Tarrant County, TX Consumer Law

Tools and Resources for Tarrant County, TX Consumers

Texas Inheritance Law & Probate Procedure

• Texas PROBATE COURT FINDER:
  
  • Probate Court for Tarrant County: Key information about your local probate court (Probate Court in Texas) for Tarrant County.
• How Probate Works in Texas: How to handle the probate of an inheritance at Tarrant County's probate court.
  • Here are links to Texas probate forms from the Texas 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 Minnesota, you can use an Affidavit if the entire probate estate is less than $75,000, including the contents of any safe deposit box, less liens and encumbrances. (This excludes the value of all joint tenancy property and other assets that pass by beneficiary designation, such as life insurance and transfer on death accounts.) There is a 30-day waiting period.

    Minn. Stat. 5243-1201.

    The court can order an estate closed without further proceedings if it determines that no property is subject to creditor's claims (because it has already been set aside as exempt or for the spouse and children).

    Minn. Stat. 5243-1203.

     

• Texas Estate Taxes:

  • The state of Massachusetts imposes an estate tax on property owned in Massachusetts. If you are inheriting property from the state of Massachusetts, it may be subject to estate tax if the overall value of the estate is more than $3,000,000.

• 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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Texas Wage & Hour Law

• Texas Minimum Wage:  

  • The minimum wage in Minnesota is $10.85 an hour; for employers with annual sales volume of less than $500,000, the state minimum wage is $8.85 an hour. Because both of these rates are higher than the federal minimum wage of $7.25, employees in Minnesota must be paid at least $10.85 or $8.85 an hour, depending on their employer's sales. 

    Tarrant County Minimum Wage

    The minimum wage in Tarrant County is $10.85 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. 

    Fort Worth Minimum Wage

    The minimum wage in Fort Worth, Texas, is $10.85 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.

  • Visit https://www.dli.mn.gov/minwage to find out more about the minimum wage in Minnesota.

• 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.

  • If you work more than 48 hours in a workweek, your employer must pay you 1-1/2 times your regular hourly wage for each overtime hour you work, unless you are exempt. (See Overtime Laws, at the website of the Minnesota Department of Labor & Industry, for more information.) However, if your employer is subject to the federal FLSA overtime rules and you are eligible under them, your employer must pay you 1-1/2 times your regular hourly wage for each hour you work over 40 hours in a workweek.

• Wage Claims: If you're being unlawfully underpaid, you need to learn how to file a "Wage Claim" in Texas. 

  • The Minnesota Department of Labor & Industry has posted information on filing a wage claim at its website.  

• Tips : Every state has special pay rates for tipped workers. Find out the rules for tipped workers in Texas.

  • The tipped minimum wage in Minnesota is the same as the regular minimum wage: $10.85 an hour. Tips don't count against the employer's obligation to pay the minimum wage. 

• State Labor Board:
  • Learn more about your rights under Texas law from the Minnesota Department of Labor & Industry. 651-284-5070

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Texas Unemployment Benefits

• Benefit Amounts in Texas: Learn how unemployment works, how much you'll get, and for how long.
  • In Texas, unemployment benefits range from $31 per week to $820 per week.
  • Formula:

    Your weekly benefit amount in Minnesota will be the higher of:

    • 50% of your average weekly wages during the entire base period, up to a maximum of two-thirds of the state's average weekly wage, or
    • 50% of your average weekly wage during the highest paid quarter of the base period, up to a maximum of 43% of the state's average weekly wage. 
  • 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.
• Unemployment Office Near Me? How to find your local unemployment office.

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Bankruptcy & Debt

• Free Texas MEANS TEST CALCULATOR for Tarrant County (applies the state and county income and expense standards into your means test calculation. Updated with the latest median income and expense standards for April 1, 2024)
• Free 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. 
• 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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Child Custody & Family Courts in Texas 

• State Standards For Custody Decisions: How Texas Courts make child custody decisions
• Family Court for Tarrant County: Tarrant County Family Court information, including maps, forms and links.
• Enforcement of Custody Orders: Can you enlist local police to help enforce a custody court order?
• Child Custody Lawyers: To help you handle your child custody matters.

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Texas Obamacare

• Sign Up: We have the latest on how to sign up for Obamacare Insurance in Texas!
• Is Health Insurance Mandatory in Texas? Learn about whether Texas imposes tax penalties for not having health insurance.
• Special Enrollment Periods: How to enroll because of a "special enrollment period."
• Rates & Providers in Your County: Information and rates for providers for Tarrant County if you live in a state served by Healthcare.gov.

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Democracy In Texas, Tarrant County, Fort Worth 

• 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 Tarrant County, TX.
• 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 

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Find a Lawyer in Tarrant 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 in Texas:
  • LawHelpMN.org 
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