Texas doesn't have estate or inheritance tax. That doesn't mean estate planning is optional.
A Texas will keeps your estate out of intestacy and lets you pick guardians for minor kids. A revocable living trust keeps things out of probate. A durable power of attorney and medical directive let someone you trust act when you can't. Most Austin estate planning packages cover all four.
These ten Austin estate planning firms were selected based on published verdicts and settlements, peer rankings (Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Chambers and Partners, Avvo), board certifications, bar association recognition, and client review patterns across Google, Avvo, and Justia. Firms that surfaced consistently across at least two independent sources made the list.
How we picked these 10: We do not accept payment for placement, and we do not write sponsored reviews. More on our methodology → | How to compare firms →
Practice focus: Estate planning, probate, asset protection, special needs trusts
Founder Brad Wiewel is board certified in estate planning and probate. Practice limited to estate work.
One of the longest-running estate-only practices in Austin. Co-counsel Rob Hugos is also board certified and Melissa Donovan is a Certified Elder Law Attorney.
Practice focus: Wills, trusts, probate, powers of attorney
5-star rated across Google, Yelp, and Avvo. Kyle Robbins recognized by Super Lawyers.
Probate-avoidance-focused planning with package pricing. Strong fit for couples wanting a clean, defined-scope plan rather than ongoing legal-counsel relationship.
Practice focus: Estate planning, probate, firearms trusts, Medicaid, elder law
Long-tenured Austin firm covering estate planning, firearms trusts, special needs trusts, and Medicaid crisis planning.
Wider scope than most estate boutiques — useful when the plan needs to include long-term care, Medicaid eligibility, or special needs.
Practice focus: Wills, revocable trusts, probate, asset protection
Personalized estate plans for Austin and Travis County families.
Strong with Texas Estates Code matters and clean trust drafting for blended families. Smaller bench means less of a corporate-style intake process.
Practice focus: Estate planning, probate, business succession, LLC formation
Integrated estate and business planning under one roof.
Good match for small-business owners who need both an estate plan and a succession or buy-sell setup, without coordinating across two firms.
Practice focus: Estate planning, probate, special needs trusts
Liz Nielsen is board certified in estate planning and probate by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
Board-certified solo with a small caseload. Strong fit for plans involving special-needs children or adult dependents.
Practice focus: Estate planning, probate, trust administration
Amy Bloomquist has been board certified in estate planning and probate since 1996.
Decades of probate court experience in Travis County. Strong on contested probate and trust administration disputes, not just plan drafting.
Practice focus: Estate planning, probate, trust litigation
Glenn Karisch is board certified in estate planning and probate; well-known author and CLE speaker on Texas trust law.
Best fit for complex trust drafting, contested matters, or estates with unusual asset mixes. Less suited to high-volume simple-will work.
Practice focus: Trusts and estates, wealth planning, tax planning
Texas BigLaw firm with a Best Lawyers / Super Lawyers-recognized estate practice in Austin.
BigLaw resources for high-net-worth and multi-generational planning. Tax integration matters more when estates approach the federal exemption threshold.
Practice focus: Estate planning, probate, special needs trusts
Frances Bennett is board certified in estate planning and probate; named a Texas Super Lawyer.
Solo board-certified practice. Slower turnaround than larger firms but personal attention through plan drafting and signing.
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Fit your situation, not just the practice area. A estate planning firm that does mostly executive-level matters is a different fit from one that does mostly hourly-worker matters. Call the firm and ask: "What does a typical client look like for you? What does a typical case look like?" If the answer is your situation, you are in the right place.
Ask who actually handles the case. Many firms market on the senior partner and route the day-to-day work to a junior associate. That is not automatically bad — junior associates can be excellent — but you should know who you are working with. Ask: "Who will I be talking to day-to-day? How often does the senior partner sit in?"
Compare quotes side by side. If the case is contingency, the percentages are usually within a narrow band. If the case is hourly, the rate and the retainer can swing thousands of dollars. Most Austin firms on this list offer a free consultation. Use two of them.
