(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 probate 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 probate 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.
(b-1) If a judge of a county court requests the assignment of a statutory probate court judge to hear a contested matter in a probate 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.
(c) A party to a probate 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.
(d) Notwithstanding any other law, a transfer of a contested matter in a probate 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.
(e) A statutory probate court judge assigned to a contested matter in a probate proceeding or to the entire proceeding under this section has the jurisdiction and authority granted to a statutory probate court by this subtitle. A statutory probate court judge assigned to hear only the contested matter in a probate 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 probate proceeding as provided by Subsection (b-1) 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.
(f) A district court to which a contested matter is transferred under this section has the jurisdiction and authority granted to a statutory probate court by this subtitle. 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.
(g) If only the contested matter in a probate proceeding is assigned to a statutory probate court judge under this section, or if the contested matter in a probate proceeding is transferred to a district court under this section, the county court shall continue to exercise jurisdiction over the management of the estate, other than a contested matter, until final disposition of the contested matter is made in accordance with this section. Any matter related to a probate 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 its 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 estate.
(h) If a contested matter in a probate 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 probate proceeding, the statutory probate court judge shall be assigned to hear any contested matter in the proceeding that is subsequently filed.
(i) The clerk of a district court to which a contested matter in a probate proceeding is transferred under this section may perform in relation to the contested matter any function a county clerk may perform with respect to that type of matter.
Added by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1351 (S.B. 408 ), Sec. 13(a), eff. January 1, 2014.
Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1338 (S.B. 1198 ), Sec. 2.02, eff. January 1, 2014.
