austin Developers and Investors Need to Know in 2026
Texas SB 15 lot size requirements took effect September 1, 2025, and the number that most people cite – 3,000 square feet – is wrong. The actual minimum under the law is 1,400 square feet. That distinction matters enormously for anyone trying to underwrite a deal, plan an infill project, or understand what this legislation
When a Business Partner Dies Without a Buyout Agreement: The Legal and Financial Chaos Texas Business Owners Must Avoid
I’ll never forget the call I got on a Wednesday morning from a restaurant owner in South Austin. His business partner had died suddenly over the weekend. No warning. No goodbye. Just gone. “We never got around to the paperwork,” he told me. “We trusted each other. We were like brothers.” What I had to
Operating Agreement Violation Texas: Legal Guide for Austin Business Owners Dealing with LLC Partner Breaches in 2026
A tech startup founder in East Austin called me last month with a problem that’s becoming all too common. His business partner had been siphoning money into side projects, making unauthorized loans to friends, and blocking every strategic decision the company needed to make. The LLC was paralyzed. Revenue was tanking. And the operating agreement
Probate Shortcuts in Texas: How to Bypass the Full Court Process (And 3 Errors to Avoid)
Table of Contents Here’s what most families discover too late – there are two powerful probate shortcuts in Texas law that can transfer property in weeks instead of months, and for hundreds instead of thousands. I’m talking about the small estate affidavit and muniment of title. These aren’t loopholes. They’re legitimate legal tools specifically designed
Real Estate Fraud in Texas: 5 Tips to Protect Your Property From Forged Deeds and Wire Scams
Check your property records. Right now. Because while you’re reading this, someone is experiencing real estate fraud in Texas. They are discovering their home was fraudulently sold without their knowledge, or that the $150,000 they wired for their dream property landed in a scammer’s offshore account instead of escrow. Real estate fraud in Texas isn’t
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