Estate Planning for Collin County, Texas Property Owners

For most Collin County homeowners, the house is what drags an estate into probate. A transfer-on-death deed or a living trust keeps it out—here is how to set up either one and record it locally.

Record a TOD deedWhere to recordLocal attorneys

For a Collin County property owner, the biggest probate risk is the home itself. Real estate is what forces most families into the Collin County Probate Court. The two tools that keep a Collin County home out of probate are a transfer-on-death deed recorded with the County Clerk, and a revocable living trust that holds title to the property.

Skipping this planning step means the Collin County Probate Court decides who receives the property: a simple Texas probate takes 4+ months and opens with $393 in court filing fees. Texas also lets owners name a transfer-on-death beneficiary on vehicle titles, which keeps cars out of the same process.

Record a Transfer-on-Death Deed in Collin County

A transfer on death deed names a beneficiary who receives Collin County property automatically at the owner's death, without probate. It is recorded with the County Clerk during the owner's lifetime and can be revoked at any time.

Before recording, a Texas transfer on death deed is signed with notary acknowledgmentTex. Estates Code 114.001 to 114.106Verified Oct 19, 2026View source. The deed takes effect only if it is recorded before the owner's deathTex. Estates Code 114.001 to 114.106Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.

Create a Texas TOD deed →Collin County signing requirements →

Where to Record Property Documents

Deeds and other real property documents for Collin County are recorded with the County Clerk at 2300 Bloomdale Road, McKinney, TX 75071. Phone: 1-972-548-4185. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM.

The County Clerk charges $25 for the first page plus $4 for each additional page. A 2-page transfer on death deed costs $29 to record in Collin County. No transfer tax applies to a transfer on death deed.

Recording Office Record

County Clerk

Collin County

Hours

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

Office

2300 Bloomdale Road, McKinney, TX 75071

Open in Google Maps

Fees

Recording fees

Base fee (first page)$25
Each additional page$4
Transfer tax on a TOD deedNo transfer tax applies to TOD deeds

Tex. Loc. Gov't Code § 118.011(a)(2), § 118.0216, § 118.025

Verified October 17, 2026 · Source

Estate Planning Attorneys Serving Collin County

FirmDallas, TX

Burch Law

Serves 3 counties

North Dallas firm serving Dallas, Collin, and Denton counties, with founder Lorie Burch and two associate attorneys. Drafts wills, revocable living trusts, powers of attorney, and directives to physicians, handles probate, and runs a mobile notary service that brings document signings to clients at home or bedside. Initial calls are free of charge.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateLiving WillsPower Of Attorneyand 2 more

Office
7920 Belt Line Rd, Suite 700Dallas, TX 75254
Free consultation

FirmPlano, TX

Crain & Wooley

Serves 4 counties

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.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationGuardianshipand 4 more

Office
2805 Dallas Parkway, Suite 400Plano, TX 75093
Virtual consultations

FirmDallas, TX

Davis Stephenson, PLLC

Serves 4 counties

Serves Dallas County and the surrounding North Texas area from 100 Crescent Court in downtown Dallas. Carries probate, estate administration, and trust administration alongside its planning work, with charitable, tax, and family business planning. All four attorneys are board certified in Estate Planning and Probate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateTax PlanningBusiness Succession

Office
100 Crescent Court, Suite 440Dallas, TX 75201

FirmDallas, TX

Ford+Bergner LLP

Serves 4 counties

Boutique estate-law firm whose Dallas office sits downtown on Main Street, with Houston and Austin offices and fourteen attorneys. Handles probate administration, fiduciary services, contested guardianships, and estate, trust, and guardianship litigation, and says it has worked in 112 of Texas' 254 counties. Free consultation.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigationand 3 more

