Helpful articles on wills and succession law.
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Probate in Texas is faster and cheaper than in most states thanks to independent administration. Here are the steps, a realistic timeline, the difference between independent and dependent administration, muniment of title, typical costs, and what the executor actually does.
09.07.2026You can keep most or all of your estate out of Texas probate using a revocable living trust, a transfer on death deed, payable-on-death accounts, survivorship arrangements, and the small estate affidavit. Here is how each tool works and when it fits.
09.07.2026A revocable living trust avoids probate and adds privacy, but Texas independent administration is already cheap and fast, so a trust is optional for many Texans. Here is what a living trust does, how you fund it, why you still need a pour-over will, and when a trust actually earns its keep.
09.07.2026Texas has no state estate tax and no state inheritance tax. The only death tax that can apply is the federal estate tax, and it only hits estates above the 2026 exemption of $15 million per person. Here is exactly what Texans do and do not owe.
09.07.2026A durable power of attorney lets someone manage your finances if you cannot, and a medical power of attorney lets someone make your health care decisions. Here is how each works under Texas law, how to create and revoke them, and why they belong in every estate plan.
09.07.2026A Texas advance directive is really two documents: a Directive to Physicians (living will) that records your wishes about life-sustaining treatment, and a Medical Power of Attorney that names someone to decide for you. Here is what each covers and how to complete them under the Health and Safety Code.
09.07.2026A Texas transfer on death deed passes your home to a named beneficiary automatically at death, without probate, while you keep full control for life. Here is how to create and record one, how to revoke it, and how it compares to a living trust under Estates Code Chapter 114.
09.07.2026A Texas small estate affidavit lets heirs collect a modest estate without full probate when there is no will and the estate (excluding the homestead) is worth $75,000 or less. Here is the threshold, who qualifies, what it can and cannot do, and the step-by-step process under Estates Code Chapter 205.
09.07.2026A handwritten (holographic) will is legally valid in Texas if it is written wholly in your handwriting and signed, with no witnesses and no date required. Here is the exact statute, how it differs from a witnessed will, the community property rules that shape it, and the mistakes that void one.
03.07.2026A free Texas will template you copy out by hand to create a valid holographic will. Includes two sample will texts (single person and married with children) with Texas names, the entirely-in-your-handwriting rule, the signature rule, and where to store it.
03.07.2026Texas has no forced heirship, so you can legally cut an adult child out of your will. Your spouse is different: community property law protects their half automatically, no matter what your will says. Here is exactly who you can and cannot disinherit in Texas.
03.07.2026If you die without a will in Texas, state intestacy law decides who inherits, and the answer surprises many families. This guide breaks down the spouse and children shares, the community versus separate property split, and what happens when there is no spouse or no children.
03.07.2026A practical, plain-English guide to making a valid will in Texas. Learn the holographic (fully handwritten) route that needs no witnesses, when a self-proving affidavit helps, how community property affects what you can leave, and where to store your finished will.
03.07.2026Texas does not require a lawyer to make a valid will. A handwritten (holographic) will needs no attorney and no witnesses under the Texas Estates Code. Here is when a do-it-yourself will is perfectly fine, and when a blended family, a business, or out-of-state property means you should call an estate attorney.
03.07.2026More than 214,000 Texans die each year, yet fewer than half of US adults have a will. 24+ cited facts on wills, deaths, estates, and the $84 trillion wealth transfer in Texas.
03.07.2026How much do Texans actually inherit? The US mean is about $46,200, but the median is far lower. Here are 15 cited statistics on inheritance, wealth transfer, and Texas tax rules for 2026.
03.07.2026Texas life expectancy at birth is 77.1 years, just below the US average, with a 5.6-year gap between men and women and an 11-year gap between neighborhoods.
03.07.2026A cited breakdown of what a funeral really costs in Texas in 2026: median burial vs cremation, itemized casket, vault and plot prices, and the state cremation trend.
03.07.2026Median and mean household net worth by age band, the huge gap between the two, homeownership's role, and how Texas income and home values compare to the US.
03.07.2026Only about a quarter to a third of US adults have a will, which leaves well over 14 million Texas adults without one. The 2026 statistics, by age, income, race and reason.
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