Texas already has a plan for your property. Replace it with yours.
About this book
If you die without a will, Texas law decides who gets your property, and the result may not be what you want. The Texas Wills Guide explains how to make a will that reflects your wishes and holds up.
The guide explains who can make a Texas will, including the eligibility categories and the sound-mind test in §251.001. It describes the three valid will types, attested, holographic and foreign, and the one type Texas does not accept. It explains why every Texas will should be self-proved under §251.101 to .107, since that one page can save your family time in court.
You will also learn the difference between community and separate property, what you can actually leave by will, and the protections a will cannot override. The guide explains the blended-family trap and how intestacy works when there is no will. It closes with making, updating and safely storing your will, plus the four-year probate deadline in §256.003.
This guide is for Texas adults at any stage, including parents, blended families and people who moved from another state and are not sure their old will fits Texas law. It belongs to the STACKED LEGAL Estate Planning & Elder Law Series. Legal information, not legal advice.
What's inside
- Who can make a Texas will — the eligibility categories and the sound-mind test (§251.001)
- The three valid will types — attested, holographic, and foreign — and the one Texas never accepts
- Why every Texas will should be self-proved (§251.101–.107) — the one page that saves your family a courtroom headache
- Community vs. separate property — what you can actually leave, and the protections no will can override
- The blended-family trap and how intestacy really works
- Making, updating, and safely storing your will — plus the 4-year probate deadline (§256.003)
Why readers can trust these guides
Every STACKED LEGAL guide is legal education in plain English, cited to Texas law, and dated so you know how current it is.
Cited, so you can check it
Every rule names the section of Texas law it comes from.
Plain English
Written for the person in the situation, not for lawyers.
2026 Edition
States when it was written and the law it relies on.
Legal education, not legal advice. STACKED LEGAL® is a publisher, not a law firm. Buying or reading this book creates no attorney-client relationship and promises no outcome. Laws change; verify current law and talk to a licensed Texas attorney about your situation.