What to Do When Someone Dies in Kendall County, Texas
Probate in Kendall County runs through the County Clerk (Probate Division): prove the will, settle the debts, and pass the house to the heirs. Here is how the local process works—and what each step actually costs.
When someone dies in Kendall County, settling their estate runs through the County Clerk (Probate Division). This page covers the court record, whether probate is required, what it costs, how to file, transferring property, and the local attorneys who handle probate here.
Probate Court Record
County Clerk (Probate Division)
Kendall County
Address
201 E. San Antonio Avenue, Suite 127Boerne, TX 78006
Paper filing availableE-filing required for attorneysAppointment required
Accepted paymentCredit card. Clerk: "For your convenience, all major credit cards are accepted as a form of payment. Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express. A Fee for this service will be charged to your credit card and paid directly to Certified Payments." Contact the clerk for other accepted payment methods.
County Clerk main line ext. 231. Probate docket begins at 10:00 AM with in-person hearings before the County Judge. For probate inquiries call ext. 212. Probate courtroom at Suite 122. County Clerk office at Suite 127. A "Fees and Filings" PDF is published on the probate page.
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 Kendall County, probate runs through the County Clerk (Probate Division) at 201 E. San Antonio Avenue, Suite 127, Boerne.
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. The 4 monthsTex. Est. Code § 355.060 (121-day bar from a creditor's RECEIPT of the optional § 308.054 notice; § 403.055 is the identical bar in an independent administration); § 355.001 (claims may be presented any time before the estate closes when no § 308.054 notice is sent). Texas has NO claim period running from the § 308.051 published notice.Verified Sep 8, 2026View source creditor claim window is the largest fixed piece of that timeline — a mandatory wait regardless of how simple the estate is.
What Probate Costs in Kendall County
What probate costs in Kendall 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 Clerk (Probate Division) at 201 E. San Antonio Avenue, Suite 127, Boerne.
Texas charges $360Tex. Loc. Gov't Code §§ 133.151(a)(1) ($137 state consolidated), 135.102(a)(1) ($223 local consolidated); SB 41 (87th Leg., eff. 1/1/2022), amounts last amended by SB 1612 (88th Leg., eff. 1/1/2024). SB 1760 (89th Leg., eff. 9/1/2025) added only a $45 guardianship-transfer filing fee (Est. Code ch. 1023) and did not change the consolidated amounts. § 133.151(a)(1) ($137) and § 135.102(a)(1) ($223) re-confirmed verbatim 2026-09-08 against tcss.legis.texas.gov/Docs/LG/htm/LG.133.htm and LG.135.htm (the codified-text backend; the canonical statutes.capitol.texas.gov page is a JS shell that serves zero statute text). Neither section carries an 89th Leg. (2025) amendment; both last amended by SB 1612 (88th Leg.), eff. 1/1/2024.Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to open probate, the same in every county. Additional filings during administration — inventory, accounting, the final petition — add to the total.
E-filing is mandatory for attorneys filing at the County Clerk (Probate Division) (https://efile.txcourts.gov/). Self-represented filers can request a paper-filing exemption.
Estimate the costs for this estate:
Attorney fees in Texas are negotiated, typically 2.2%Tex. Est. Code § 352.051 (reasonable and necessarily incurred fees; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.5%Tex. Est. Code § 352.051 (reasonable and necessarily incurred fees; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of estate value. Flat-fee arrangements are common for straightforward estates.
Executor compensation is based on reasonable pay for time and effort — the states that do set a schedule pay 2.2%Estimated from the 16 state statutes that set an executor fee schedule (median and interquartile range at this estate value)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.8%Estimated from the 16 state statutes that set an executor fee schedule (median and interquartile range at this estate value)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of estate value. Family members who are also beneficiaries often waive the fee — executor pay is taxable income while inheritances are not.
Texas requires publishing creditor notice in a local newspaper, typically $200–$500. Professional appraisals for real estate or business interests add $300–$600 per asset.
A surety bond may be required unless the will waives it or all beneficiaries consent. Premiums run roughly 0.5%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 Clerk (Probate Division)
If you're handling probate yourself in Kendall County, Texas, you can file at the County Clerk (Probate Division) in person or by mail. E-filing is mandatory for attorneys but families filing without one are exempt and can use paper forms.
How to File Your Documents
Paper Filing Available
You can file your probate documents in person or by mail. While attorneys are required to e-file in Kendall County, families handling probate themselves are exempt and can file on paper.
E-Filing Also Available
If you prefer, you can file electronically through the state's online system. This is optional for families filing without an attorney.
•Original wills (must be filed in person within 3 days)
Can You File Without an Attorney?
Not every estate requires an attorney. Estate size, asset types, and whether beneficiaries agree determine if self-filing at the County Clerk (Probate Division) is realistic.
