Tools for Planning Your Estate in Texas

In Texas, a will is signed before 2 witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimony.

All Planning ahead Settling an estate

21 tools for Texas

How Much Does Probate Cost?

Probate on a $500,000 estate in Texas costs an estimated $27,634. Attorney fees run 2.2% to 3.5% of the estate under a reasonable-compensation standard.

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Who Inherits Without a Will?

Texas is a community property state, so the surviving spouse already owns half of what the couple acquired during the marriage. Without a will in Texas, descendants divide what passes to them per capita with representation, and an heir must survive the decedent by 120 hours to inherit.

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How Much Are Estate & Inheritance Taxes?

Texas levies no estate or inheritance tax; only the federal estate tax applies above $15,000,000.

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Do I Need Probate?

In Texas, estates valued at $75,000 or less use the Small Estate Affidavit, 30 days after death, a court filing short of full probate.

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What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable trust in Texas runs $4,130 to $6,195 and a simple will $1,161 to $2,322, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

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How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable living trust in Texas runs $4,130 to $6,195 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 $1,161 to $2,322, against $0 to $299 up front with an online service, and probate on a $500,000 estate adds about $27,634.

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How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?

In Texas, four years at a public university cost about $76,292 and the cost of living is near the U.S. average; no state estate or inheritance tax applies.

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How Does Step-Up in Basis Work?

Inherited assets in Texas take a basis reset to fair market value on the date of death, and the gain on a later sale faces no state capital gains tax.

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Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?

Texas automatically revokes an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorce; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.

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What Are the Estate Laws in My State?

Probate on a $500,000 estate in Texas costs an estimated $27,634 and takes 4 months to 6 months for a simple estate, with attorney fees of typically 2.2% to 3.5% of the estate. Estates under $75,000 can use a small-estate procedure instead.

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How Does SimplyTrust Compare to LegalZoom, Trust & Will, and Other Services?

Compare what it costs to make a trust official across SimplyTrust, LegalZoom, Trust & Will, Rocket Lawyer, and Quicken WillMaker.

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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 writing, and the nomination covers the child until the age of majority, 18.

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What Are the Burial and Cremation Laws in My State?

Texas allows you to name your own agent in a signed, written document, and that designation takes priority over the statutory order of next of kin who otherwise control disposition of the remains.

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How Do I Sign Estate Documents?

Find witness, notary, and remote signing requirements for all 50 states.

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Will My Estate Documents Transfer?

Check if estate planning documents signed in one state are valid in another.

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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% to 3.5% of the estate; assets held in a revocable trust skip both.

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Do I Need a TOD Deed?

Texas authorizes transfer on death deeds: a recorded, revocable deed that passes real property at death outside probate.

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Do I Need a Vehicle TOD?

Texas allows a transfer-on-death beneficiary designation on a vehicle title, 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 Open a Trust Account at My Bank?

Compare trust-account requirements bank by bank: how a revocable trust account is opened or retitled, and what proves the trust.

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A will in Texas costs what the provider charges. An online service runs $0 to $299 up front. An attorney in Texas charges around $387 an hour for wills and estates work, which puts a simple will at $1,161 to $2,322. The document is only part of the cost: probate adds about $27,634 on a $500,000 estate in fees the heirs pay later.

A revocable living trust in Texas costs what the provider charges. An online service runs $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription. An attorney in Texas charges around $413 an hour for trust work, which puts an attorney-prepared trust at $4,130 to $6,195 for an individual plan.

Yes. Texas allows transfer on death deeds. The deed names a beneficiary for real property, is recorded during the owner's life, and passes the property at death without probate.

In Texas, a parent names a guardian for a minor child in a will or a separate signed writing. It needs your signature and 2 witnesses (14+), and the nomination covers the child until the age of majority, 18. It can be recorded alongside the rest of an estate plan when you create a revocable living trust.

In Texas, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 2.2% to 3.5% of the estate; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee. The trust also distributes assets faster than the 4 months to 6 months probate timeline a simple estate takes.