Laurel M. Smith

Laurel M. Smith is a litigation attorney with Kean Miller in Houston, Texas, focusing her practice on trusts and estates matters. She represents individuals, families, and corporate fiduciaries in probate, trust, and guardianship disputes, as well as in related court proceedings and mediations. Her work includes both contested and uncontested matters, from estate and guardianship administration to complex litigation involving fiduciary obligations.

Litigation involving estates and family relationships can be stressful and deeply personal. Laurel approaches each matter with a practical and strategic mindset, emphasizing preparation, clarity, and responsiveness. She has served as first chair trial counsel in both bench and jury trials, experience that informs her approach to evaluating risk, developing case strategy, and advocating effectively in court. Clients value her direct communication style and her commitment to understanding their goals at every stage of a case.

Laurel handles a broad range of trusts and estates litigation matters, including breach of fiduciary duty claims, accounting disputes, fiduciary surcharge and removal actions, will contests, guardianship and incapacity proceedings, and trust modification, reformation, and termination issues. She also represents clients in disputes involving alleged mismanagement of assets, recovery of estate property, undue influence, mental capacity concerns, valuation disagreements, and controversies over commissions and fees.

In addition to litigation, Laurel assists clients with probate and estate administration matters, including probating wills, establishing heirship, and handling uncontested guardianships. She works closely with individuals and families to explain available options, outline procedural requirements, and help them move forward with informed decision-making. Her practice in trusts and estates allows her to guide clients through both routine and complex legal processes with care and attention to detail.

Laurel’s approach to client service is shaped in part by her own family’s experience with an estate-related dispute. That perspective reinforces her focus on thorough preparation, thoughtful strategy, and clear communication, as well as sensitivity to the emotional dynamics that often arise in these cases. She is mindful of both immediate legal needs and longer-term considerations that may affect family relationships.

Before entering the legal profession, Laurel worked in the medical field in an IVF laboratory, assisting patients with highly personal and sensitive matters. That background continues to influence her practice today, particularly in her ability to communicate with empathy, discretion, and respect. She strives to listen carefully to her clients, remain attentive to family dynamics, and, when appropriate, pursue negotiated solutions that may reduce conflict and preserve important relationships.

Laurel’s recognized practice areas include Litigation – Trusts and Estates and Trusts and Estates.