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I want to use a Small Estate Affidavit to probate an estate.

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Small Estates (Transferring Property When Someone Dies)

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I want to use a Small Estate Affidavit to probate an estate.

Texas Legal Services Center

This toolkit tells you how to use a Small Estate Affidavit to probate an estate in Texas. FORMS ARE INCLUDED.

This toolkit includes:

Do NOT use this toolkit if:

  • The decedent had a will.
  • The decedent’s total assets were more than $75,000 (not including homestead and exempt property). 
  • The amount of debt is greater than the assets. (​Note: When calculating the amount of debt and the amount of assets, do not count homestead and exempt property as assets, and do not count any mortgages or debts secured by exempt property as debts.
  • The decedent owned real property, unless both of the following are true:
    • The real property was decedent’s homestead property, and
    • The real property will be inherited only by person(s) homesteading with the decedent at the time decedent died—decedent’s surviving spouse and/or minor child(ren) who resided on property with decedent.
  • You can’t locate an heir or if heirs refuse to sign the SEA (or have someone who has legal authority sign for them).
  • A petition for appointment of a personal representative is pending or has been granted
  • An administration is needed.

Other Options?

  • Determination of Heirship 
    • ​Under certain circumstances, you may ask the court for a determination of heirship to determine who a decedent’s heirs are when a decedent dies without a will in Texas. You may also need to ask the court for administration. (TexasLawHelp.org does not provide forms or instructions for a determination of heirship.)

Need Help?

WARNING! The information and forms in this toolkit are not legal advice and are not a substitute for the help of a lawyer.  It’s a good idea to talk with a lawyer about your particular situation.

Instructions & Forms

Instructions & Forms for Using a Small Estate Affidavit to Probate an Estate in Texas

Frequently Asked Questions
When can I use a Small Estate Affidavit to probate an estate in Texas?

A Small Estate Affidavit (called SEA for short) can be an affordable way to transfer property to a decedent’s heirs. You may be able to use an SEA to probate an estate in Texas if you meet all of the requirements set out in the Texas Estates Code Chapter 205. Some of the important requirements include:

  • The decedent died without a will.
  • The decedent left less than $75,000 in property (not including homestead property and exempt property).
  • The assets are worth more than the debts. (Note: When calculating the value of the debts and the assets, do not consider any mortgages or debts secured by exempt property as debts and do not consider homestead and exempt property as assets.)
  • The only real property owned by the decedent was decedent’s homestead property, and the real property will be inherited only by person(s) homesteading with the decedent at the time decedent died – decedent’s surviving spouse and/or minor child(ren) who resided on property with decedent.
  • You are able to locate all of the heirs and all of the heirs will sign the Small Estate Affidavit (or someone with legal authority will sign on their behalf).
  • There is no pending application for appointment of a personal representative and no personal representative has been appointed by a court.
  • There is no administration needed.
What is a decedent?

A decedent is a person who has died. Courts and court papers regularly use this word in place of the name of the person who has died.

What is "exempt property"?

Exempt property includes the following:

  • the homestead (for the use and benefit of the decedent's surviving spouse and minor children; and
     
  • some of the following categories of property, (up to $100,000 for a family or $50,000 for a single adult) for the use and benefit of the decedent’s surviving spouse and minor children, unmarried adult children remaining with the decedent's family, and each other adult child who is incapacitated:
  • home furnishings, including family heirlooms;
  • provisions for consumption;
  • farming or ranching vehicles and implements;
  • tools, equipment, books, and apparatus, including boats and motor vehicles used in a trade or profession;
  • clothes;
  • a limited amount of jewelry;
  • two firearms;
  • athletic and sporting equipment, including bicycles;
  • a two-wheeled, three-wheeled, or four-wheeled motor vehicle for each member of a family or single adult who holds a driver's license or who does not hold a driver's license but who relies on another person to operate the vehicle for the benefit of the nonlicensed person;
  • certain livestock and food on hand for their consumption; and
  • household pets.

Note: Exempt assets also include the decedent’s pension benefits and IRAs. Insurance benefits are also exempt. Determining which property is exempt can be complicated. Talk with a lawyer if you are claiming any property is exempt and you have questions.

Read the law here: Texas Estates Code § 353.051; Texas Property Code § 42.002(a).

What is a homestead?

A homestead is a place lived in and owned by an individual (not a company) and includes a:

  • separate (stand-alone) structure,
  • condominium, or a
  • manufactured (mobile) home.

A homestead can be located on owned or leased land, as long as the person that lives in the structure (home) owns the structure.

A homestead can also include up to 20 acres of land, if the land is owned by the person that lives in the structure (home) and the person uses the land for a residential purpose.

For more information on homestead uses and benefits, see Residence Homestead Exemption Frequently Asked Questions at the Texas Comptroller’s website.

What does "intestate" mean?

"Intestate" means that a person has died without a valid will. When someone dies intestate, the law sets out who is entitled to the property in the estate, and in what percentage.

What is a personal representative?

This is a person (called an executor or administrator) that is appointed by a court to handle duties of the estate.
 

  • If the decedent died with a valid will, the decedent may have designated someone to be his or her personal representative (executor) at the time of the decedent’s death.

Or, the personal representative (in this case, administrator) might be designated by the decedent’s beneficiaries, heirs, or even a judge. In all cases, the personal representative must be approved by a court to have legal authority to act on behalf of the estate.

What is estate administration?

Estate administration is the legal process where an estate is managed (such as settling claims, paying debt, distributing property) after a personal representative is approved by a court.

Some estates do not require administration, but many do.

Tip: If property requires “letters testamentary” or “letters of administration” to transfer the property, estate administration is required.

Who gets the estate property when someone dies without a will in Texas?

When someone dies without a will in Texas, the decedent’s intestate “heirs” are entitled to the property in the estate.

  • Heirs are named by the court, according to the law set out in Texas Estates Code Chapter 201.
    • Depending on who survives the decedent, heirs can include the decedent’s surviving spouse, children and their descendants, father and mother, brothers and sisters and their descendants, grandfather and grandmother and their descendants, and other relatives.

Because a Small Estate Affidavit form can only be used when someone dies without a will, the SEA form will need to list detailed information on who the heirs are, and what share of property they should get.

What information must be included in a small estate affidavit?

Under Texas law, a small estate affidavit must include the following information. Each item below corresponds to a section of the form (which is linked to here).

A. The name of, and facts about, the decedent;

B. That 30 days have passed since the decedent died;

C. The county where the decedent resided;

D. That the decedent died without a will;

E. That no administration is necessary;

F. The value of estate;

G. That the estate is solvent;

H. Whether the decedent applied for and received Medicaid benefits (on or after 3/1/2005);

I. The decedent’s estate assets;

J. The decedent’s debts and liabilities. 

K. The decedent's family history. 

L. A list of all heirs and distributees;

M. A sworn signature from each distributee; and

N.  A sworn signature from two disinterested witnesses.

Q&A Bank for Wills & Estate Planning
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