Just a follow-up/clarification on this post from a month ago. It may be implied in the post, but in an intestate case (that is, where the decedent left no Will), all that's needed is a petition to amend heirship and a new affidavit of heirship.
I would also add that a lot of the difficulty and expense (in terms of time and money) in amending can be addressed at the beginning of the process. The attorney should explain to the client what an heir is, and the client should be able to get the attorney a list of all of the decedent's heirs, with full names and addresses (and, if possible, telephone numbers).
