Karen M. Villanueva

Karen M. Villanueva is a shareholder whose practice focuses on probate, guardianship, estate planning, and elder law. Karen joined the firm in February 2021.

A native Central Texan, Karen graduated magna cum laude from St. Edward’s University in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. In 2016, she received her Doctor of Jurisprudence with a concentration in Estate Planning from Baylor Law School. Following law school, Karen volunteered with client legal services at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, preparing estate planning documents for soldiers and their families. After PCS’ing with her husband to Fort Bliss, Texas, she practiced with a local law firm in the El Paso Statutory Probate Courts. During her time in El Paso, Karen’s experiences ranged from simple, uncontested probate and guardianship cases to contentious, litigated trust disputes and complex will and guardianship contests.

Karen is a member of the State Bar of Texas, Texas NAELA (the Texas chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys), REPTL (the Real Estate, Probate, and Trust Law section of the bar), and the Bell County Bar Association. She is also certified to represent both applicants and proposed wards in guardianship proceedings. Karen is often appointed by the court to serve as Attorney Ad Litem and Guardian Ad Litem in unusual probate and guardianship cases and is a frequent presenter on estate planning, probate, and guardianship issues for local groups and organizations.

Karen’s practice primarily serves Bell County, with reach into Coryell, Lampasas, and Milam counties.

When Karen isn’t working, she enjoys gardening, reading, quilting and crafts, and spending time with her husband and three sons.