The Texas Estate Planning Guide
Texas estate planning is about keeping your family out of court.
Die without a valid will, and the intestacy formula of Estates Code Chapter 201 — the Legislature's default plan — decides who gets everything you own. The Guide is the complete family education on the four cornerstone documents — the will, the durable power of attorney, the medical power of attorney, and the directive — plus the signing ceremony that holds up, the four-year probate clock, and the designations that override everything. Plain English, from a legal education publisher. Inside: Texas transfer on death deed, living trust vs will Texas, and Texas estate taxes — explained in plain English.
THE REAL RISK
If you don't write a plan, Texas enforces its own.
The $99 will
A DIY form that cost $99 can cost $10,000 or more in legal fees to fix or defend in court. Texas wills live or die on formalities — two credible witnesses age 14+, signed in your conscious presence (§251.051).
The lost original
An original will last seen in your possession that can't be found is presumed destroyed with intent to revoke (§256.156) — the same effect as no will at all. And a safe-deposit box only you can open can stall your family at your death (§151.003).
The locked-out family
No medical power of attorney, no HIPAA release — and the people you love most can't make your medical decisions or even get information. The will does nothing for you while you're alive; the ancillary documents do.
THE GUIDE
The Texas Estate Planning Guide
Which Texas documents you actually need, what each one controls, and how to keep your family out of court.
Guide starting at $12.99
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VIDEO LESSON CURRICULUM
Eight modules. One family plan.
A complete decision-making journey, organized so every next step feels obvious.
The Texas Estate Plan in Plain English
The two codes that govern everything, the language of wills — and the four documents every Texas plan is built on.
Who Can — and Which Court
The four-part capacity test, the three ways a will gets poisoned — and exactly which Texas court gets your case.
The Documents
Why the original is everything, what the probate application must say — and the four ancillary documents with four different rules.
The Probate Workflow
The step-by-step court process — the prove-up hearing, the executor's oath, and the deadline calendar that follows.
Real Life: The Eight Pitfalls
The eight ways Texas estate plans actually fail — DIY forms, stale documents, vague words, and the designations that override everything.
Disputes & the 25-Day Rule
The five grounds to challenge a will, the two-year clock, the no-contest clause — and the medical dispute nobody sees coming.
The Signing Ceremony
The exact protocol that makes documents bulletproof — witnesses, notary, the self-proving affidavit, and the hot powers you have to grant expressly.
After the Ink
Where the originals live, who gets copies, when documents wake up — and exactly when to bring in the attorney.
WAYS TO LEARN
Same core education. Choose your format.
eBook
$12.99
Start immediately on any device.
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Paperback
$19.99
Great for reading and reference.
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Audiobook
$19.99
Learn on the go.
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Video Lesson
$99
Guided explanations in 8 modules.
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BEST VALUE
Complete Bundle
$129
Course + eBook + audiobook.
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IS THIS FOR YOU?
FREE QUICK-START TOOL
Get the Signing-Day Ceremony Checklist
The one-page checklist from the Guide toolkit — the seven-step execution protocol: disinterested witnesses age 14+, the notary, publication, sign and initial every page, the self-proving affidavit, staple once and forever. Signing day is where Texas estate plans hold or fail. We'll send it with occasional estate-planning updates.
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QUESTIONS, ANSWERED
Commonly
Asked Questions
Is this legal advice?
No — and that's by design. The Texas Estate Planning Guide is legal education published by STACKED LEGAL®, a legal education publishing company. It teaches the landscape, the vocabulary, and the systems in plain English. Purchasing does not create an attorney-client relationship — and the course is honest about exactly when to hire a licensed estate planning attorney: capacity questions, blended families, significant or complex assets, a dispute brewing. You'll arrive prepared, with the right questions in hand.
Who is this for?
Texas adults who need a will, powers of attorney, and advance directives — and, just as much, the spouse or adult child named in those documents: the executor-and-agent-to-be who'll run signing day, guard the original, and one day walk the probate calendar. The Companion gives them their own playbook. Churches, financial advisors and CPAs, HR wellness programs, libraries, and senior centers can run it as a program with the license tier.
Does this replace hiring an estate planning attorney?
No — it makes that engagement dramatically better and cheaper. The Guide is education: it hands you the estate inventory, the fiduciary worksheet, the four-document checklist, and the attorney-questions sheet, so your first billed hour buys decisions instead of definitions. For capacity concerns, blended families, complex assets, or any dispute, the course tells you plainly: hire a licensed Texas estate planning attorney.
How long do I have access?
Lifetime access to the edition you purchase. The complete course also includes the 2026 edition updates as Texas law evolves during the year.
Ready to understand the process from start to finish?
Get the complete course, guide, and audiobook in one bundle.
The Texas Estate Planning Guide — the video course, the working toolkit, and the written library.
REPRESENT YOURSELF, WE'LL SHOW YOU HOW.
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IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER
Stacked Legal provides educational information products, we are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice or representation.
All content and materials are for general information purposes only and do not create an attorney-client relationship.