Serves Bowie, Cass, Morris, and Red River counties from downtown Texarkana, with attorneys licensed in Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma. Handles probate and probate litigation, plus trusts, asset protection, and estate and tax planning for business owners. Fred R. Norton, Jr. is board certified in Estate Planning and Probate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Cass County, Texas
How probate works in Cass County: the County Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Cass County Court
Cass County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Thursday 8:00 AM-noon and 1:00 PM-4:30 PM; Friday 8:00 AM-3:30 PM
Office
100 East Houston Street, Linden, TX 75563
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Attorney of record required
Self-help forms
E-filing
Required for attorneysAttorneys must e-file probate cases through eFileTexas; self-represented filers may e-file or file on paper. When an application to probate a will is e-filed, the original will goes to the clerk within three business days. On paper: Original wills: filed with the clerk on paper within three business days after the application is e-filed.
Accepted payment
- At the counterCash, Check, Money order, Credit card, Debit card.Attorney or business checks, cashier's checks, cash, credit and debit cards and money orders are accepted. Personal checks are not.
P.O. Box 449
Linden, TX 75563
Fax
1-903-756-8057
About the court
- Every probate case is filed with the County Clerk, including those heard in the County Court at Law, and contested probates are heard by the County Court at Law judge. The clerk's page links a list of local attorneys.
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Cass County
Probate is the court-supervised process of settling someone's estate after they die — validating the will, paying debts and taxes, and transferring what's left to the heirs. In Cass County, probate runs through the County Court at 100 East Houston Street, Linden.
The personal representative opens the case, gives notice to heirs and creditors, files an inventory of the estate's assets, settles outstanding debts and taxes, and then distributes the remainder under the will — or under Texas intestacy law when there is no will.
Most Texas estates take 6 months to 12 months to move through this process. 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 a claim, counted from the written notice the representative sends them, not from publication.
What Probate Costs in Cass County
What probate costs in Cass County, Texas comes down to a handful of line items — the court filing fee, attorney and executor compensation, publication, and sometimes a bond — scaled by the estate's size and whether the will is contested. The case itself runs through the County Court at 100 East Houston Street, Linden.
The County Court charges $360Tex. Loc. Gov't Code §§ 133.151(a)(1), 135.102(a)(1) (consolidated filing fees); SB 41 (87th Leg., Acts 2021, ch. 472)Verified Oct 17, 2026 to open a probate case. Additional filings during administration — inventory, accounting, the final petition — add to the total.
Estimate the costs for this estate:
Attorney fees in Texas are negotiated, 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 estate value. Flat-fee arrangements are common for straightforward estates.
Texas allows executors 'reasonable compensation' — around 2.2%–3.8% of a $500,000 estate, judging by what the states with statutory schedules payTex. Est. Code §§ 352.002, 352.003Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Family members who are also beneficiaries often waive the fee — executor pay is taxable income while inheritances are not.
Texas requires publishing notice to creditors in a local newspaper, and the estate pays for it.
A surety bond may be required unless the will waives it or all beneficiaries consent. Premiums run roughly 0.5%Industry surety premium estimate; the bond itself under Tex. Est. Code § 305.101Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of estate value annually.
Probate in Texas typically runs 6 months to 12 months, and costs accrue throughout that period.
How to File Probate at the County Court
Probate cases in Cass County, Texas are filed at the County Court.
Can You File Without an Attorney?
Texas requires an attorney of record to open formal probate, and informal probate is not available; a qualifying small estate can still be collected without one.
For a full cost comparison and filing checklist, see the Cass County Self-Filing Assessment.
What to Bring
Filed with the opening petition at the County Court: Application to admit the will to probate and/or for letters testamentary or of administration (Tex. Est. Code ch. 256 / ch. 301; contents per § 301.052) — drafted by counsel, no statewide form; Original will and any codicils, filed with the application (Tex. Est. Code ch. 256); Certified copy of the death certificate / proof of death; Citation issued by the county clerk and served — by posting where the will is produced in court — before the court may act on the application, and proof of that service (Tex. Est. Code §§ 258.001, 258.003; §§ 256.151(4), 301.151(4))Tex. Est. Code ch. 256 (probate of wills / application; § 256.052 contents; § 256.003 four-year limit to admit a will), ch. 301 (application for letters testamentary or of administration; § 301.052 contents; § 301.002 four-year deadline to apply for letters), ch. 305 (qualification & bond), ch. 306 (granting & issuance of letters); ch. 401-404 (independent administration)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source.
Death Certificates and the Justice of the Peace in Cass County
In Texas a death is registered locally, and in Cass County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by County Clerk, Cass County as well as by Texas Department of State Health Services - Vital Statistics Section.
