Everything Your Family Needs. Done Right. Done Once.

Estate planning in the Texas Hill Country shouldn't require three attorneys, a stack of hourly invoices, and a year of back-and-forth. At Estate Resource Center of Texas, you get a fully executed, attorney-drafted estate plan — every document your family will need — completed in a single, guided process.

What a Complete Estate Plan Actually Includes

Most people don't know what they're missing because no one has ever shown them the full list. A complete estate planning package from ERC includes 17 components, executed together so nothing falls through the cracks.

 

Your package includes:

 

  • Revocable Living Trust
  • Last Will and Testament
  • Financial Power of Attorney
  • Medical Power of Attorney
  • Living Will
  • Advanced Medical Directive
  • Organ Donor Directives
  • Funeral Instructions
  • Certificate of Trust
  • Asset Protection Analysis
  • Online Document Vault
  • Online Funding Kit
  • Trust Funding and Re-Deeding Support
  • Lifetime Updates
  • Unlimited Restatements
  • Legacy Planning Specialist Guidance Throughout
  • No-Obligation Clarity Session

 

This is not a document checklist you assemble over time. It is a complete plan, delivered together, so your family is covered from day one.

Will or Trust — Which One Does Your Family Actually Need?

A last will and testament is a legal document that directs who receives your assets after you pass. It is a valid, enforceable instrument — and for some situations, it is the right tool.

 

The problem is that a will must go through probate. In Texas, probate is a court-supervised process that takes an average of 12 months to complete, becomes part of the public record, and can consume up to 10% of your estate's value in legal and administrative costs. For a family waiting on access to a home, a ranch, or a savings account, that is a long time to wait for what is already theirs.

 

A revocable living trust transfers assets directly to your beneficiaries without court involvement. There is no probate filing, no public record, and no waiting period. Your family receives what you intended them to receive — on your timeline, not a court's.

 

For most retirees and landowners in the Texas Hill Country, a funded trust is the stronger choice. That said, every ERC estate plan includes a last will and testament alongside the trust — because the two documents work together, not in competition.

 

The revocable living trust page covers this in more detail, including how trust funding and re-deeding works for Texas real property.

Attorney-Drafted Quality — Without the Attorney-Billed Price

Traditional estate planning attorneys charge by the hour. By the time your plan is complete, you may have paid for multiple meetings, document revisions, and administrative time — with no clear sense of what the final cost will be.

 

ERC delivers attorney-drafted estate planning packages through the Simple Estate Docs platform at a flat cost that is significantly lower than the traditional law firm process. Lifetime updates and unlimited restatements are included — so as your life changes, your plan changes with it, at no additional cost.

 

You get the same documents. A fraction of the process. And a Legacy Planning Specialist who walks you through every step in plain language, not legal language.

How the ERC Estate Planning Process Works

1. Your Free Clarity Session

Every client starts here. A Legacy Planning Specialist sits down with you — in person at our Boerne or New Braunfels office, or at one of our Hill Country workshops — to understand your situation, your family, and your goals. No obligation. No pressure. Just a clear picture of what you need.

2. Your Plan Is Drafted

Based on your Clarity Session, your attorney-drafted document package is prepared through the Simple Estate Docs platform. You will know exactly what is being created and why.

3. Your Documents Are Executed

You review and sign your complete estate plan. Your Legacy Planning Specialist is with you through the process to answer questions in plain language.

4. Your Trust Is Funded

Signed documents alone are not enough. A trust that has not been funded — meaning your assets have not been transferred into it — will not keep your family out of probate. ERC includes trust funding support and re-deeding for Texas real property as part of your package, so your plan is not just signed but actually operational.

5. Your Plan Stays Current

Life changes. Your estate plan should change with it. Lifetime updates and unlimited restatements are included, so your plan reflects your current wishes — always.

