Heather R. Bell

Associate

Biography

Heather’s practice focuses on probate, guardianship, trust litigation, and estate planning. Her goal is to provide a light for family members during highly emotional family disputes. Heather’s litigation experience has simultaneously equipped her to craft custom-tailored, comprehensive, holistic estate plans to protect her client’s assets and prevent contentious disputes. She is detail-oriented, empathetic and a fiercely loyal advocate who has a unique ability to connect with people from all walks of life. Heather understands that clients come to her not only to provide legal advice, but also peace of mind, emotional support, and reassurance.

Heather is highly active in the legal community and serves on the council of the Dallas Bar Association’s Probate, Trusts & Estates Section, and also serves as a co-chair of the Dallas Association of Young Lawyer’s Elder Law Committee.

Representative Experience

Counseled clients throughout all phases of probate, guardianship, and fiduciary litigation
Drafted all case pleadings, motions, discovery, and memoranda throughout all litigation stages
Represented clients in uncontested and contested hearings
Prepared annual accountings for individual and corporate fiduciaries
Prepared estate planning and asset protection documents and educated clients on their functionality

Licensed In

Texas

Education

J.D. Baylor University Law School

B.A. The University of Texas at Dallas

Memberships

Dallas Bar Association, Probate, Trusts & Estates Section, Vice Chair (2024-present)
State Bar of Texas, Real Estate, Probate & Trust Law Section Leadership Academy (2020-2021)
Probate Summer School Committee (2020)
Dallas Bar Association, North Texas Probate Bench Bar Committee, Chair (2018-2020, 2025-2026)
Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, Elder Law Committee, Senior Co-Chair (2018-2021)
Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, Women’s Mentoring Circles Committee, Co-Chair (2019-2021)
Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, Freedom Run Committee, Co-Chair (2019)
Dallas Chamber Symphony Board of Directors (2018-2019)
Dallas Association of Young Lawyers Foundation, Fellow (2018-present)

Achievements

Texas Super Lawyers® Rising Star (2021-2025)
The Best Lawyers in America®: Ones to Watch – Litigation – Trust and Estates, Trust and Estates (2024)
Best Lawyers Under 40, D Magazine (2022)
State Bar of Texas, Real Estate, Probate & Trust Law Section Leadership Academy (2020-2021)
Dallas Association of Young Lawyers Leadership Class (2017)

Speaking Engagements

How to Prepare and File the Inventory, Probate Process from Start to Finish for Paralegals NBI Seminar, Frisco, TX (November 2020)
Administration of the Estate, Probate Process from Start to Finish for Paralegals NBI Seminar, Frisco, TX (November 2020)
Choosing the Proper Estate Plan, NBI Seminar, Fort Worth, TX (August 2019)
To Transfer and Record Gun Ownership and Use, NBI Seminar, Fort Worth, TX (August 2019)
Transfers of Firearms: Key Rules and Tools, NBI Seminar, Dallas, TX (August 2018)

Publications

The Snowball Effect of Adverse Interests, Dallas Bar Association Headnotes (December 2021)
Guardianships for Incapacitated Persons with Part-Time Jobs, Dallas Bar Association Headnotes (December 2020)

Related Services

Related News & Resources

Announcement

Steptoe & Johnson Grows Business Department in Texas with Attorne...

DALLAS – Steptoe & Johnson PLLC is pleased to announce the arrival of Heather R. Bell and...

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