Father-daughter practice on East Van Buren Avenue in Harlingen, serving Cameron, Hidalgo, Willacy, and Starr counties. Michael R. Ezell and Julie Ezell-Perez handle probate and estate and trust administration alongside wills, trusts, elder law, guardianship, and special needs planning. Over 50 years of combined experience; hablamos espanol.
Probate in Hidalgo County
Probate Court Record
Hidalgo County Probate Courts No. 1 and No. 2
Hidalgo County
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
100 North Closner, Edinburg, TX 78539
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Attorney of record required
Self-help forms
How to file probate in Hidalgo County →
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Hidalgo County? →Settling an estate in Hidalgo County →
Estate Law Firms Serving Hidalgo County
Brownsville firm serving the Rio Grande Valley in probate, trust, and guardianship proceedings, including contested will and trust matters and challenges to an executor or trustee. Judith P. Lucio is board certified in estate planning and probate law and also prepares wills, revocable living trusts, and powers of attorney. Free consultation.
Harlingen firm on E. Jackson Street serving Cameron County and the Rio Grande Valley. Gene McCullough, licensed in Texas since 1995, handles wills, trusts, and probate alongside the firm's real estate work.
Amarillo-headquartered firm of more than 40 attorneys, with offices in Austin, Dalhart, and Victoria. The estate planning and probate group represents executors, trustees, beneficiaries, and heirs, and carries more than a century of combined experience, two Fellows of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, and three attorneys board certified in estate planning and probate law.
Rockwall solo practice serving Rockwall, Dallas, Kaufman, and Collin counties, and Texas statewide since 1994. Michael Cramer drafts wills, revocable living trusts, and special needs trusts, handles trust administration, and litigates will and trust contests. Services are offered in English and Spanish, and the initial case evaluation is complimentary.
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.
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.
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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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Healthcare Power of Attorney
Texas allows a choice for a healthcare power of attorney: 2Health & Safety Code § 166.164Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses or a notary.
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Financial Power of Attorney
Texas requires explicit durability language for a power of attorney to survive incapacityTex. Est. Code § 751.0021Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, and it is signed before a notaryTex. Est. Code § 751.0021Verified Oct 21, 2026View source.
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Pour-Over Will
In Texas, a pour-over will is signed before 2Tex. Est. Code § 251.051Verified Sep 16, 2026View source witnesses and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.
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Free
Transfer on Death Deed
In Texas, a transfer on death deed is signed before a notaryTex. Estates Code 114.001 to 114.106Verified Oct 19, 2026View source, then recorded with the county before the owner's deathTex. Estates Code 114.001 to 114.106Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.
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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.
Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?
In Texas, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 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; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee.
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Do I Need a Revocable Trust?
Probate in Texas takes 4 months to 6 months for a simple estate and charges attorney fees of typically 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; assets held in a revocable trust skip both.
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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.
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What Are the Estate Laws in My State?
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 and takes 4 months to 6 months for a simple estate, with attorney fees of typically 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. Estates under $75,000Tex. Est. Code § 205.001/205.006Verified Sep 8, 2026View source can use a small-estate procedure instead.
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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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What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable trust in Texas runs $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 and a simple will $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, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.
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