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Texas Inheritance Law & Probate Procedure

Texas PROBATE COURT FINDER:
- Probate Court for Harris County: Key information about your local probate court (Probate Court in Texas) for Harris County.
How Probate Works in Texas: How to handle the probate of an inheritance at Harris 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.
- You can use an Affidavit in South Carolina for estates with less than $25,000, not counting liens or encumbrances (like a mortgage) that pass by Will or under law. There is a 30-day waiting period. Probate judge must approve the Affidavit.
  
  S.C. Code Ann. 62-3-1201.
  
  You can use a summary probate procedure for estates in which the value of the estate passing by Will, less liens or encumbrances, is less than $25,000 (not counting exempt property, funeral expenses, and medical expenses of last illness).
  
  S.C. Code Ann. 62-3-1203.
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)

Bankruptcy & Debt

MEANS TEST CALCULATOR
- for Harris 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.C. Code Ann. § 15-41-35.
- Texas Homestead Exemption
  - Real property, including co-op, to $76,125 (joint owners to 152,250)
- Texas Vehicle Exemption
  - Motor vehicle to $7,600
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.

Texas Unemployment Benefits

Benefit Amounts in Texas: Learn how unemployment works, how much you'll get, and for how long.
- Minimum:
  - $42 per week
- Maximum:
  - $326 per week
- Duration:
  - In South Carolina, you can receive unemployment benefits for a maximum of 20 weeks.
Eligibility: >Whether you qualify for unemployment.
How to Apply: How to apply for unemployment in Texas.
- South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce
  - 866-831-1724
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:
  - South Carolina does not have its own minimum wage law. Therefore, employees in South Carolina are entitled to earn at least the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour.
    
    Harris County Minimum Wage
    
    The minimum wage in Harris County is $7.25 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.
    
    Houston Minimum Wage
    
    The minimum wage in Houston, Texas, is $7.25 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 $2.13 an hour, as long as you earn enough in tips to bring your total hourly pay up to the full minimum wage, $7.25 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.