In Texas, a will usually needs to be probated if you want to use it to transfer property, appoint an executor, or prove who has the legal right to manage the estate. A will by itself does not automatically move assets after someone dies. The court generally has to admit the will to probate before it can be used...
Continue ReadingA QTIP trust, short for qualified terminable interest property trust, is an estate planning tool that can provide income for a surviving spouse while preserving control over who receives the remaining assets after that spouse dies. It is often used in second marriages, blended families, and larger estates where one spouse wants to care for the surviving spouse but...
Continue ReadingTravis County probate is the court process used in Austin and the surrounding Travis County area to handle a deceased person’s estate, including admitting wills to probate, appointing executors or administrators, determining heirs, and overseeing certain estate disputes. If your loved one lived in Travis County, probate will often be filed through the Travis County probate system. Not every...
Continue ReadingLetters Testamentary in Texas are court-issued documents that prove an executor has legal authority to act for a deceased person’s estate after a will has been admitted to probate. Banks, title companies, investment firms, and other institutions often ask for Letters Testamentary before they will let someone access accounts, sell property, transfer assets, or handle estate business. Being named...
Continue ReadingA living trust in Texas can cost more upfront than a simple will, but it may be worth it if you want to avoid probate, keep family affairs more private, plan for incapacity, or manage how beneficiaries receive assets. For many families, the real question is not whether living trusts are good. It is whether the added cost and...
Continue ReadingProbate in Texas can cost a few hundred dollars in court filing fees for a simple case, but the total cost is often much higher once attorney fees, executor fees, court costs, bonds, appraisals, ad litem fees, publication, and title work are included. A straightforward uncontested probate may cost a few thousand dollars. A contested or complicated estate can...
Continue ReadingTexas recognizes common law marriage, legally called informal marriage. If a couple was informally married under Texas law, the surviving spouse may have the same inheritance rights as a formally married spouse. But there is a catch: after one partner dies, the surviving partner may have to prove the common law marriage before receiving spousal inheritance rights. That proof can become especially...
Continue ReadingA will in Texas can cost anywhere from nothing to several thousand dollars, depending on how you create it and how complicated your estate is. A very simple do-it-yourself will may cost little or nothing. An online will service may cost around $50 to $300. A lawyer-drafted will often costs more, commonly ranging from several hundred dollars to $1,500 or more for a basic will,...
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