Serves Tarrant and Dallas counties from Commerce Street in Fort Worth. Its Probate, Trust and Estate Administration section handles administration of estates and trusts after a death, including postmortem tax planning, and its fiduciary litigators represent beneficiaries, trustees, executors, and guardians in will contests, heirship determinations, and breach of fiduciary duty cases.
Probate in Dallas County
Probate Court Record
Dallas County Probate Courts No. 1, 2 and 3
Dallas County
Phone
Hours
Office
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Self-help forms
How to file probate in Dallas County →
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Dallas County? →Settling an estate in Dallas County →
Probate Litigation Firms Serving Dallas County
Fort Worth solo practice in the Fort Worth Club Building handling independent and dependent probate administration, contested and uncontested matters, and guardianship for Tarrant County families. Catherine Goodman is board certified in estate planning and probate law and takes will contests and trust and fiduciary litigation as well as drafting wills and directives.
Serves the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex from Plano, with a Mansfield office and an appointment-only Fort Worth office. Handles independent and dependent administration, muniment of title, determination of heirship, and small estate affidavits in Collin, Dallas, Tarrant, and Denton county probate courts. Planning is billed at a flat rate, probate hourly.
Estate planning and probate firm based in Cedar Park with six more offices across Austin, Round Rock, Bellaire, and Arlington. Handles probate administration and avoidance, muniment of title, small estate affidavits, trust administration, guardianship, will contests, and breach of fiduciary duty claims. Eight attorneys split between planning and probate teams.
Beaumont-headquartered Texas firm whose estate group serves Jefferson, Orange, and Hardin counties from its home office. Principals Christopher D. Leavins and Gary W. Coker advise executors, trustees, and beneficiaries on settling estates and managing trusts, handle guardianships, and litigate will contests and trust disputes. Offices in five Texas cities.
Frisco firm established in 1994 serving Dallas, Collin, and Denton counties, including clients settling a Texas estate from out of state. Its seven lawyers counsel executors through estate administration and probate, prepare death tax and fiduciary income tax returns, and resolve estate and trust conflicts. Most partners are board certified in estate planning and probate law.
All 12 Texas probate litigation firms serving Dallas County →
Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in Texas
Free Texas forms to plan or settle an estate: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed and the probate forms. Prepare each form for Texas.
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
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.
Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in Texas
Free calculators and checklists to plan or settle an estate in Texas: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay and taxes. Run each tool for Texas.
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%Modeled estimate under Tex. Est. Code § 352.051 (reasonable and necessarily incurred fees; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.5%Modeled estimate under Tex. Est. Code § 352.051 (reasonable and necessarily incurred fees; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate under a reasonable-compensation standard.
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 Oct 21, 2026View source, and an heir must survive the decedent by 120 hoursTex. Est. Code § 121.052Verified Oct 21, 2026View source to inherit.
What Are the Creditor Claim Deadlines?
In Texas, the 4 monthsTex. Est. Code § 355.060; § 403.055 (independent administration); § 355.001Verified 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.
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.
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.
