Wills and Trusts
2026 Texas Estate Planning Cost Report: Wills, Trusts, and Probate Fees
At a glance: In the public prices reviewed for this report, a Texas will can cost from $0 through a free online provider to several thousand dollars for attorney-prepared planning. A Texas revocable living trust is publicly listed at $399 through Texan Wills and Trusts, $499 for an individual through Trust & Will, and commonly $1,500 to $4,000 for an attorney-prepared plan according to LegalZoom’s 2026 national guide. Opening a probate case carries a $360 base filing fee in the Texas counties reviewed, with common posting, citation, and service charges bringing selected county examples to about $388–$458 before attorney fees or other estate expenses.
Prices and county fees were checked on August 25, 2026. This is a public-price benchmark, not a survey of confidential client invoices. Prices can change, and no single option fits every family.
Key findings
- There is no official statewide “average cost of a will in Texas.” Provider, document package, family complexity, and level of legal advice matter more than a single average.
- Public online will prices range from $0 to at least $299 in the examples reviewed. FreeWill lists a free will, LegalZoom says will plans start at $129, and Trust & Will lists $199 for an individual and $299 for a couple.
- Public online trust prices reviewed range from $399 to $599. Texan lists its Texas Family Trust Plan at $399 for one individual or both spouses; Trust & Will lists $499 for an individual and $599 for a couple.
- Attorney-prepared planning is usually quoted only after a consultation. Current national consumer guides place a simple lawyer-drafted will at roughly $300 on the low end and a full estate plan at $3,000 or more; attorney-prepared living trust plans are commonly described in the $1,500–$4,000 range and can exceed $5,000 for complex estates.
- Probate begins with court costs, not just attorney fees. The reviewed Dallas, Harris, Travis, and Denton County schedules all list a $360 base fee for a new probate case. Posting, issuance, publication, service, copies, bonds, and ad-litem deposits may be additional.
2026 Texas estate-planning cost snapshot
| Planning route | Public 2026 price evidence | What the price may cover | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free online will | $0 at FreeWill | Self-guided will; FreeWill also offers other no-cost planning tools | Not individualized legal advice; complex situations may require counsel |
| Texas-specific online will plan | $199 at Texan Wills and Trusts | Will, powers of attorney, guardian documents, and signing guidance | A will controls probate assets but does not avoid probate |
| National online will plans | LegalZoom says plans start at $129; Trust & Will lists $199 individual / $299 couple | Packages vary by provider and tier | Compare update periods, subscriptions, printed copies, and attorney access |
| Texas-specific online trust plan | $399 at Texan Wills and Trusts | Revocable trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney, medical and guardian documents, funding guidance, and one year of updates; one purchase can cover both spouses | Probate avoidance depends on properly transferring applicable assets to the trust |
| National online trust plan | Trust & Will lists $499 individual / $599 couple | Trust-centered document package and funding guide | Its comparison page also lists a $49 annual membership and optional attorney support at additional cost |
| Attorney-prepared will or full plan | Current national guidance ranges from a few hundred dollars for a simple will to $3,000+ for an entire plan | Individual advice, drafting, and scope stated in the engagement agreement | No statewide Texas price survey was found; local fees and complexity vary |
| Attorney-prepared living trust plan | Current national guides commonly cite about $1,500–$4,000, with higher prices for complex estates | Advice and customized drafting; funding help may or may not be included | Ask whether deeds, entity interests, tax planning, and later updates are included |
How much does a will cost in Texas in 2026?
A defensible short answer is: from $0 for a free self-guided online will to several thousand dollars for a lawyer-prepared estate plan. The cost depends on whether the person needs only a will or a coordinated package that also covers financial powers of attorney, medical decisions, guardians for minor children, beneficiary planning, and tax or business issues.
For a Texas-specific public example, the Texan Texas Family Will Plan is listed at $199. For national examples, FreeWill lists its online will at no charge, LegalZoom says its will plans start at $129, and Trust & Will lists $199 for an individual will plan and $299 for a couples plan.
Those prices are not automatically comparable. One provider may include only a will; another may bundle powers of attorney, medical directives, updates, shipping, storage, or access to an attorney. Before comparing prices, compare the complete document list and whether the provider charges for revisions or renewals.
For more detail, see How Much Does a Will Cost in Texas?
How much does a living trust cost in Texas in 2026?
Public online living-trust plans reviewed for this report range from $399 to $599. Texan lists its Texas Family Trust Plan at $399 total for one individual or both spouses. Trust & Will lists an individual trust plan at $499 and a couples trust plan at $599.
Attorney-prepared trust planning costs more because the fee can include individualized advice and custom drafting. LegalZoom’s 2026 price guide says an attorney-prepared living trust estate plan typically ranges from $1,500 to $4,000 and can exceed $5,000 for complex estates. Nolo’s July 2026 guide says a living-trust estate-planning package may cost $2,000 to $3,000 or more. These are national consumer guides, not a Texas statewide fee survey.
The purchase price is only one part of trust planning. A revocable trust generally works as intended only when applicable assets are properly titled to or coordinated with the trust. Ask whether the price includes funding instructions, deed preparation, help with business interests, and later updates.
For a Texas-focused explanation, see How Much Does a Living Trust Cost in Texas?