These are specific requirements for filing probate in this county. Following these guidelines will help avoid delays or rejected filings.
Court Appearances
Probate docket begins at 10:00 AM; in-person hearings required
As of April 1, 2023, probate hearings are held in person. Contact County Clerk to be added to docket. Proper courtroom attire required (no shorts, tank tops, hats).
An appointment is required to file in person. County instructs filers to contact the County Clerk's Office to schedule a probate hearing or file documentation and to be added to the probate docket: "For assistance with scheduling a probate hearing, filing documentation, or addressing other probate inquiries, please contact the County Clerk's Office at 830-249-9343."
Accepted payment
Credit card. Clerk: "For your convenience, all major credit cards are accepted as a form of payment. Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express. A Fee for this service will be charged to your credit card and paid directly to Certified Payments." Contact the clerk for other accepted payment methods.
Hearing schedule
Probate docket begins at 10:00 AM; in-person hearings (effective April 1, 2023). Contact the County Clerk to be added to the docket.
What to Bring
To file at the County Clerk (Probate Division) you need: the original will (or proof there isn't one), a certified death certificate, contact information for all heirs and beneficiaries, and a summary of what the estate owns and owes.
Transferring Property in Kendall 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 Kendall County are recorded with the County Clerk in Boerne, TX 78006.
The County Clerk charges $25 for the first page plus $4 for each additional page.
Texas uses formal, court-supervised probate, which makes an attorney worthwhile for most estates in Kendall County — the filing sequence, notice requirements, and accounting leave little room for error. Estates under the small-estate threshold are the usual exception.
Probate attorney fees in Texas are based on reasonable compensation — typically 2.2%Tex. Est. Code § 352.051 (reasonable and necessarily incurred fees; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.5%Tex. Est. Code § 352.051 (reasonable and necessarily incurred fees; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate's value, billed hourly or as a flat fee. Ask a Kendall County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the County Clerk (Probate Division), 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.
San Antonio and Austin firm handling independent and dependent administration, muniment of title, small estate affidavits, letters testamentary, and trust administration for families across Bexar, Travis, Williamson, and Hays counties. Also handles guardianship and Medicaid crisis planning. Free 45-minute estate planning and probate consultations.
PracticesEstate PlanningEstate AdministrationTrust AdministrationProbateand 2 more
Office
17721 Rogers Ranch Parkway, Suite 130San Antonio, TX 78258
Kerrville solo practice serving Kerr County and the surrounding Texas Hill Country counties since 2001. Handles probate and trust administration, guardianships, and estate planning, and also takes real estate, business entity, and civil litigation work. John W. Carlson is board certified in estate planning and probate law and bills at a set hourly rate.
Boerne practice in the Texas Hill Country serving Kendall, Bexar, Comal, and Kerr counties, limited to estate planning and probate administration. Lasca Arnold takes executors through probate for letters testamentary, determination of heirship and letters of administration, muniment of title, and small estate affidavits. Free consultation.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateAsset ProtectionPower Of Attorneyand 2 more
San Antonio firm near the airport, serving Bexar County and the surrounding Hill Country counties since 1988. Walks executors and administrators through will probate, intestate administration, and the alternatives to probate, and drafts wills, trusts, and powers of attorney. Thomas G. Bassler is board certified in estate planning and probate law; Spanish is spoken in the office.
Solo practice near downtown San Antonio serving Bexar County and the surrounding Guadalupe, Kendall, Wilson, and Comal counties. Brian Maverick, board certified in estate planning and probate law since 2009, takes families through probate, transfers a decedent's real estate and business interests to heirs or will beneficiaries, and handles guardianships. Free initial consultation.
PracticesEstate PlanningEstate AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 4 more
Boerne firm on Frey Street working across Kendall, Comal, and Bexar counties, including Boerne, New Braunfels, and San Antonio. Handles probate and estate administration and trust administration alongside wills, trusts, estate tax planning, and business succession. Shawn McCammon opened the firm in 2009; clients outside the Boerne area can work through its virtual process.
PracticesEstate PlanningEstate AdministrationTrust AdministrationProbateand 5 more
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.
Living trust assets, and accounts with a named beneficiary or surviving joint owner. These skip probate; some states charge the court fee only on what remains.
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Probate fee bases vary by state and may use gross estate, personal property, inventory value, or net property after debts. This calculator provides educational estimates only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Actual costs vary significantly by county, attorney, and estate complexity. Consult a licensed attorney in your state for guidance specific to your situation.
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This tool provides general information about self-filing probate and is not legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney in your state for guidance specific to your situation.
Kendall County Guides
Step-by-step tools for families in Kendall County, Texas.
