Which of the following is true regarding legal life estates?

Legal life estates are indeed established by operation of law rather than through agreements or contracts. This legal concept typically arises in situations governed by statute, such as when a property owner passes away, and their property is passed on to a surviving spouse or relative for their lifetime before transferring the estate to another beneficiary.

Unlike other types of property interests, a legal life estate does not require the explicit intentions of the parties involved to be written down in a contract. Instead, statutory provisions dictate how legal life estates are formed. This means that they automatically occur as a result of legal principles rather than actions taken by individuals.

In contrast, other statements about legal life estates incorrectly describe their nature: they do not provide full ownership rights, as the life tenant's rights are limited to their lifetime, and typically they cannot be revoked at will, as the terms of the legal life estate, once established, will bind the estate until the tenant’s death or a specific event outlined in laws. The distinction in how legal life estates are created is crucial for understanding property law and the various rights associated with different types of ownership in Texas real estate practices.