Estate planning attorneys in Texas average $387Clio Compare Lawyer Rates, Texas: Wills and Estates rate (2025 data)Verified Oct 15, 2026View source an hour for wills and estates work. A flat-fee package runs $1,161Estimate: 3 hours at $387, Clio's Texas Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $2,322Estimate: 6 hours at $387, Clio's Texas Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source for a simple individual will and $4,130Estimate: 10 hours at $413, Clio's Texas Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $6,195Estimate: 15 hours at $413, Clio's Texas Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source for a basic revocable trust. An online service prices the same documents in the tens to low hundreds of dollars; the Texas will cost calculator sets the two side by side.

In Texas, estates valued at $75,000Tex. Est. Code § 205.001/205.006Verified Sep 8, 2026View source or less use the Small Estate AffidavitTex. Est. Code § 205.001/205.006Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, 30 daysTex. Est. Code § 205.001/205.006Verified Sep 8, 2026View source after death, a court filing short of full probate. That route is a form rather than a court case, and most families handle it without an attorney. Above the line, formal probate generally benefits from counsel for the procedural work, even when nothing is contested. The Texas probate calculator estimates the cost by estate value.

In Texas, the situations where counsel is typically worth the cost are: a blended family with children from a prior relationship (community property rulesTex. Est. Code § 201.002Verified Sep 10, 2026View source can produce a surprising split); a business, rental property or significant investment assets; a dependent with special needs, who needs a special-needs trust to keep benefits; substantial property in more than one state. Where none of these apply, an online or self-help document is often enough.

Filter the directory by county and by the practice area you need, and look for experience with your situation; a board certification in estate planning, trust or probate law is a strong signal. Most Texas estate planning attorneys offer an initial consultation, some free and some for a flat fee. Ask up front whether the firm bills by the hour or by package, and what your situation is expected to cost.

Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in Texas

Free Texas forms for planning an estate or settling one: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed, and the probate forms an executor files.

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Revocable Living Trust

Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.

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Last Will and Testament

In Texas, a will is signed before 2Tex. Est. Code § 251.051Verified Sep 16, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyTex. Est. Code § 251.051Verified Sep 16, 2026View source.

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Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in Texas

Free calculators and checklists for planning or settling an estate in Texas: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay, and inheritance taxes.

How Much Does Probate Cost?

Probate on a $500,000 estate in Texas costs an estimated $27,634Tex. Est. Code § 352.051 (reasonable and necessarily incurred fees; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Attorney fees run 2.2%Tex. Est. Code § 352.051 (reasonable and necessarily incurred fees; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.5%Tex. Est. Code § 352.051 (reasonable and necessarily incurred fees; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate under a reasonable-compensation standard.

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Who Inherits Without a Will?

Texas is a community property state, so the surviving spouse already owns half of what the couple acquired during the marriage. Without a will in Texas, descendants divide what passes to them per capita with representationTex. Est. Code § 201.101Verified Sep 10, 2026View source, and an heir must survive the decedent by 120 hoursTex. Est. Code § 121.052Verified Sep 10, 2026View source to inherit.

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What Are the Creditor Claim Deadlines?

In Texas, the 4 monthsTex. Est. Code § 355.060 (121-day bar from a creditor's RECEIPT of the optional § 308.054 notice; § 403.055 is the identical bar in an independent administration); § 355.001 (claims may be presented any time before the estate closes when no § 308.054 notice is sent). Texas has NO claim period running from the § 308.051 published notice.Verified Sep 8, 2026View source a creditor has to present a claim run only from receipt of the written notice the personal representative mails; without notice, a claim can be presented until the estate closes.

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How Do I Settle an Estate?

Settling an estate in Texas: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 90 daysTex. Estates Code §§ 309.001, 309.051, 309.056, 309.101Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 4 monthsTex. Estates Code §§ 308.051-308.056, 355.001-355.004, 355.060, 355.064, 355.102Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 4 months to 6 months.

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How Much Can an Executor Charge?

Texas pays executors reasonable compensationTex. Est. Code §§ 352.002, 352.003Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, typically 2.2%Estimated from the 16 state statutes that set an executor fee schedule (median and interquartile range at this estate value)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.8%Estimated from the 16 state statutes that set an executor fee schedule (median and interquartile range at this estate value)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate.

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