Texas Legal Calculators

Texas offers something most states don't: independent administration. Under Tex. Est. Code § 401.001, an executor named in a will can administer the estate—paying debts, distributing assets, selling property—without returning to court for approval on each step. That single feature keeps the typical Texas probate timeline at 6–12 months and dramatically lowers attorney costs compared to supervised-administration states.

Texas is a community property state under Tex. Fam. Code § 7.001, so wages and assets acquired during marriage belong equally to both spouses. At divorce, however, the court divides community property in a "just and right" manner—not necessarily 50/50—after weighing fault, earning capacity, and the needs of children. Spousal maintenance (alimony) is tightly capped: no more than $5,000/month or 20% of the obligor's gross income, and only available after a marriage of at least 10 years.

Texas levies no state estate tax and no state income tax. The homestead exemption under Tex. Prop. Code § 41.001 is unlimited in value—up to 200 rural acres or 10 urban acres—making Texas one of the strongest asset-protection jurisdictions for primary residences in the country. Small estates under $75,000 qualify for a small estate affidavit, and Texas also offers a muniment of title procedure that can transfer real property without a full probate proceeding.