Free Tools and Information
for Dallas County, TX Consumers

Texas Inheritance Law & Probate Procedure

• Texas PROBATE COURT FINDER:
  
  • Probate Court for Dallas County: Key information about your local probate court (Circuit Court in Texas) for Dallas County.
• How Probate Works in Texas: How to handle the probate of an inheritance at Dallas County's probate court.
  • Here are links to:
    • Texas Probate Forms and the
    • Texas State Probate Court Website.
• Small Estates Procedures in Texas: Learn how to use Texas's Small Estate procedures that can save you time and money.

  • In South Dakota, you can use an Affidavit for estates worth less than $50,000, less liens and encumbrances for real property and $100,000 for personal property.

    S.D. Codified Laws Ann. 29A-3-1201 and following.

    You can use "informal probate" regardless of the size of the estate.

    S.D. Codified Laws Ann. 29A-3-301.

• Texas Estate Taxes:

  • Texas, like most states, does not impose an estate or inheritance tax. Only a few states do.

• Avoiding Probate in Texas. Find out what property bypasses probate death and goes directly to beneficiaries. such as:
  • Transfer on Death Deeds (TODDs)

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Bankruptcy & Debt

• MEANS TEST CALCULATOR
  • for Dallas County, Texas (applies the state and county income and expense standards into your means test calculation. Updated with the latest median income and expense standards for May 15, 2024)
• Texas BANKRUPTCY EXEMPTION FINDER: Search detailed listings of bankruptcy exemptions under Texas law and Federal law, for use in filing out Schedule C, when you file for bankruptcy. 
  • Federal Exemptions available in Texas?:  

    • No. S.D. Codified Laws §§ 43-31-30, 43-45-13.

  • Texas Homestead Exemption

    • Real property to unlimited value or mobile home (larger than 240 sq. ft. at its base and registered in state at least 6 months before filing) to unlimited value; property cannot exceed 1 acre in town or 160 acres elsewhere; sale proceeds to $30,000 ($170,000 if over age 70 or widow or widower who hasn't remarried) exempt for 1 year after sale (husband & wife may not double)

  • Texas Vehicle Exemption

    • no specific exemption

• Texas BANKRUPTCY COURT ESSENTIAL INFO: Get information about using your local bankruptcy court.
• FREE BANKRUPTCY FORMS:
  We'll tell you which bankruptcy forms you need and where to find them.

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Democracy In Texas, Dallas County, Dallas 

• Elected Representatives: Find out the websites and phone numbers of those representing you at the Federal, State, County, and City levels of government.
• How to Vote: Learn how to register and where and when to vote in Dallas County, TX.
  • Key Links:
    • Check Your Texas Voter Registration Status: https://vip.sdsos.gov/viplogin.aspx
• Gerrymandering in Texas: Has your state been gerrymandered? Find out how to end gerrymandering and have voters pick politicians, not vice versa.
• Tracking Issues: Organizations that track legislation you care about 

 

Texas Unemployment Benefits

• Benefit Amounts in Texas: Learn how unemployment works, how much you'll get, and for how long.
  • Minimum: 
    • $28 per week
  • Maximum: 
    • $514 per week
  • Duration: 

    • In Texas, you can receive unemployment benefits for a maximum of 26 weeks under state law. 

• Eligibility: >Whether you qualify for unemployment.
• How to Apply: How to apply for unemployment in Texas.
  • South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, Division of Reemployment Assistance 
    • 605-626-2452
• Unemployment Office Near Me? How to find your local unemployment office.
• COVID-19 Benefits: We tracked the rise and fall of COVID-19 unemployment benefit payments.

• Texas Wage & Hour Law

  • Texas Minimum Wage:  

    • The minimum wage in South Dakota is $11.20 an hour. Because this is higher than the federal minimum wage of $7.25, employees in South Dakota must be paid at least $11.20 an hour. 

      Dallas County Minimum Wage

      The minimum wage in Dallas County is $11.20 an hour, the state minimum wage. Texas law prohibits city and county governments from adopting a local minimum wage that's higher than the state minimum wage. 

      Dallas Minimum Wage

      The minimum wage in Dallas, Texas, is $11.20 an hour, the state minimum wage. Texas law prohibits city and county governments from adopting a local minimum wage that's higher than the state minimum wage. 

  • Overtime Pay: Every state has rules about weekly maximum hours and overtime. Learn about the overtime laws in Texas and whether they apply to you.
  • Wage Claims: If you're being unlawfully underpaid, you need to learn how to file a "Wage Claim" in Texas. 
  • Tips : Every state has special pay rates for tipped workers. Find out the rules for tipped workers in Texas.

    • In Texas, your employer may pay you a minimum wage of $5.60 an hour, as long as you earn enough in tips to bring your total hourly pay up to the full minimum wage, $11.20 an hour. If you don’t earn enough in tips to bring your compensation to the full minimum wage, your employer must make up the difference.

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Find a Lawyer in Dallas County, TX

• Our Lawyers by Zipcode section allows users to find a local lawyer using the best online resources, including on topics we don't cover.
• DUI, Criminal Defense
• Auto Accidents & Personal Injury
• Immigration
• Legal Aid
  • SD Law Help 

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