What to Do When Someone Dies in Nueces County, Texas
Probate in Nueces County runs through the County Courts at Law (Nos. 1-5): 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 Nueces County, settling their estate runs through the County Courts at Law (Nos. 1-5). 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.
Paper filing availableE-filing required for attorneys
County Clerk courts phone: 361-888-0862; clerk main line / Filing (recording) Department: 361-888-0580. Probate matters handled by County Courts at Law (Nos. 1-5), Suites 701-704 at the main courthouse. CCL No. 5 (361-561-6056) is located at 2310 Gollihar Rd, Corpus Christi 78415 — not at the main courthouse. County Clerk maintains probate records. Contact County Clerk's office for specific probate court assignments. Case management system: Odyssey (Tyler Technologies). The county website (nuecesco.com) blocks automated access; the OCA statewide directories are the authoritative contact source. The District Clerk also publishes a probate fee schedule for district-court probate matters (Room 313, 361-888-0450).
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 Nueces County, probate runs through the County Courts at Law (Nos. 1-5) at 901 Leopard St, Room 201, Corpus Christi.
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 Nueces County
What probate costs in Nueces 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 Courts at Law (Nos. 1-5) at 901 Leopard St, Room 201, Corpus Christi.
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 Courts at Law (Nos. 1-5) (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 Courts at Law (Nos. 1-5)
If you're handling probate yourself in Nueces County, Texas, you can file at the County Courts at Law (Nos. 1-5) 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 Nueces 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 Courts at Law (Nos. 1-5) is realistic.
These are specific requirements for filing probate in this county. Following these guidelines will help avoid delays or rejected filings.
Before You File
Probate cases assigned across multiple County Courts at Law
Nueces County has five County Courts at Law with jurisdiction over probate, guardianship, and related matters. Contact the County Clerk's office for specific court assignments.
To file at the County Courts at Law (Nos. 1-5) 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 Nueces 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 Nueces County are recorded with the County Clerk in Corpus Christi, TX 78401.
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 Nueces 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 Nueces County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the County Courts at Law (Nos. 1-5), 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.
Corpus Christi firm on N. Carancahua, formed in 1994, serving Nueces County and the surrounding Coastal Bend. Its attorneys guide executors and trustees through every phase of administering and distributing estates and trusts, handle guardianships, and represent estates before the IRS on estate and gift tax matters. Four of its attorneys are TBLS board certified in estate planning and probate law.
PracticesEstate PlanningEstate AdministrationTrust AdministrationProbateand 4 more
Office
802 N. Carancahua, Suite 1500Corpus Christi, TX 78401
Serves the Coastal Bend from Holly Road in Corpus Christi. Handles probate proceedings and heirship affidavits alongside wills, directives to physicians, and durable and medical powers of attorney, with real estate and business work. The practice traces to Nicolas & Nicolas, formed in Corpus Christi in 1954, and carries an AV peer-review rating.
PracticesEstate PlanningEstate AdministrationProbateBusiness Lawand 3 more
Corpus Christi probate and estate planning attorney with over 30 years of experience, serving Nueces, Bee, Kleberg, Live Oak, Jim Wells, Aransas, and Victoria counties. Handles independent and dependent administration, estate litigation, will contests, fiduciary and trust disputes, elder financial abuse claims, and probate mediation.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigationand 3 more
Office
711 N. Carancahua St, Suite 1810Corpus Christi, TX 78401
Corpus Christi specialty firm serving Nueces and the surrounding Coastal Bend counties, doing only estate, trust, and probate work. Bradley and Anne Dobbs Bunting are both board certified in estate planning and probate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and represent executors and trustees in estate administration and in estate and trust litigation. Initial consultations are free.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigationand 3 more
Office
500 N. Shoreline Blvd, Suite 307Corpus Christi, TX 78401
Amarillo-headquartered firm of more than 40 attorneys, with offices in Austin, Dalhart, and Victoria. The estate planning and probate group represents executors, trustees, beneficiaries, and heirs, and carries more than a century of combined experience, two Fellows of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, and three attorneys board certified in estate planning and probate law.
PracticesEstate PlanningEstate AdministrationTrust AdministrationProbateand 3 more
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.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateTrust Litigationand 3 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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Nueces County Guides
Step-by-step tools for families in Nueces County, Texas.
