Texas Statutory Probate Courts

The Texas Constitution grants the Legislature the authority to determine which Texas courts have jurisdiction over probate matters. The Statutory Probate Courts of Texas are located in 10 out of the state's 15 largest metropolitan areas and have original and exclusive jurisdiction over their counties' probate matters, guardianship cases, and mental health commitments. In most counties, the constitutional county court has original probate jurisdiction. In some counties, the Legislature has authorized certain statutorily created county courts to share this original jurisdiction, so that a county court at law will have concurrent jurisdiction over probate matters with the constitutional county court.

The original probate jurisdiction of district courts is limited to those situations in which a contested probate matter is transferred from a constitutional county court and when the Legislature has granted the district court original control and jurisdiction over personal representatives. In the more populated counties, the Legislature has created specialized probate courts (entitled statutory probate courts) to hear probate matters exclusively.

Thus, depending on the jurisdictional grant by the Legislature, probate matters might be heard in the county court, county court at law, statutory probate court, or district court of a particular county.

Contact Information

Presiding Judge: Guy Herman
Address: PO Box 1748, Austin, TX 78767 -1748
Telephone: (512) 854-9258
Court Administrator: Christy Nisbett