A Simple, Structured Approach

Five Decisions Every Texas Estate Plan Must Get Right

Before any document is drafted, five core decisions shape your entire plan. Most families never think through all five — and the gaps they leave are exactly what causes problems later.

Three people talk in a bright office, one holding documents and smiling.

1. Who Controls Your Affairs If You Can't

A Financial Power of Attorney names the person authorized to manage your finances if you become incapacitated. Without one, your family may need a court-ordered guardianship to do what a single signed document would have allowed.

2. Who Makes Your Medical Decisions

A Medical Power of Attorney designates someone to speak for you when you cannot speak for yourself. This is not the same as a living will — and you need both.

3. What Medical Intervention You Do or Don't Want

Your Living Will and Advanced Medical Directive document your wishes around life-sustaining treatment, resuscitation, and end-of-life care. These documents protect your family from having to make those decisions without guidance.

4. How Your Assets Transfer — and Whether They Go Through Probate

This is where the will versus trust decision lives. A will directs who receives your assets. A revocable living trust does the same — but keeps the transfer out of probate court entirely. For most Hill Country families with property, land, or accumulated savings, a funded trust is the right answer.

5. Who Receives What, and in What Order

Beneficiary designations, contingency planning, and asset distribution instructions must be aligned across your trust, your will, and your financial accounts. Misalignment here is one of the most common reasons families end up in disputes.

Plan with Confidence for the Future

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Wealth Management

Serving Retirees and Landowners Across the Texas Hill Country

Estate Resource Center of Texas works with families in Kendall, Kerr, Gillespie, and Comal counties who have spent a lifetime building something worth protecting. Our offices in Boerne and New Braunfels serve as home base, and we hold in-person workshops in communities across the region — including Fredericksburg and Kerrville — so you can get started close to home.

 

If you are in the Hill Country and you have been putting this off, the right time to take care of it is before it becomes urgent.

Frequently Asked Questions About Estate Planning in Texas

  • What does an estate plan include in Texas?

    A complete Texas estate plan typically includes a revocable living trust, last will and testament, financial power of attorney, medical power of attorney, living will, and advanced medical directive. An ERC estate planning package adds a certificate of trust, organ donor directives, funeral instructions, an online document vault, trust funding support, and lifetime updates — 17 components in total, executed together in a single process.

  • How do I avoid probate in Texas?

    The most reliable way to avoid probate in Texas is a properly funded revocable living trust. When your assets are titled in the name of your trust, they transfer directly to your beneficiaries after you pass — without court involvement, public record, or the delays that probate typically involves. The key word is funded: a trust that has not been properly set up with your assets will not keep your estate out of probate.

  • What is the difference between a will and a trust in Texas?

    Both documents direct who receives your assets. The difference is how that transfer happens. A will goes through probate — a court process that takes time, costs money, and becomes public record. A revocable living trust bypasses probate entirely, transferring assets directly to your beneficiaries. For most Texas Hill Country families with real property or accumulated savings, a funded trust offers significantly more protection.

  • How much does estate planning cost in Texas?

    Traditional law firm estate planning can cost several thousand dollars or more, depending on complexity and hourly billing. ERC delivers attorney-drafted estate planning packages at a flat cost through the Simple Estate Docs platform — with lifetime updates and unlimited restatements included. Your Clarity Session is free, and there are no hourly surprises.

  • Do I need an estate plan if I already have a will?

    A will is a starting point, but it is not a complete plan. A will alone does not address incapacity planning, does not keep your estate out of probate, and may not align with your beneficiary designations on financial accounts. A complete estate plan coordinates all of these pieces so your family is protected in every scenario — not just after you pass.

  • What is a revocable living trust and how does it work in Texas?

    A revocable living trust is a legal structure that holds your assets during your lifetime and transfers them to your beneficiaries after you pass — without going through probate court. You remain in control of the trust and can change it at any time while you are living. In Texas, a funded revocable living trust is one of the most effective tools for protecting a family's property, land, and financial accounts from the delays and costs of the probate process.