Revocable living trusts are marketed in many states as a great way to avoid probate—especially in states with complicated administration procedures.  In many states, estates are put through court-supervised administrations where the executor must have the court’s approval to do most anything.  Over time this can be very expensive.  However, in Texas, most well-drafted wills provided for independent administration, which allows an executor to handle estate business without on-going court supervision and approval.  Therefore, in Texas, delays or prohibitive costs of probate are not as much of a concern as they are in many states.

Last updated on January 6, 2011 by Glenn Karisch