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.
Self-help center
Curt B. Henderson Law Library, 2100 Bloomdale Rd., McKinney, TX 750711-972-548-4255 · lawlibrary@co.collin.tx.us · Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PMThe county law library's staff direct patrons to legal materials and to the Guide & File forms, and by law cannot give legal advice or help fill out forms. Reference questions may be asked by phone or email.
County forms
Small Estate AffidavitThe Probate Court's small estate affidavit form, printed single-sided.
Collin County Probate Court (statutory probate court)2100 Bloomdale Road, Suite 12010, Russell A. Steindam Courts BuildingThe statutory probate court hears probate, inheritance, guardianship and involuntary mental commitment cases. Uncontested probate and guardianship hearings are often held by Zoom, and contested settings are made by email through the court coordinator with all counsel copied.
About the court
The Collin County Probate Court, a statutory probate court, has exclusive jurisdiction over probate, guardianship and mental commitment cases. The County Clerk's probate department in the same courts building takes the filings and can answer questions about the mechanics of the process, but cannot give legal advice.
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 Collin County, probate runs through the Collin County Probate Court at 2100 Bloomdale Road, Suite 12352, McKinney.
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 Collin County
What probate costs in Collin 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 Collin County Probate Court at 2100 Bloomdale Road, Suite 12352, McKinney.
The Collin County Probate 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 Collin County Probate Court
Probate cases in Collin County, Texas are filed at the Collin County Probate Court.
Beside the filing office, the court lists a separate line for Collin County Probate Court (statutory probate court).
The county law library's staff direct patrons to legal materials and to the Guide & File forms, and by law cannot give legal advice or help fill out forms. Reference questions may be asked by phone or email.
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.
Filed with the opening petition at the Collin County Probate 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 Medical Examiner in Collin County
In Texas a death is registered locally, and in Collin County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by County Clerk, Vital Records, Collin County as well as by Texas Department of State Health Services - Vital Statistics Section.
The County Clerk issues death certificates for deaths in Collin County, usually about two weeks after the date of death. A request by mail carries a notarized application and a copy of the applicant's government-issued identification.
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 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.
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 Collin County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Collin County Probate 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.
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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.
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.
Enter the estate value to see Texas attorney fees, executor fees, court costs and the timeline.
Examples:
General information about probate costs, not legal or financial advice. Fee bases vary by state and may use gross estate, personal property, inventory value or net property after debts. Actual costs vary by county, attorney and estate complexity. Consult a licensed attorney for legal questions.
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See whether you can file probate yourself
Enter the estate value to see whether Texas lets a self-represented person open probate, what the court requires, and what each route costs.
General information about filing probate without a lawyer, not legal advice. Both routes are priced by the probate cost estimator on the same estate; the attorney fee is the one line that differs. Actual costs vary by county, attorney and estate complexity. Consult a licensed attorney for legal questions.