Public online provider price comparison
| Provider | Will price shown publicly | Trust price shown publicly | Update or support note shown publicly |
|---|---|---|---|
| FreeWill | $0 | Not included in this comparison | FreeWill says its will can be changed free |
| LegalZoom | Plans start at $129 | Its 2026 guide describes online trust tools as lower-cost than attorney planning, but this report does not quote a checkout price that may vary by package | Terms depend on the selected tier |
| Trust & Will | $199 individual / $299 couple | $499 individual / $599 couple | Comparison page lists $49/year membership and optional attorney support for +$299 |
| Texan Wills and Trusts | $199 Texas Family Will Plan | $399 Texas Family Trust Plan for one individual or both spouses | Trust plan lists one year of updates and no required subscription |
Disclosure: Texan Wills and Trusts publishes this report and sells two of the plans in the table. Third-party providers are included for transparent comparison. No provider paid for inclusion, and the report does not claim that differently structured packages are equivalent.
Texas probate filing fees: four county examples
A will does not itself transfer probate assets. After death, the will generally must be presented to a probate court when court administration is needed. Court fees are separate from the cost of creating the will.
| County | Base new-case fee | Common posted total or additional fees | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas County | $360 | The county schedule says to add $20 for posted notice and $8 per citation issuance when required, producing a $388 example before other charges | Dallas County Clerk probate fee schedule |
| Harris County | $360 | The county’s example adds an $8 issuance fee and $75 constable posting fee, for $443 total | Harris County Clerk probate fee schedule |
| Travis County | $360 | The 2026 e-filing schedule adds $90 constable service and $8 issuance, for $458 total | Travis County Clerk 2026 probate e-filing fees |
| Denton County | $360 | The public page lists the $360 new-case fee; service, issuance, copies, and later filings may be additional | Denton County Clerk probate fees |
What probate filing fees do not include
- Probate attorney fees
- Publication charges billed by a newspaper
- Certified copies and additional letters testamentary
- Bond premiums when a bond is required
- Appraisals, accounting, tax preparation, or property maintenance
- Attorney ad litem deposits in heirship, lost-will, late-filed, or other cases requiring an appointment
- Contests, adverse actions, dependent-administration filings, or additional hearings
The selected county examples therefore should not be described as the total cost of probate. They are the public court-entry costs for common filings. For a fuller breakdown, read The Real Cost of Probate in Texas and How Long Does Probate Take in Texas?
What changes the final estate-planning price?
- Family structure: blended families, minor children, estranged relatives, and beneficiaries who need long-term protection can require more planning.
- Assets: real estate in multiple states, business interests, mineral interests, retirement accounts, and unusual ownership arrangements may require extra documents or advice.
- Tax exposure: higher-net-worth estates may need federal estate, gift, generation-skipping, or income-tax planning beyond a standard online plan.
- Advice level: document-generation software provides self-guided documents and general information; a lawyer-client relationship provides individualized legal advice within the engagement scope.
- Funding work: a trust document alone does not retitle a house, bank account, or business interest. Deeds and other transfer work may be included, separate, or inappropriate depending on the asset.
- Updates: compare the included revision period, later renewal price, automatic subscription terms, and whether printed copies are included.
How to compare prices without buying the wrong plan
- Write down the result you need: a basic will, incapacity documents, guardians for children, probate avoidance, beneficiary protection, or customized tax and business planning.
- Compare the full document list—not only the headline price.
- Ask whether one price covers a spouse or whether each person pays separately.
- Check how long updates remain available and whether a subscription renews automatically.
- For a trust, confirm what funding guidance or transfer work is included.
- Use a Texas attorney when you need individualized advice, custom provisions, tax planning, contested-family analysis, public-benefit planning, or help transferring complex assets.
Methodology and limitations
This report records prices displayed on public provider pages and fees displayed by official Texas county sources as of August 25, 2026. We selected well-known national online examples, Texan’s own public prices, current national consumer cost guides, and four large Texas county fee schedules representing Dallas–Fort Worth, Houston, and Austin. We did not use confidential customer invoices, scrape checkout data behind an account, or estimate a statewide average from a small sample.
Provider packages differ. County charges depend on the filing and service requested. Attorney fees depend on location, experience, complexity, and engagement scope. Prices in this report should be treated as public benchmarks, not a quote. We plan to review this page at least annually and correct material changes sooner when identified. See our Editorial Standards and Legal Review page for our sourcing and corrections policy.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average cost of a will in Texas?
No government source publishes an official statewide average. Public 2026 examples range from free online wills to several thousand dollars for a lawyer-prepared plan. A more useful comparison is the complete document package and level of advice.
How much does a living trust cost in Texas?
The public online plans reviewed here range from $399 to $599. Current national guides commonly place an attorney-prepared living-trust estate plan around $1,500 to $4,000, with higher prices possible for complex estates. Ask whether funding help and deed work are included.
How much does it cost to file probate in Texas?
The four counties reviewed list a $360 base fee for a new probate case. Common posting, issuance, and constable charges produce selected examples from about $388 to $458 before attorney fees and other expenses.
Does a $399 trust avoid probate automatically?
No. A revocable trust generally avoids probate only for assets properly transferred to or otherwise coordinated with the trust. The signed document and the funding work are separate parts of implementation.
Sources checked
- FreeWill: free online will
- LegalZoom: public will-plan pricing
- LegalZoom: 2026 living-trust cost guide
- Trust & Will: will and trust plan comparison
- Nolo: 2026 lawyer and estate-plan cost guide
- Nolo: 2026 DIY and attorney living-trust costs
- Dallas County Clerk probate fee schedule
- Harris County Clerk probate fee schedule
- Travis County Clerk 2026 probate e-filing fees
- Denton County Clerk probate fees
- Texan Texas Family Will Plan
- Texan Texas Family Trust Plan
Texan Wills and Trusts is a document-generation platform, not a law firm. This report provides general legal information and public pricing research, not legal advice or a promise that any plan will be appropriate for a particular person.