Simple will packages (will + power of attorney + medical directive + HIPAA release) at Austin estate firms run $500-$1,500 per person, or $1,000-$2,500 per couple. Revocable living trust packages range from $2,500-$6,000 for typical families and $5,000-$12,000+ when business interests, blended families, or out-of-state property are involved. Probate in Travis County: $1,500-$4,500 for an uncontested independent administration; $7,500-$25,000+ for contested matters.
Plan drafting takes 2-6 weeks from intake to signing. Travis County probate of an independent estate runs 4-7 months from filing to closing for an uncontested case. Contested probate (will contest, accounting disputes, removal actions) can stretch 12-24 months.
Travis County has a dedicated Probate Court (Travis County Probate Court No. 1) that handles all probate, guardianship, and trust matters. The court has its own forms, judge preferences, and notification rules — firms that practice there regularly know what is expected and what is not.
The first hundred Google results for "estate planning lawyer Austin" include thousands of firms. Most are competent. A handful are problems. The patterns to walk away from:
Guaranteed outcomes. No ethical attorney can guarantee a result. If a firm promises a specific recovery or dismissal, leave.
The vanishing partner. You meet a senior name at intake, then never speak to them again. Ask in writing who handles your case from day to day.
Pressure to sign immediately. Reputable firms give you the retainer in writing, time to read it, and the option to take it home. High-pressure intake is almost always a volume mill.
No verifiable track record. The firm should be able to point to published verdicts, settlements, peer rankings, or bar association recognition. "We have helped thousands of clients" is marketing. Specific cases, numbers, and third-party rankings are evidence.
Vague fee terms. Every legitimate Austin lawyer will give you a written engagement letter with the fee structure, what is covered, what triggers extra charges, and what happens if you fire them. If the firm cannot put that in writing, walk away.
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Most Austin estate planning firms on this list offer a free initial consultation. Use it. Bring a list of questions, write down the answers, and compare across two firms before you sign.
Yes, even though Texas has no state estate tax. Without a will, the Texas intestacy statute decides who inherits — which often surprises people, especially in blended families. Minor children also need a named guardian, which only a will (or court appointment) can provide.
Most Texans with modest assets and clear beneficiaries do fine with a will plus durable power of attorney plus medical directive. A revocable living trust adds value when you want to avoid probate entirely, own out-of-state real estate, have privacy concerns, or have blended-family complexity.
$1,500-$4,500 in attorney fees for an uncontested independent administration on a typical estate. Court costs add roughly $400-$700. Bond fees apply if the executor is required to be bonded — most Texas wills waive the bond requirement, which keeps cost down.
4-7 months for an uncontested independent administration. The clock includes a four-week creditor-notice period after the executor is qualified. Real estate transfers and tax returns can add additional time at the back end.
Texas's signature streamlined probate process. The executor administers the estate without ongoing court supervision after initial qualification, which keeps cost and time down. Most Texas wills are drafted to request it.
Texas-specific drafting matters. Out-of-state documents are usually still legally valid, but key Texas advantages (independent administration, community property step-up, no estate tax) often need updated drafting to capture. Plan on a review with a Texas-licensed firm within 12 months of moving.
A Texas mechanism for passing real estate to a named beneficiary outside of probate. Recorded with the county before death, revocable, no immediate tax consequence. Worth considering in addition to (not instead of) a will.
A handwritten (holographic) will written entirely in your own handwriting and signed by you is valid in Texas with no witnesses. Risky in practice — they are contested more often, and a missed formal requirement can void the document. A typed will requires two witnesses; self-proving affidavits speed probate considerably.
One last thing. Choosing a lawyer is personal. Read the reviews. Call two or three firms before you sign. Ask each one: How many cases like mine have you taken to verdict in the last three years? The answer tells you what you need to know. — The LawFirmSquare team