Veronica Leal Vasquez
Probate Judge · Probate Court No. 2
High confidence· verified September 9, 2026
Probate Judge · Probate Court No. 2
What applies in this courtroom
85 verified requirements may apply in this courtroom, by layer: 13 published by Judge Veronica Leal Vasquez · 59 county-wide · 2 region-wide · 11 statewide — with 9 rule deadlines across those layers. Only the judge's own rules are specific to this courtroom; the other layers apply by court, county and state scope, and a court- or case-specific order can displace them.
The tabs below show the judge-and-division layer only. The Full Premium Report assembles the complete stack — every requirement, deadline table, ruling intelligence, live case-type scan, and source appendix in one cited document.
Your first 7 Judge Intelligence Reports are free with a free account — no payment card required.
Judge — Probate Court No. 2, Bexar County
Appeals from this courtroom go to the Fourth Court of Appeals.
● LiveThat court's published bench (7): Adrian A. Spears, II, H. Todd McCray, Irene Rios, Lori I. Valenzuela, Lori Massey Brissette, Rebeca Martinez, Velia J. Meza
County-to-district assignment per Tex. Gov't Code sec. 22.201(e), live-fetched registry.
13 verified rules specific to this judge's division, grouped by requirement category. 85 total requirements apply in this courtroom across all layers — the Full Premium Report assembles the complete stack.
No judge-level deadline on record runs shorter than a statewide deadline with the same trigger. The sentinel compares quoted timing across every published rule scoped to this judge on each visit — a clean result today is re-earned tomorrow.
Because Medicaid estate-recovery claims are debts of the estate in Texas, the court cannot sign an order probating a will as a muniment of title or a determination of heirship with an order of no administration unless the Proof of Death and Other Facts states either that the decedent did not apply for and receive Medicaid benefits on or after March 1, 2005, or that the decedent did but there is no Medicaid claim — in which case counsel must also file a MERP certification that the estate is not subject to a claim or prove that none will be filed (death before age 55, a surviving spouse, or a child under 21); any MERP claim must be paid before the order can be signed.
Before an attorney may set a guardianship application for hearing every item must be complete: the four-hour ad litem training registered with the State Bar; an application title matching the relief; a sworn application meeting Estates Code § 1101.001 (identity data, the CPRC § 30.014 partial SSN and driver's license digits, facts why alternatives and supports and services are not feasible, nature of incapacity and rights to be limited, custodians, property values, agents under powers of attorney); proof of personal service on a proposed ward over 12 (§ 1051.103) and service or waivers on parents, conservators, spouse and the proposed guardian, mailed notice or waivers to adult children, siblings, facility administrators, agents and declared guardians; citation returned; ad litem motion, order and answer; a certificate of medical examination or DID; resident agent; JBCC registration and background check (fingerprints for liquid assets over $50,000 or non-residents); proof of service and affidavit of notice (§§ 1051.153, 1051.104); a proposed order and unsigned oath e-filed as separate lead documents; a fiat from the court's templates; the attorney's verification that everything is filed and accepted; and an e-mail to the court investigator once the hearing is set.
In addition to the requirements for an original will, a muniment application more than four years after death must be so titled, state the date of death and that more than four years passed, plead facts overcoming the default presumption, address Medicaid (no benefits after March 1, 2005, or MERP release, or death before 55, surviving spouse or child under 21), show citation returned and personal service or waivers on each heir (alternative service and an ad litem where an address cannot be found; notice to beneficiaries of any other admitted will), and e-file for review before requesting a hearing a proposed order as a separate lead document, unsigned proof of death, oath of no debts and statements of facts from two disinterested witnesses; the attorney provides the client the court's Guide for Muniment of Title and verifies that everything is filed and accepted.
For heirship: a sworn application under § 202.007, completed citation by publication with the publisher's and OCA affidavits, ad litem motion, order, answer and report, sworn waivers or certified-mail proof from all distributees 12 and older (§§ 202.051–.056), affidavit of service (§ 202.057), two disinterested witnesses (the court's definition: no interest in the estate or outcome and familiar with the family history; deposition on written questions if unavailable, § 51.203), unsigned witness testimony and proof of death e-filed for review, a separate proposed judgment with correct shares per the court's chart, ad litem fee and discharge (invoice and affidavit over $500), death certificate and the ad litem pink sheet. For administration: application, posted notice and return, sworn consent to independent administration (none with minors), proposed order with bond, unsigned proof of death and oath, and the attorney's confirmation that the client received the court's Guide for the Texas Independent Administrator or Court Instructions for Dependent Administrator. The attorney verifies all documents are e-filed and accepted before setting the hearing; a fiat from the court's templates is required.
Beyond the requirements for an original will (Estates Code § 256.156): the application and prayer must say a copy is offered, the copy tendered to the clerk, the application must explain why a copy is probated, the diligence to find the original and facts overcoming the revocation presumption; posting with the correct title; citation to all interested persons with personal service on heirs at law (§ 258.002; mail service 20 days before the return day, § 51.052) or sworn waivers acknowledging the right to contest; publication for transient, unknown-address or non-resident heirs; for a codicil copy, personal citation or specific waivers by the beneficiaries of the original will; proof of execution if the will is not self-proved (§§ 256.153–.154) and testimony that the copy is an exact duplicate; affidavits or live testimony of two disinterested witnesses on the heirs; proof of death and an order reflecting the copy, the diligence and the overcome presumption; statements of facts, unsigned affidavit, proof of death, oath and a separate proposed order e-filed before setting; attorney verification.
