Paperwork After a Death in Texas: Death Certificates, Social Security, and the Estate

The funeral is one week; the paperwork is six months. This guide lays out the after-death paperwork for Texas families in the order it actually needs to happen — what the funeral home files for you, what only the family can do, and what can safely wait.

What paperwork has to happen, and in what order?

In the first week: the death certificate gets filed (the funeral home does this), certified copies get ordered, and the disposition — cremation or burial — is authorized. In weeks two to four: Social Security, life insurance claims, and bank notifications. After the first month: probate or its alternatives, vehicle titles, property, and the final tax return. Almost nothing on this list is urgent in the first 48 hours; grief comes first.

How do you order certified death certificates in Dallas and Collin County?

The funeral home files the death certificate electronically with the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) — at Vargas-London this is included in every service, and one certified copy is included in our $1,750 direct cremation. Certified copies cost $21 for the first and $4 for each additional at the state cost, and most families need 5 to 10: one per life insurance policy, one per bank or brokerage, one per vehicle title, one per property, one for the VA if the deceased was a veteran, and one for any pension or 401(k) plan. Order extras up front — reordering later means a separate mail-in request or a trip to a clerk’s office.

Once the record is on file, certified copies can also be ordered directly: from Texas DSHS Vital Statistics online, from the Dallas County Clerk (500 Elm St, Dallas) for deaths in Dallas County, or from the Collin County Clerk (2300 Bloomdale Rd, McKinney) for deaths in Collin County. Photocopies are almost never accepted — banks, insurers, and the IRS require certified copies with the seal. Texas restricts who may order them for 25 years after death: immediate family, the executor, and those with a direct legal interest. See our death certificates resource page for full ordering instructions.

How does the Social Security $255 death benefit work?

The funeral home reports the death to the Social Security Administration using the deceased’s Social Security number — that stops future benefit payments, but it does not automatically trigger the one-time $255 lump-sum death payment. The family must apply, within two years of the date of death, and the application cannot be made online: call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or visit a Social Security office — for most North Dallas families that is the office at 10824 N Central Expwy, Dallas.

Who qualifies: the surviving spouse who was living with the deceased (or receiving benefits on their record), and if there is no eligible spouse, a dependent child under 18 (19 if still in high school, any age if disabled). The far bigger and more overlooked item is monthly survivor benefits: a surviving spouse at full retirement age receives 100% of the deceased’s benefit, a younger widow or widower caring for minor children receives 75%, and a disabled widow or widower can qualify at 50. Ask SSA about survivor benefits in the same call — see our companion guide to Social Security survivor benefits in Texas.

When is probate required in Texas — and when can you skip it?

Probate is generally needed when the deceased owned assets in their sole name — real estate, sole bank accounts, vehicles — that must legally change hands. Much passes outside probate automatically: joint accounts with right of survivorship, payable-on-death accounts, life insurance and retirement accounts with named beneficiaries, and real property covered by a recorded transfer-on-death deed. Beneficiary designations supersede the will.

Texas offers two shortcuts. The small-estate affidavit is available when probate assets (excluding the homestead and exempt property) are $75,000 or less and there is no will being probated — a sworn affidavit, approved by the court, transfers the assets without administration. Muniment of title is a streamlined path when there is a valid will and no unpaid debts other than those secured by real estate. Full independent administration — the standard Texas probate — is filed in the probate court of the county where the deceased resided: Dallas County or Collin County for most families we serve.

What does the executor actually do in the first 30 days?

• Locate the original will — a home safe, safe-deposit box, or the drafting attorney. Texas probate requires the original, not a copy.
• Order certified death certificates (see above) — 5–10 copies.
• Secure physical assets: the house, vehicles, valuables; forward the mail through USPS.
• Notify banks, credit-card companies, and insurers; cancel utilities and subscriptions in the deceased’s sole name.
• Start a simple inventory of assets and debts — the probate court will eventually want one anyway.

The executor has a fiduciary duty to act in the beneficiaries’ interest, and Texas allows reasonable executor compensation. If there is no will, Texas intestacy law determines the heirs — generally spouse, then children, then parents, then siblings — and the court appoints an administrator; the process runs the same way, just a little longer.

How long does it all take, and what does it cost?

A simple, uncontested estate with a valid will typically closes in 6–12 months. In Dallas County, court filing fees run roughly $300–$700 depending on the type of administration, and attorney’s fees for an uncontested estate typically run $1,500–$5,000 — more for full administrations with real property. These costs are paid from the estate, not out of the family’s pocket. For any estate requiring probate, an attorney is strongly recommended; a small-estate affidavit can often be handled without one. We refer families to qualified Texas probate attorneys at no charge — see the legal section of our DFW vendor directory.