What you're actually paying for
- Preparation ($150–$500): a Texas attorney or qualified document preparer drafts the affidavit following the statutory form — family history, marriages, children, debts, and the property's legal description. Simple single-marriage families sit at the low end; blended families with multiple marriages and deceased children cost more.
- Two disinterested witnesses ($0): the law requires two people who knew the deceased but inherit nothing. They aren't paid — but finding them, especially for a death decades ago, is often the hardest part.
- Notarization ($0–$25 per signature): banks often notarize free for customers; mobile notaries charge more but come to you.
- Recording ($25–$100): county clerks charge per page. The affidavit must be recorded in every county where the property sits.
What makes the price go up
Multiple marriages and half-siblings, deceased heirs whose shares flow to their own children, uncertain family history requiring research, and property in multiple counties all add preparation time. If an attorney needs to reconstruct a family tree across three generations, expect four figures rather than three — though that's still dramatically cheaper than administering a full probate.
When it costs you nothing
Specialized buyers absorb this cost as part of a purchase. When Mavro Properties buys an inherited Texas property, our team prepares the affidavit, coordinates the witnesses, and records it — entirely at our expense. The same is true of the rest of the curative title work: lien releases, corrective deeds, and back taxes are ours to solve, not yours.
Is the affidavit always enough?
Usually, but not always. Title companies give more weight to affidavits that have been on record for a while, and complicated or disputed family situations may push toward a court determination of heirship instead. An experienced title team can tell you within a day which path your family needs — that review is something we do free.