About Hill & Hill PLLC — Estate Planning Plano, Texas

Estate planning Plano families in Collin County need attorneys who understand Texas’s specific probate and estate laws and can translate complex planning strategies into practical documents that work when they matter most. Hill & Hill PLLC, operating at hillesq.com, provides that service in Plano, Texas — Collin County’s largest city and one of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex’s wealthiest suburban communities. The firm’s practice covers Collin County matters specializing in alternative dispute resolution, business law, estate planning, and probate — a combination that serves Plano’s affluent professional and business-owner population particularly well. The Texas Courts’ 2024 Annual Statistical Reports track probate activity by county, and Collin County’s rapidly growing population drives one of North Texas’s most active estate and probate dockets. Families seeking estate planning options can also explore Plano attorneys across practice areas.

Hill & Hill PLLC brings estate planning Plano clients the combination of planning expertise and probate administration capability needed in a high-asset suburban market. A notable 2024 development affecting Texas estate planning: SB 1780 allows online notarization of documents requiring wet ink signatures, effective January 1, 2024 — meaning Texas wills and powers of attorney can now be remotely notarized, expanding accessibility for Plano clients with mobility limitations or busy schedules. The federal estate tax exemption stood at $25.22 million per married couple in 2024, meaning the vast majority of Plano estates face no federal estate tax exposure, though Texas’s lack of a state income tax and its homestead protections create other planning considerations.

What Clients Say

Clients of Hill & Hill PLLC describe a Plano estate planning firm that approaches planning with both technical precision and genuine care for family outcomes. Reviewers note the attorney’s clear explanations of complex trust and probate concepts, the firm’s efficiency in preparing estate documents, and its ability to handle the business law and alternative dispute resolution matters that often intersect with estate planning for Collin County business owners and professionals.

Estate Planning Plano — Practice Areas & Services

• Wills: Properly executed Texas wills distribute assets according to the testator’s wishes and can significantly reduce the burden of probate for Plano families — the firm drafts both simple and complex testamentary documents.
• Trusts: Revocable living trusts, irrevocable trusts, and special needs trusts are drafted for Collin County clients seeking to avoid probate, protect assets, or provide for beneficiaries with specific needs.
• Powers of attorney: Durable financial and medical powers of attorney are essential components of every estate plan, and the firm prepares these documents with the specificity needed to give agents clear authority.
• Probate administration: When a Collin County resident passes away with or without a will, the firm handles the probate process in the Collin County Probate Court, including dependent and independent administration.
• Business succession planning: Plano’s significant small-business and professional community benefits from integrated estate and business succession planning that coordinates personal estate goals with business ownership transition.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is probate required in Texas if I have a will?

Having a will does not avoid probate in Texas — it just determines how assets are distributed through the probate process. Texas offers several probate alternatives including muniment of title (for debt-free estates with only real property), small estate affidavits (for estates under $75,000 excluding exempt property), and independent administration, which is the most common and least court-supervised form of Texas probate. Collin County probate proceedings are handled by the Collin County Probate Court. Proper estate planning — including beneficiary designations, transfer-on-death deeds, and trusts — can substantially reduce or eliminate the need for probate.

How does Texas’s independent administration work?

Independent administration is Texas’s most streamlined probate process. The executor is appointed by the court but then acts independently — without court approval for each action — to gather assets, pay debts, and distribute the estate. This saves time and legal fees compared to dependent administration, where court approval is required for every significant action. Independent administration is available when the will expressly authorizes it or when all beneficiaries agree. The executor must still file an inventory and notify creditors, but the process is significantly less burdensome than probate in most other states.

What happens to a Plano home if I die without a will in Texas?

Dying without a will in Texas means your property passes under Texas intestacy laws, which distribute assets based on family relationships rather than your wishes. For married Texans, community property passes to the surviving spouse, while separate property is divided between the spouse and children according to a statutory formula. Without a will, the family home’s disposition depends on whether it was community or separate property and who survives. This can create co-ownership situations among a surviving spouse and children from prior relationships — a common complication in Collin County estates that can be entirely avoided with a properly drafted will.