Do I need a will or a trust in Texas?

Most Texas families assume a will is enough, but a will still goes through probate. A revocable living trust is commonly used to help avoid probate and give a family a more direct path to managing assets after death. The right approach depends on how you want your estate handled, but many people choose a trust-based plan for more control and simplicity.

How do you avoid probate in Texas?

Avoiding probate in Texas usually involves setting up a plan that allows assets to pass outside of the court process. A revocable living trust is one of the most common ways to do this when it is properly set up and funded. Without a plan in place, families often have to go through probate to transfer property and access accounts.

Are online wills and trusts valid in Texas?

Online estate planning documents can be valid in Texas if they meet state requirements and are properly signed. The issue many families run into is not validity, but mistakes in how the documents are completed or executed. A structured, Texas-specific system helps reduce those risks by guiding you through each step.

What happens if you die without a will in Texas?

If someone dies without a will in Texas, state law determines who inherits their assets through a process called intestate succession. This can lead to outcomes that do not match what the person would have chosen, especially in blended families or more complex situations. Creating a clear estate plan allows you to decide how your assets are handled instead of leaving it to default rules.

Attorney-designed estate planning for Texans

A Clearer Way to Get Your Texas Estate Plan Done

Choose the protection your family needs, complete guided questions online, and follow clear Texas signing instructions. Start with the right plan instead of sorting through disconnected forms.

Find My Starting Point Explore the $399 Family Trust Plan

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300+Texas Family Trust Plans purchased

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Recommended for many Texas families

I want to protect my family and help avoid probate.

Texas Family Trust Plan

A coordinated trust-based estate plan for one individual or both spouses. Designed to help properly transferred assets avoid probate while also planning for incapacity and beneficiaries.

$399 total

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I need a will and guardian documents, but not a living trust.

Texas Family Will Plan

Create a Texas will-based plan online. A will controls probate assets but does not avoid probate.

$199 total

Explore This Plan

My child is 18 or older.

Young Adult Power of Attorney

Help a young adult authorize trusted people to assist with financial and medical matters.

Currently $67

View Young Adult Plan

I own NFA firearms.

Texas Gun Trust

Create or restate a Texas trust for suppressors, SBRs, and other NFA-regulated firearms.

Currently $10

View Gun Trust

My church participates with Texan.

Legacy of Faith

Access church-sponsored estate-planning options and charitable-planning opportunities.

Church-specific options

Explore Church Program

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Why Texan?

Online convenience without generic national forms

Texan was built for families who want a serious Texas estate plan and a clear, self-guided process.

Built for Texas

Documents and signing instructions are designed around Texas law.

Attorney-designed

Texas-licensed attorneys created the documents and recorded educational explanations.

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Guided process

Questions, explanations, and guardrails help reduce common completion and signing mistakes.

Transparent pricing

Choose the plan and level of help you want before paying.

Where many families land

The $399 Texas Family Trust Plan

For families focused on probate avoidance, incapacity planning, and protecting beneficiaries, the trust plan is usually the strongest self-guided starting point.

One purchase can cover both spouses
Guided questionnaire takes about 30 minutes for many families
Signing and trust-funding instructions included
One year of updates included

Probate avoidance depends on properly signing the trust and transferring applicable assets to it.

$399 total

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Best when you are comfortable following recorded explanations and written instructions without individualized recommendations.

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Optional attorney advice or document review is available through a separate $500 engagement with Book Law Firm.

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Complex tax, business, asset-protection, public-benefit, or disputed-family matters may require fully customized representation.

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Texas attorneys Austin Butts and Lorne Book

Created in Texas

Built by attorneys who understand the problems planning should prevent

Austin Butts and Lorne Book designed Texan around Texas law and real-world failure points they have encountered through their separate legal practices.

The result is a focused document platform for Texans who want a clearer and more affordable path to getting essential planning completed.

Your next step should be clear

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Start with your goal. We will help you identify the plan and level of support that fit.

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Texan Wills and Trusts is a document platform, not a law firm. Texan products include self-guided documents and recorded general information, not individualized legal advice. Optional legal services are available through a separate engagement with Book Law Firm.