Probate and Trust Administration
Probate is the court process when someone dies with or without a Will. If you have a Will, the Executor in the Will must probate the Will so that they can then be in charge of settling final bills and expenses and then distributing the deceased persons assets in accordance with the Will. When someone dies without a Will, they are deemed to have died intestate. Texas law will govern who the heirs of the person are in that circumstance. Under Texas law it can become very complex when someone dies without a Will. To learn more click the link below.
Trust Administration is the process of distributing a Trust after someone has passed away. Depending how assets are titled, probate is sometimes still required even if the person had a Trust. However, in other circumstances having a Trust can possibly avoid having to go through probate.
Note that both Wills and Trusts both have their strengths and weaknesses. Depending on your circumstances will determine whether a Will or Trust is more appropriate.