ESTATES CODE

TITLE 3. GUARDIANSHIP AND RELATED PROCEDURES

SUBTITLE B. SCOPE, JURISDICTION, AND VENUE

CHAPTER 1022.  JURISDICTION

Sec. 1022.001.  GENERAL PROBATE COURT JURISDICTION IN GUARDIANSHIP PROCEEDINGS; APPEALS.  (a)  All guardianship proceedings must be filed and heard in a court exercising original probate jurisdiction.  The court exercising original probate jurisdiction also has jurisdiction of all matters related to the guardianship proceeding as specified in Section 1021.001 for that type of court.
(b)  A probate court may exercise pendent and ancillary jurisdiction as necessary to promote judicial efficiency and economy.
(c)  A final order issued by a probate court is appealable to the court of appeals.
Added by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 161 (S.B. 1093), Sec. 6.015(a), eff. January 1, 2014.

Sec. 1022.002.  ORIGINAL JURISDICTION FOR GUARDIANSHIP PROCEEDINGS.  (a)  In a county in which there is no statutory probate court or county court at law exercising original probate jurisdiction, the county court has original jurisdiction of guardianship proceedings.
(b)  In a county in which there is no statutory probate court, but in which there is a county court at law exercising original probate jurisdiction, the county court at law exercising original probate jurisdiction and the county court have concurrent original jurisdiction of guardianship proceedings, unless otherwise provided by law.  The judge of a county court may hear guardianship proceedings while sitting for the judge of any other county court.
(c)  In a county in which there is a statutory probate court, the statutory probate court has original jurisdiction of guardianship proceedings.
(d)  From the filing of the application for the appointment of a guardian of the estate or person, or both, until the guardianship is settled and closed under this chapter, the administration of the estate of a minor or other incapacitated person is one proceeding for purposes of jurisdiction and is a proceeding in rem.
Added by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 161 (S.B. 1093), Sec. 6.015(a), eff. January 1, 2014.
Amended by: 
Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 982 (H.B. 2080), Sec. 2, eff. January 1, 2014.

Sec. 1022.003.  JURISDICTION OF CONTESTED GUARDIANSHIP PROCEEDING IN COUNTY WITH NO STATUTORY PROBATE COURT OR COUNTY COURT AT LAW.  (a)  In a county in which there is no statutory probate court or county court at law exercising original probate jurisdiction, when a matter in a guardianship proceeding is contested, the judge of the county court may, on the judge's own motion, or shall, on the motion of any party to the proceeding, according to the motion:
(1)  request the assignment of a statutory probate court judge to hear the contested matter, as provided by Section 25.0022, Government Code; or
(2)  transfer the contested matter to the district court, which may then hear the contested matter as if originally filed in the district court.
(b)  If a party to a guardianship proceeding files a motion for the assignment of a statutory probate court judge to hear a contested matter in the proceeding before the judge of the county court transfers the contested matter to a district court under this section, the county judge shall grant the motion for the assignment of a statutory probate court judge and may not transfer the matter to the district court unless the party withdraws the motion.
(c)  If a judge of a county court requests the assignment of a statutory probate court judge to hear a contested matter in a guardianship proceeding on the judge's own motion or on the motion of a party to the proceeding as provided by this section, the judge may request that the statutory probate court judge be assigned to the entire proceeding on the judge's own motion or on the motion of a party.
(d)  A party to a guardianship proceeding may file a motion for the assignment of a statutory probate court judge under this section before a matter in the proceeding becomes contested, and the motion is given effect as a motion for assignment of a statutory probate court judge under Subsection (a) if the matter later becomes contested.
(e)  Notwithstanding any other law, a transfer of a contested matter in a guardianship proceeding to a district court under any authority other than the authority provided by this section:
(1)  is disregarded for purposes of this section; and
(2)  does not defeat the right of a party to the proceeding to have the matter assigned to a statutory probate court judge in accordance with this section.
(f)  A statutory probate court judge assigned to a contested matter in a guardianship proceeding or to the entire proceeding under this section has the jurisdiction and authority granted to a statutory probate court by this code.  A statutory probate court judge assigned to hear only the contested matter in a guardianship proceeding shall, on resolution of the matter, including any appeal of the matter, return the matter to the county court for further proceedings not inconsistent with the orders of the statutory probate court or court of appeals, as applicable.  A statutory probate court judge assigned to the entire guardianship proceeding as provided by Subsection (c) shall, on resolution of the contested matter in the proceeding, including any appeal of the matter, return the entire proceeding to the county court for further proceedings not inconsistent with the orders of the statutory probate court or court of appeals, as applicable.
(g)  A district court to which a contested matter in a guardianship proceeding is transferred under this section has the jurisdiction and authority granted to a statutory probate court by this code.  On resolution of a contested matter transferred to the district court under this section, including any appeal of the matter, the district court shall return the matter to the county court for further proceedings not inconsistent with the orders of the district court or court of appeals, as applicable.
(h)  If only the contested matter in a guardianship proceeding is assigned to a statutory probate court judge under this section, or if the contested matter in a guardianship proceeding is transferred to a district court under this section, the county court shall continue to exercise jurisdiction over the management of the guardianship, other than a contested matter, until final disposition of the contested matter is made in accordance with this section.  Any matter related to a guardianship proceeding in which a contested matter is transferred to a district court may be brought in the district court.  The district court in which a matter related to the proceeding is filed may, on the court's own motion or on the motion of any party, find that the matter is not a contested matter and transfer the matter to the county court with jurisdiction of the management of the guardianship.
(i)  If a contested matter in a guardianship proceeding is transferred to a district court under this section, the district court has jurisdiction of any contested matter in the proceeding that is subsequently filed, and the county court shall transfer those contested matters to the district court.  If a statutory probate court judge is assigned under this section to hear a contested matter in a guardianship proceeding, the statutory probate court judge shall be assigned to hear any contested matter in the proceeding that is subsequently filed.
(j)  The clerk of a district court to which a contested matter in a guardianship proceeding is transferred under this section may perform in relation to the transferred matter any function a county clerk may perform with respect to that type of matter.
Added by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 161 (S.B. 1093), Sec. 6.015(a), eff. January 1, 2014.

