Harker Heights is in Bell County.
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Bell County
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How to file probate in Bell County →
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Bell County? →Settling an estate in Bell County →
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.
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
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.
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.
Settling a trust in Texas happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's trust statuteTex. Prop. Code § 111.001 et seq.Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.
In Texas, trustee compensation follows "reasonable compensation" (UTC § 708 or equivalent)Tex. Prop. Code Ann. § 114.061Verified Sep 18, 2026View source unless the trust instrument sets a different amount.
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.
Texas has no state income tax, so only the federal final Form 1040 is due for the decedentTex. Const. Art. VIII, § 24-a (added by Proposition 4, Nov. 5, 2019; former § 24 repealed)Verified Sep 20, 2026View source; a federal estate tax return (Form 706) is required only for estates above $15,000,00026 USC 2001(c), 2010; P.L. 119-21 §70106Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.
Inherited assets in Texas take a basis reset to fair market value on the date of death26 USC § 1014Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, and the gain on a later sale faces no state capital gains taxTex. Const. Art. VIII § 24-b, CAPITAL GAINS TAX PROHIBITED (added Nov. 4, 2025) — "the legislature may not impose a tax on the realized or unrealized capital gains of an individual, family, estate, or trust"; and § 24-a, INDIVIDUAL INCOME TAX PROHIBITED (added Nov. 5, 2019)Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.
1 trust administration firm has an office in Harker Heights, Texas. Each listing carries the firm's practice areas, its Harker Heights office and its phone.
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to discuss your situation and verify their current practice areas and availability.
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1 firm
439 E. Central Texas Expressway, Suite B, Harker Heights, TX 76548
Serves Bell County and the Temple-Killeen corridor from Harker Heights, filing in the Bell County courts. Handles wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and probate for area families, with more than 30 years of practice. Offers a complimentary case evaluation.
