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.The clerk takes cash, personal or business checks, money orders, cashier's checks, LegalEase and Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express. A card payment carries a $3 charge under $100 or 3% from $100 up.
Self-help center
Law Library & Self-Help Center, Civil and Family Courts Facility, 1700 Guadalupe St., 2nd Floor, Austin, TX 787011-512-854-8677 · Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PMThe county law library and self-help center gives forms, legal information and referrals to people representing themselves in the county's civil courts. Librarians cannot choose forms or say what to write.
Probate Court No. 11-512-854-9258 · 200 West 8th Street, 2nd Floor · Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-noon and 1:00 PM-5:00 PMHearings are scheduled through the probate court, not the clerk.
Probate Court No. 21-512-854-5512 · 200 West 8th Street, 4th Floor · Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-noon and 1:00 PM-5:00 PM
About the court
Two statutory probate courts hear the county's probate, guardianship and mental health cases. The County Clerk's Probate Division takes filings at its counter in Room 140 of the courthouse at 200 W. 8th St.
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 Travis County, probate runs through the Probate Courts No. 1 and No. 2 at 200 West 8th Street, Room 140, Austin.
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 Travis County
What probate costs in Travis 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 Probate Courts No. 1 and No. 2 at 200 West 8th Street, Room 140, Austin.
Procedures at this court that affect cost: The clerk's e-filing fee sheet lists the full cost of each kind of application, including constable service and citation issuance.
The Probate Courts No. 1 and No. 2 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 Probate Courts No. 1 and No. 2
Probate cases in Travis County, Texas are filed at the Probate Courts No. 1 and No. 2.
Beside the filing office, the court lists separate lines for Probate Court No. 1 and Probate Court No. 2.
The county law library and self-help center gives forms, legal information and referrals to people representing themselves in the county's civil courts. Librarians cannot choose forms or say what to write.
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 Probate Courts No. 1 and No. 2: 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 Travis County
In Travis County certified copies of the death certificate come from the Justice of the Peace of the district where the death occurred, or from Texas Department of State Health Services - Vital Statistics Section.
Vital Records Office Record
Texas Department of State Health Services - Vital Statistics Section
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 Travis County are recorded with the County Clerk at 5501 Airport Boulevard, Suite 100B, Austin, TX 78751. Phone: 1-512-854-9188. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM.
Documents submitted by mail go to P.O. Box 149325, Austin, TX 78714.
The County Clerk charges $25 for the first page plus $4 for each additional page.
Travis County accepts electronic recording through CSC, ePN, Indecomm, Four Tier Software and ICE Mortgage Technology.
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 Travis County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Probate Courts No. 1 and No. 2, 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.
Founded in 1993, Sergi & Associates handles estate planning and probate administration for individuals in Hays County and the surrounding Central Texas counties. Prepares wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and health care directives, helps executors and administrators settle estates, and handles will contests.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationPower Of AttorneyTrusts
Austin firm on W. 16th Street working primarily in Travis, Hays, and Williamson counties, and case by case across Central Texas and the major metros. The attorneys handle dependent and independent administrations, intestate estates, heirship determinations in probate court, muniment of title, affidavits of heirship, and annual accountings. Two partners are also CPAs.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 7 more
Austin firm off South Mopac serving the greater Austin area and courts across Texas. The attorneys advise executors, administrators, trustees, and beneficiaries through opening probate, gathering assets, notifying creditors, responding to claims, filing tax returns, and distributing. Founding partners Craig Hopper and D'Ana Mikeska are both board certified in Estate Planning and Probate Law.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 6 more
Office
901 South Mopac Expressway, Barton Oaks Plaza II, Suite 570Austin, TX 78746
Small Austin family firm serving Central Texas from Travis County. Represents independent executors and dependent administrators through will admission, creditor and beneficiary notices, the estate inventory, claims, accountings, and the Form 706 return, and also handles trust administration, estate and trust disputes, problem-trust fixes, and mediation.
Austin firm on South MoPac serving Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop, Blanco, and Caldwell counties. Handles probate administration — including flat-fee uncontested probate and probate by Zoom or submission — trust administration, and will and trust contests, alongside wills, trusts, and special needs planning.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 4 more
Office
4425 S Mopac Expy, Bldg II Ste 201Austin, TX 78735
Round Rock firm concentrating in Williamson and Travis counties, with an Austin office by appointment. Handles probate and estate administration and guardianships of the person and estate, plus wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and marital property agreements. Wesley Prewitt has been board certified in estate planning and probate law since 2012.
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.