Vital Records Office Record
County Clerk
Cass County · County Clerk
Phone
Hours
Monday-Thursday 8:00 AM-noon and 1:00 PM-4:30 PM; Friday 8:00 AM-3:30 PM
Office
100 East Houston Street, Linden, TX 75563
Website
P.O. Box 449
Linden, TX 75563
City registration districts
- Atlanta · City Hall, City of Atlanta1-903-796-7153 · 315 North Buckner, Atlanta, TX 75551
Local rule
- A mailed request is sent back the day it arrives, and the clerk does not reissue a record lost or damaged in the mail without a new application and payment. Personal checks are not accepted.
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $21 |
| Each additional copy ordered at the same time | $4 |
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Justice of the Peace
Cass County · Justices of the Peace
Website
Serves this county
The justice of the peace of the precinct where the death occurred
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Transferring Property in Cass County
Clearing title to real estate after a death, whether by a personal representative’s deed, an affidavit of survivorship, or a court order, happens at the County Clerk.
Deeds and other real property documents for Cass County are recorded with the County Clerk at 100 East Houston Street, Linden, TX 75563. Phone: 1-903-756-5071. Hours: Monday-Thursday 8:00 AM-noon and 1:00 PM-4:30 PM; Friday 8:00 AM-3:30 PM.
Documents submitted by mail go to P.O. Box 449, Linden, TX 75563.
The County Clerk charges $25 for the first page plus $4 for each additional page.
Recording Office Record
County Clerk
Cass County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Thursday 8:00 AM-noon and 1:00 PM-4:30 PM; Friday 8:00 AM-3:30 PM
Office
100 East Houston Street, Linden, TX 75563
Website
P.O. Box 449
Linden, TX 75563
Recording fees
| Base fee (first page) | $25 |
| Each additional page | $4 |
| Transfer tax on a TOD deed | No transfer tax applies to TOD deeds |
Tex. Loc. Gov't Code § 118.011(a)(2), § 118.0216, § 118.025
Verified October 17, 2026 · Source
Forms that put a death on the title
- Free forms: Affidavit of Heirship Form
Probate Attorneys Serving Cass County
Texas allows independent administrationTex. Est. Code §§ 401.001 (testate/will), 401.002 (testate/agreement), 401.003 (intestate/agreement)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, so the personal representative manages, pays and distributes the estate without returning to the court for approval at each step. A probate attorney earns the fee when the estate is contested, includes a business or out-of-state real estate, has unclear or insolvent debts, or when beneficiaries disagree.
Probate attorney fees in Texas are based on reasonable compensation, billed hourly or as a flat fee. Ask a Cass County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the County Court, publishes the required creditor notices, prepares the inventory and accounting, handles creditor claims and tax filings, and guides the final distribution. They represent the personal representative — not the beneficiaries — a distinction that matters if a dispute develops.
Elder law and estate planning firm with offices in Texarkana, Tyler, and Paris, Texas plus Magnolia and Hot Springs, Arkansas. Guides executors and administrators through estate settlement, will probate, and probate litigation over executor misconduct and inheritance disputes, and handles guardianship, Medicaid planning, asset protection, and special needs trusts.
Texarkana law firm handling estate planning, wills and trusts, probate, estate administration, elder law, and incapacity planning. Maintains a secondary office in Hot Springs, AR and serves clients on both sides of the state line.
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.
Texas firm whose Trusts & Estates group works from six offices statewide, including Austin, for families, family offices, and closely held businesses. Handles probate, trust, and guardianship administration, fiduciary advice to executors and trustees, and trusts and estates litigation, alongside wealth transfer, business succession, and charitable planning.
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to verify their current practice areas and availability.
Legal Sources
(9)·
- Tex. Est. Code §§ 352.002, 352.003
- Tex. Est. Code §§ 401.001 (testate/will), 401.002 (testate/agreement), 401.003 (intestate/agreement)
- Tex. Est. Code ch. 256 (probate of wills / application; § 256.052 contents; § 256.003 four-year limit to admit a will), ch. 301 (application for letters testamentary or of administration; § 301.052 contents; § 301.002 four-year deadline to apply for letters), ch. 305 (qualification & bond), ch. 306 (granting & issuance of letters); ch. 401-404 (independent administration)
- Tex. Estates Code §§ 308.051-308.056, 355.001-355.004, 355.060, 355.064, 355.102
- Tex. Loc. Gov't Code §§ 133.151(a)(1), 135.102(a)(1) (consolidated filing fees); SB 41 (87th Leg., Acts 2021, ch. 472)
- Tex. Loc. Gov't Code § 118.011(a)(2), § 118.0216, § 118.025
- Cass County Court, official page
- Cass County Clerk, official page
- Cass County vital records and death investigation offices, official page
Data sourced from Texas statutes and official state code. Fee percentages are modeled estimates; each figure's note says how. How we research.
Tools for Settling an Estate in Texas
Free tools for settling an estate in Texas: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool for Texas.
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.
See the Steps
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.
See the Steps
Can I Self-File Probate?
Texas requires an attorney of record to open formal probate, and informal probate is not available; a qualifying small estate can still be collected without one.
Get the Answer
Hire a Texas Probate Attorney
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