Burnet Estate Planning Specialists — Trust Services Built by CMS Global Ventures
Burnet — county seat of Burnet County — is where probate happens for most of our Highland Lakes clients. That is exactly why we are here. We help Burnet families build plans designed never to see the inside of the county courthouse.
The county seat — and the courthouse we plan around.
Burnet is the county seat of Burnet County and the procedural center of most Highland Lakes estate planning. The Burnet County Courthouse — a Moderne-style polished pink granite building completed on August 1, 1937 — sits on the historic square at the center of town and houses the county courts that handle every probate matter for residents of Burnet, Marble Falls, Cottonwood Shores, Spicewood, and most of the surrounding rural areas. If a Highland Lakes family ends up in probate, this is the building they end up in.
We do most of our planning for Burnet families with the explicit goal of making sure they never have to walk through those doors. That is not because the court is unreasonable — it is one of the more efficient probate dockets in the state. It is because the alternative, a properly funded living trust, is faster, cheaper, and entirely private. Burnet County has the courthouse. Our clients have a plan that means the courthouse is irrelevant to their family.
What you actually save by skipping it.
Burnet County probate, with the right will and an independent administration, typically closes in four to nine months. That is faster than most states but slower than zero — which is what a funded trust accomplishes. The time difference matters because the surviving family cannot freely act on estate property during probate. Selling the home, refinancing a mortgage, distributing investment accounts, paying out specific bequests — all of it waits until the court qualifies the executor and the executor works through the inventory and creditor-notice steps required by Texas Estates Code Chapter 309.
The cost difference matters too. A modest Burnet County probate typically runs four to six thousand dollars in legal fees and filing costs even when the estate is straightforward and uncontested. A complicated estate — with a contested will, missing or minor beneficiaries, or significant business interests — can run two to three times that. By contrast, properly funded trust administration costs almost nothing because nothing is filed. The successor trustee continues to manage assets under the terms of the trust, and the family moves forward without delay.
- Time saved — 4 to 9 months on average — Trust assets transfer immediately on incapacity or death.
- Cost saved — typically $4,000 to $12,000 — No filing fees, executor bonds, or court-approved accountings.
- Privacy preserved — No public inventory of what the deceased owned and where.
- Family decisions stay private — Distribution disputes, if any, do not become courtroom disputes.
Burnet, TX
Burnet sits about 20 minutes north of our Granite Shoals service area via HWY 281. Our planning work for Burnet families is designed to keep them away from the courthouse on the square.
Open in Google MapsWhat independent administration actually saves you.
Texas offers independent administration as a default for estates where the will names an independent executor and waives bond — which every will we draft does, by default. Under independent administration, the court qualifies the executor in a single hearing and then steps back. The executor inventories the estate, pays the debts, distributes the assets, and closes the estate without ongoing supervision. Burnet County is well set up for this — the court issues letters testamentary quickly, the clerks are responsive, and the docket moves at a reasonable pace.
Compared to dependent administration (where the court must approve every significant action) or the formal probate processes that some states require, Texas independent administration is genuinely streamlined. That is part of why Texas has a reputation as a probate-friendly state. But streamlined still means four to nine months minimum, with public filings, executor responsibilities, and ongoing legal involvement. The right comparison is not Texas independent administration versus other states' probate. The right comparison is Texas independent administration versus a funded living trust — and the trust wins every time on speed, privacy, and cost.
For Burnet County families, the practical implication is straightforward. If you already have a will and no trust, the will is going to be probated in Burnet. We can make that probate as smooth as possible. If you have not signed anything yet, we strongly recommend the trust-based plan that avoids probate altogether. The work is the same up front; the outcome for your family afterward is dramatically different.
What we build for Burnet families.
Every service below is available to Burnet residents. Most engagements start with a will and trust together and grow from there.
Estate Planning
Comprehensive plans that avoid the Burnet County courthouse.
Living Trusts
The foundation document — skips probate entirely.
Wills
Texas statutory wills with self-proving affidavits.
Power of Attorney
Statutory durable POAs that Burnet banks accept on first presentation.
Healthcare Directives
Statutory advance directives for every Burnet hospital and clinic.
Probate Assistance
If the courthouse is unavoidable, we help families navigate it.
Common questions from Burnet residents.
The Burnet County Court at Law, located at 220 South Pierce Street, Burnet, TX 78611, in the historic 1937 courthouse on the square. The court handles probate, guardianship, and most other civil matters for Burnet County. The clerks are responsive and the docket runs efficiently — but the goal of our planning is for your family to never need to file anything there.
A straightforward independent administration with a self-proving will typically closes in four to nine months from filing. Muniment of title, used when no debts need to be paid and the only purpose is to transfer real property, can close in thirty to sixty days. Contested estates, intestate estates requiring determination of heirship, or complex multi-asset estates run twelve months or longer. We help families through whichever path applies.
Filing fees alone run several hundred dollars. Legal fees for a routine independent administration typically run four to six thousand dollars; complex cases run higher. Bond requirements add cost when the will does not waive them (ours always do). The total cost of probating a typical Burnet estate is therefore in the range of $4,000 to $8,000 — most of which a funded trust would have eliminated entirely.
Yes. We assist with probate matters in Burnet County in coordination with a licensed Texas attorney who handles the court appearances. We prepare inventories, applications, and the supporting documentation, and we coordinate with executors and beneficiaries to keep the process moving. Many families come to us mid-probate after a loved one passes, and we help close the current estate while planning the family's future estates so they do not repeat the experience.
Every service we offer, available in Burnet.
The chips below link to the full service pages. Most clients combine two or three services into a single plan.
Communities near Burnet we also serve.
These are the closest cities in our coverage map — each with its own dedicated planning page.
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