Can a non-attorney probate a simple will in Texas without the need to hire a lawyer?
The answer to your question depends in large part on where you live. In some densely populated counties, the courts are very busy and have adopted policies of not allowing people to probate wills without a lawyer. They simply do not have the time to explain the probate process to everyone that needs help and rely on attorneys to streamline the probate process. A person without an attorney usually will not have the right forms filed and can slow down the hearings quite a bit, which wastes the court’s time and the time of others that are waiting in line. In smaller counties, the judges may be willing to let people probate wills on their own.
