The short answer is yes. If you don’t have a will, your estate will go to your heirs as determined by statute. That may be what you want but what if you are married and have children from a prior marriage. If you die without a will, your property, including your home, will go to your heirs, not your spouse!
Texas has community property. That means that whatever was acquired during the marriage is half yours and half your spouse’s. If your home was community property, your half would go to your heirs, not your spouse! He/She would retain his/her half but the other half would not be owned by him/her. The same thing would happen to your other property. Because of this, you need to have a will so that you and not the state can determine who gets your property. Simple wills are inexpensive and everyone should have one.
Can spouses inherit including common law
Tell me what happened
Write to me through the contact form: what happened, roughly when, and who is involved. I read these myself. Writing means our first conversation can be about your situation instead of getting me up to speed.
This page is general information about Texas law. It is not legal advice about your situation, and reading it does not create an attorney–client relationship. These matters turn heavily on specific facts and specific dates, and the law has exceptions this page does not cover. You should not take, or refrain from taking, any action based on this page. Discuss your circumstances with an attorney who can advise you on them.