Sec. 1022.004.  JURISDICTION OF CONTESTED GUARDIANSHIP PROCEEDING IN COUNTY WITH NO STATUTORY PROBATE COURT.  (a)  In a county in which there is no statutory probate court, but in which there is a county court at law exercising original probate jurisdiction, when a matter in a guardianship proceeding is contested, the judge of the county court may, on the judge's own motion, or shall, on the motion of any party to the proceeding, transfer the contested matter to the county court at law.  In addition, the judge of the county court, on the judge's own motion or on the motion of a party to the proceeding, may transfer the entire proceeding to the county court at law.
(b)  A county court at law to which a proceeding is transferred under this section may hear the proceeding as if originally filed in that court.  If only a contested matter in the proceeding is transferred, on the resolution of the matter, the matter shall be returned to the county court for further proceedings not inconsistent with the orders of the county court at law.
Added by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 161 (S.B. 1093), Sec. 6.015(a), eff. January 1, 2014.

Sec. 1022.005.  EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF GUARDIANSHIP PROCEEDING IN COUNTY WITH STATUTORY PROBATE COURT.  (a)  In a county in which there is a statutory probate court, the statutory probate court has exclusive jurisdiction of all guardianship proceedings, regardless of whether contested or uncontested.
(b)  A cause of action related to a guardianship proceeding of which the statutory probate court has exclusive jurisdiction as provided by Subsection (a) must be brought in the statutory probate court unless the jurisdiction of the statutory probate court is concurrent with the jurisdiction of a district court as provided by Section 1022.006 or with the jurisdiction of any other court.
Added by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 161 (S.B. 1093), Sec. 6.015(a), eff. January 1, 2014.

Sec. 1022.006.  CONCURRENT JURISDICTION WITH DISTRICT COURT.  A statutory probate court has concurrent jurisdiction with the district court in:
(1)  a personal injury, survival, or wrongful death action by or against a person in the person's capacity as a guardian; and
(2)  an action involving a guardian in which each other party aligned with the guardian is not an interested person in the guardianship.
Added by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 161 (S.B. 1093), Sec. 6.015(a), eff. January 1, 2014.

Sec. 1022.007.  TRANSFER OF PROCEEDING BY STATUTORY PROBATE COURT.  (a)  A judge of a statutory probate court, on the motion of a party to the action or of a person interested in the guardianship, may:
(1)  transfer to the judge's court from a district, county, or statutory court a cause of action that is a matter related to a guardianship proceeding pending in the statutory probate court, including a cause of action that is a matter related to a guardianship proceeding pending in the statutory probate court and in which the guardian, ward, or proposed ward in the pending guardianship proceeding is a party; and
(2)  consolidate the transferred cause of action with the guardianship proceeding to which it relates and any other proceedings in the statutory probate court that are related to the guardianship proceeding.
(b)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, the proper venue for an action by or against a guardian, ward, or proposed ward for personal injury, death, or property damages is determined under Section 15.007, Civil Practice and Remedies Code.
Added by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 161 (S.B. 1093), Sec. 6.015(a), eff. January 1, 2014.

Sec. 1022.008.  TRANSFER OF CONTESTED GUARDIANSHIP OF THE PERSON OF A MINOR.  (a)  If an interested person contests an application for the appointment of a guardian of the person of a minor or an interested person seeks the removal of a guardian of the person of a minor, the judge, on the judge's own motion, may transfer all matters related to the guardianship proceeding to a court of competent jurisdiction in which a suit affecting the parent-child relationship under the Family Code is pending.
(b)  The probate court that transfers a proceeding under this section to a court with proper jurisdiction over suits affecting the parent-child relationship shall send to the court to which the transfer is made the complete files in all matters affecting the guardianship of the person of the minor and certified copies of all entries in the judge's guardianship docket.  The transferring court shall keep a copy of the transferred files.  If the transferring court retains jurisdiction of the guardianship of the estate of the minor or of another minor who was the subject of the suit, the court shall send a copy of the complete files to the court to which the transfer is made and shall keep the original files.
(c) The court to which a transfer is made under this section shall apply the procedural and substantive provisions of the Family Code, including Sections 155.005 and 155.205, in regard to enforcing an order rendered by the court from which the proceeding was transferred.
Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 957, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.  Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 77, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997;  Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 7.55, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.
Amended by: 
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 602 (H.B. 585), Sec. 12, eff. June 19, 2009.
Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1085 (S.B. 1196), Sec. 5, eff. September 1, 2011.
Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1085 (S.B. 1196), Sec. 6, eff. September 1, 2011.
Added by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 161 (S.B. 1093), Sec. 6.015(a), eff. January 1, 2014.
Amended by: 
Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 161 (S.B. 1093), Sec. 6.015(b), eff. January 1, 2014.