Probate in Harris County

Probate Court Record

Harris County Probate Courts No. 1 through No. 5

Harris County

Hours

Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM

Office

201 Caroline, Suite 800, Houston, TX 77002

Self-represented filing

Attorney of record required

Self-help forms

How to file probate in Harris County →

Verified October 16, 2026 · Source

Do I need a lawyer for probate in Harris County? →Settling an estate in Harris County →

Trust Administration Firms Serving Harris County

Serves Montgomery, Harris, Fort Bend, and Galveston counties from The Woodlands. Handles Texas probate end to end: getting an executor or administrator appointed, preparing the inventory and appraisement, running the creditor-notice period, retitling property into the estate, and closing with the required accountings. Steven J. Clausen is board certified in Estate Planning and Probate Law.

Serves 4 countiesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateGuardianshipSpecial Needs Planning+4

Serves Montgomery and Harris counties from Timberloch Place in The Woodlands. On the settlement side it collects estate assets, handles income tax administration of estates and trusts, works disclaimer planning, and represents executors, trustees, and beneficiaries in estate and trust litigation. Jay V. Knighton II is board certified in Estate Planning and Probate Law.

Solo PracticeSince 2001Serves 2 countiesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTax Planning+4

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.

Solo PracticeSince 1994Serves the whole stateFree consultationEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateTrust LitigationSpecial Needs Planning+2

Dallas litigation firm on North Akard Street representing executors, trustees, guardians, and beneficiaries in will contests, trust contests, other estate disputes, and fiduciary liability claims across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and throughout Texas. Also handles guardianship contests, probate mediations, and appeals.

Serves the whole stateFree consultationTrust AdministrationProbate LitigationTrust LitigationGuardianshipAppeals+2

All 13 Texas trust administration firms serving Harris 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.

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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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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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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 Do I Settle a Trust?

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.

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What's Fair Trustee Compensation?

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.

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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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Do I Have to File Tax Returns for Someone Who Died?

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.

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How Does Step-Up in Basis Work?

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.

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