Office
901 Main Street, 33rd FloorDallas, TX 75202
Free consultation

FirmLewisville, TX

Hernandez | Stokes Law, PLLC

Serves 4 counties

Lewisville estate planning and probate firm in historic Old Town serving the Dallas, Denton, and Fort Worth Metroplex. Partners Donna Roberts Hernandez and Kellie Fister Stokes guide clients through probate matters and draft wills, trusts, and powers of attorney, and also handle small business formation and real estate transactions. Free initial consultation.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateAsset ProtectionBusiness Formationand 5 more

Office
132 West Main StreetLewisville, TX 75057
Free consultation

FirmDallas, TX

Holman Law LLP

Serves 4 counties

Dallas estate planning and probate firm in the Merit Tower serving the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area. Attorney Steven C. Holman handles probate and estate administration, letters testamentary, revocable trusts, powers of attorney, and long-term care and incapacity planning. Meetings available at the office, by phone, or by video conference.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateElder LawPower Of AttorneyRevocable Trusts

Office
12222 Merit Drive, Suite 1200Dallas, TX 75251
Free consultationVirtual consultations
See all 20 firms serving Collin County →

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.

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Data sourced from Texas statutes and official state code. How we research.

Forms for Planning Your Estate in Texas

Free forms for planning your estate in Texas: will, living trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney and TOD deed. Prepare each form for Texas.

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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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Codicil to a Will

In Texas, a codicil is signed before 2Tex. Est. Code § 251.051Verified Sep 16, 2026View source witnesses, like a will, and the self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyTex. Est. Code §§ 22.034, 251.104Verified Oct 25, 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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HIPAA Release

In Texas, a HIPAA release names who may receive your records and, as the state requires, names HIV/AIDS-related information and genetic informationTex. Health & Safety Code § 81.103(a), (b), (d) (Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 678, § 1; last amended Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1278, § 12); Tex. Occ. Code §§ 58.102, 58.104 (Added Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1276, § 14.001(a))Verified Jun 19, 2026View source expressly before a provider releases them.

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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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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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Lady Bird Deed

In Texas, a Lady Bird deed is recognized by court decisionsIn re Estate of Turner, No. 06-17-00071-CV (Tex. App.—Texarkana Dec. 8, 2017, pet. denied) (mem. op.)Verified Oct 23, 2026View source: the owner keeps a life estate and the power to sell or convey the property without the granteeIn re Estate of Turner, No. 06-17-00071-CV (Tex. App.—Texarkana Dec. 8, 2017, pet. denied) (mem. op.)Verified Oct 23, 2026View source.

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Vehicle Transfer on Death

Texas allows a transfer-on-death beneficiary designation on a vehicle titleTex. Transp. Code 501.0315; Tex. Estates Code ch. 115Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, filed through the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV), through county tax assessor-collector offices using Form VTR-121.

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How Do I Sign Estate Documents?

In Texas, a will is signed before 2Tex. Est. Code § 251.051Verified Sep 16, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not requiredTex. Est. Code § 251.051Verified Sep 16, 2026View source.

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Will My Estate Documents Transfer?

Texas recognizes a will signed under the law of the place where it was signedTex. Est. Code § 251.053Verified Sep 16, 2026View source; a will signed in Texas itself needs 2Tex. Est. Code § 251.051Verified Sep 16, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not requiredTex. Est. Code § 251.051Verified Sep 16, 2026View source.

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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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How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable living 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 for an individual, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

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How Much Does a Will Cost?

An attorney-prepared will in Texas runs $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 $299 up front with an online service, and probate on a $500,000 estate adds about $27,634Tex. Est. Code § 352.051 (reasonable and necessarily incurred fees; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.

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How Do I Name a Guardian for My Minor Children?

In Texas, a parent names a guardian for a minor child in a will or a separate signed writingTex. Est. Code §§ 1104.053, 1104.151–1104.160Verified Sep 16, 2026View source, and the nomination covers the child until the age of majority, 18Tex. Fam. Code § 101.003Verified Sep 16, 2026View source.

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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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