FREE TEXAS CHECKLIST · PROBATE
Texas Probate Checklist: First Steps
What to gather, the rules to know, and the court steps in order, before you sign anything or appear in court.
✓ What to gather before you go to court
✓ The four-year rule and who may serve
✓ The court steps, in the order they happen
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Someone you love has died. Start here.
Who it's for
For Texas executors, administrators, heirs and beneficiaries. Get the free one-page checklist now, then use Navigating Texas Probate when you want the full explanation, with the section of Texas law behind each rule.
What's on the checklist
- Gather first: The original will, if there is one; A list of assets and how each is titled; Assets that pass outside the estate; Names and addresses of the heirs; A list of known creditors; The date of death, for the four-year rule
- Know these rules: The four-year rule for probating a will (Estates Code §256.003); Who may serve, and who is disqualified (§304.001 and §304.003); Determination of heirship when there is no will (Chapter 202)
- The court steps, in order: Application; Citation; Prove-up; Qualification; Inventory; The three creditor notices
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 information, not legal advice. STACKED LEGAL® is a publisher, not a law firm. Using this checklist creates no attorney-client relationship and promises no outcome. Laws change; verify current law and talk to a licensed attorney in Texas about your situation.