Wills and Trusts
Practical, Texas-focused wills and trust-based plans built around your family — not a template.
Most folks come in thinking they need a Will. Sometimes that is exactly right.
Other times, a trust-based plan is the kinder choice — quieter to administer, easier on the family, and able to keep certain assets out of probate altogether.
Most folks come in thinking they need a Will, and sometimes that is exactly right. Other times a trust-based plan turns out to be a far better fit — quieter to administer, easier on the family, and able to keep certain assets out of the probate court altogether. The right answer depends on what you own, who you love, and how much friction you want your family to deal with on the worst day of their life. We work through that decision with you in plain language, then draft documents that hold up in real life.
The decision turns on what you own, who you love, and how much friction you want your family to deal with on the worst day of their life. We work through it with you in plain English, and then draft documents that hold up the way they read — at the bank, at the title company, and in front of a Texas probate judge if it ever comes to that.
Waco · McLennan County · Central Texas
A Texas Will or a funded living trust?
Neither one is the right answer for everybody. The honest comparison below is the same one we walk through with clients in person — without the jargon and without the upsell.
A well-drafted Texas Will
Independent Executor, Self-Proving Affidavit, and powers of administration that let your family settle the estate without a judge looking over their shoulder at every step. Quietly efficient — for the right family.
- Lower upfront cost
- Still goes through probate
- Public record once filed
- Best for simple Texas estates
A funded revocable trust
Assets titled in the trust pass without probate, a successor trustee can step in immediately on incapacity, and an inheritance can be held back from a child who is too young, too vulnerable, or too inexperienced to handle a lump sum.
- Avoids Texas probate entirely
- Private — never filed in court
- Works during incapacity, not just death
- Best for blended families, real estate in two states, or business owners
“A Will or trust only matters if it works the day it is needed. The reading is done by people who are grieving — by a banker who has never heard of you — and sometimes by a judge who needs to be satisfied that everything is in order. That is the standard we draft to.”
A closer look at how we build the plan.
Every section below is a real piece of the conversation we have with Central Texas families. None of it is boilerplate, and none of it is pulled out of a drawer.
Starting With a Clear Picture of the Family
Every plan begins with a real conversation. Who are the people you want to provide for? Are there minor children, a child with special needs, or a grandchild you have helped raise? Is there a second marriage, a blended family, or someone you love but do not want making decisions for you? These are the questions that determine whether a simple Will is enough or whether a trust belongs at the center of the plan. We do not start with documents. We start with your family, and the documents follow.
When a Texas Will Is the Right Tool
For many Texas families, a properly drafted Will — paired with an Independent Executor designation and a Self-Proving Affidavit — handles the work cleanly and without the cost of more elaborate planning. Texas probate, when the Will is well drafted, is among the more efficient probate systems in the country. The trick is that the Will has to be drafted with that efficiency in mind. We draft Wills that are designed to be admitted to probate without a fight, with executors empowered to act without seeking court approval at every turn.
When a Trust Belongs at the Center of the Plan
A revocable living trust is not for everybody, but for the right family it is the most effective tool in the kit. Trusts allow assets to pass without probate, allow a successor trustee to step in seamlessly during incapacity, and allow continued management of an inheritance for a child who is too young, too vulnerable, or too inexperienced to receive a lump sum outright. Where there is real estate in more than one state, where there is a business interest, or where privacy is a real concern, a trust often pays for itself many times over.
Drafting That Holds Up Under Pressure
A plan only matters if it works when it is needed. We draft with the understanding that the document will be read by people who are grieving, by a banker who has never heard of you, and sometimes by a probate judge who needs to be satisfied that everything is in order. Plain language, clear structure, and explicit grants of authority make the difference between a plan that runs smoothly and one that grinds to a halt the first time someone says no.
Coordinating With the Rest of Your Estate
A Will or trust is one piece of the puzzle. Beneficiary designations on retirement accounts and life insurance, the way real estate is titled, and any business interests you hold all have to point in the same direction. We review the entire picture so that nothing is left to chance and nothing accidentally undoes the work the documents are doing.
Flat-Fee Pricing You Can Plan Around
Estate planning should not be a meter that runs every time you have a question. The fee for a planning package is quoted up front, in writing, before any work begins. You will know the cost before you decide to move forward — and the price does not change because the conversation took longer than expected.
The documents that do the actual work.
A finished estate plan is not a single piece of paper. It is a small set of carefully coordinated documents — each one drafted to be honored, not argued over.
Last Will & Testament
With Independent Executor language and a Self-Proving Affidavit so the Will is admitted without live witness testimony.
Revocable Living Trust
Drafted to be funded — with the deeds, assignments, and beneficiary updates that actually move assets into the trust.
Pour-Over Will
Catches anything you forgot to retitle and routes it into the trust at death.
Statutory Durable POA
Texas statutory form, with the specific grants of authority banks actually look for.
Medical POA + HIPAA
The person you trust can speak with doctors, consent to care, and access records without a fight.
Declaration of Guardian
Names — in advance — who you would (and would not) want appointed if a guardianship ever became necessary.
From the first conversation to a signed plan.
The first conversation
We sit down and talk through your family, your assets, and what worries you most. No forms, no jargon, no pressure to decide on the spot.
A clear recommendation
Will or trust, what powers of attorney you need, and how to coordinate beneficiary designations and titling — explained in plain language with a flat fee in writing.
Drafting & review
Documents are drafted to your situation, then sent to you to read at your own pace. We walk through every page together before anyone signs.
Signing & funding
Documents are executed under Texas formalities. For trust-based plans, we handle the deeds and account retitling so the plan actually works the way it reads.
The questions Texas families ask before signing.
Do I really need a trust, or is a Will enough?
For many Central Texas families, a properly drafted Will and a coordinated set of beneficiary designations are enough. A trust earns its keep when there is real estate in more than one state, a blended family, a business interest, a child you would not hand a check to outright, or a strong preference for keeping the estate out of the public record.
How long does Texas probate actually take?
An Independent Administration with a clean Will typically winds up in six to twelve months. Add disagreements, missing heirs, or out-of-state property and that timeline stretches considerably. Trust assets, by contrast, can be distributed almost immediately.
What does this cost?
Estate planning here is flat-fee. The number is quoted in writing before any work begins, after the first conversation, and the price does not change because the drafting took longer than expected.
Will my plan still work if I move within Texas — or out of state?
A Texas Will and trust drafted for you remain valid if you stay in Texas. If you leave the state, the documents do not become invalid, but they should be reviewed for the new state's quirks. We say so up front rather than pretending one document fits every map.
Waco · McLennan, Bell, Coryell, Falls, Hill & Limestone counties.
Related practice areas.
Protect your family before probate ever becomes a problem.
Schedule a consultation with Harvey L. Cox. We will walk through your situation, explain your options under Texas law, and quote a flat fee before any work begins.