The court's instructions to an independent administrator in an intestate estate: qualify by oath (and any bond) within 20 days; order letters from the probate clerk; publish notice to creditors within 30 days and mail certified notice to secured creditors within two months, filing proof; file an inventory, appraisement and list of claims or an affidavit in lieu of inventory within 90 days; keep estate funds separate, collect claims, allow or reject presented claims; the court will not ratify the administrator's actions; close by distributing to the heirs under the order declaring heirship after debts and taxes are paid, on the attorney's advice.
The court's instructions to an independent administrator with will annexed: qualify by oath (and any bond) within 20 days; order letters from the probate clerk; publish notice to creditors within 30 days and mail certified notice to secured creditors within two months, filing proof; give statutory notice to will beneficiaries within 60 days and file the affidavit or certificate of notice within 90 days (separately, or with a combined title); file an inventory, appraisement and list of claims or, if only secured debts, taxes and expenses remain unpaid, an affidavit in lieu of inventory within 90 days ($1,000 fine for misrepresentation for decedents dying on or after September 1, 2017); keep estate funds separate, collect claims with ordinary diligence, allow or reject presented claims; the court will not ratify the independent administrator's actions; close by distributing after debts and taxes are paid on the attorney's advice.
The court's instructions to an independent executor: qualify by oath (and any bond required by the will or court) within 20 days; order letters testamentary; publish notice to creditors within 30 days and mail certified notice to secured creditors within two months, filing proof; give statutory notice to beneficiaries within 60 days of probate and file the affidavit or certificate within 90 days; file an inventory, appraisement and list of claims or an affidavit in lieu of inventory within 90 days ($1,000 fine for misrepresentation); keep estate funds separate; collect and handle claims; the court will not ratify the executor's actions; close by distributing under the will after debts and taxes are paid, on the attorney's advice.
Fifteen court-ordered duties a dependent administrator or executor swears to before appointment: consult the attorney, notify the court of address changes, file oath and bond within 20 days, publish creditor notice within 30 days and mail secured creditors within two months, notify will beneficiaries within 60 days, file the inventory within 90 days, file annual accounts within 60 days after each anniversary of qualification, keep estate business separate, hold funds in insured estate accounts with excess in interest-bearing accounts, obtain court orders before expenditures and before selling or disposing of non-cash assets, keep records, preserve and insure assets, file a final account and close within three years, and get court permission to move or be absent from Texas more than three months; the applicant swears to the instructions before a notary and the attorney certifies having discussed the responsibilities.
The court's guide, which counsel must give the client under the muniment checklist: muniment of title (Estates Code Chapter 257) suits testate estates with no debts other than real-estate liens and no Medicaid claim; the process (application, ten-day posting, hearing with a witness signing a proof of death and oath of no debts, order, certified copies filed with the county clerk for real property); unless waived, the applicant's sworn affidavit of fulfilled and unfulfilled terms must be filed before the 181st day after the will is admitted (§ 257.103); Medicaid benefits received on or after March 1, 2005 require proof the estate is not subject to a MERP claim; the applicant acknowledges receipt of the instructions.
A pro se may not represent others: applicants for letters testamentary, letters of administration, determinations of heirship and guardianships of the person or estate must be represented by a licensed attorney (In re Guetersloh; Steele v. McDonald); a non-lawyer may serve as executor, administrator or guardian only through counsel because a fiduciary represents beneficiaries and creditors; drafting pleadings as a fiduciary without a license is the unauthorized practice of law; the heirs together may file a small estate affidavit in the limited situations where one is appropriate (see the court's Small Estate Affidavit Checklist).
No judge-scoped deadlines on this tab. Deadlines are extracted only when the source rule text states them — we never infer or calculate dates the rule does not explicitly contain. 9 rule deadlines apply in this courtroom across all layers — assembled with citations in the Full Premium Report.
Timing shown here is quoted from the rule text. Compute your actual date against the court's calendar and the rule itself — not legal advice.
No verified ruling summary yet. BenchPath generates ruling summaries from opinion and docket corpora (CourtListener where covered) and publishes them only after human review — fabricated judicial analytics are exactly what this platform refuses to ship.
The attributed-opinion corpus covers Florida's and California's appellate decisions today; a Texas opinion corpus is a separate build. Absence here is a coverage statement, never evidence about this judge.
Use the live case-law search below to see what exists for this judge today.
Answer three quick questions. The platform pulls Veronica Leal Vasquez's full public case-law record from the source, newest first — your matter never narrows the pull; it directs the relevance ranking and the dual-AI analysis. Every hit comes back Bluebook-cited with the opinion's own words quoted verbatim. The scan takes the time precision takes.
Case-law search
CourtListener · free connector · liveCoverage note: CourtListener is strongest for federal courts and state appellate courts. Texas trial-court opinions are essentially absent from the source — an absence of results is a coverage gap, not evidence about this judge.
last checked October 24, 2026
last checked October 8, 2026
Research connectors
CourtListener
● liveFree Law Project
Free. Opinions, dockets, RECAP, judge metadata. Powering the case-law search on this page.
Westlaw
○ bring your licenseThomson Reuters
Bring your firm's license — enterprise connector queries your judge and related cases inside Westlaw. Phase 2.
LexisNexis
○ bring your licenseRELX
Bring your firm's license — enterprise connector for Lexis+ research tied to your matter. Phase 2.
BenchPath never scrapes licensed databases. Westlaw and LexisNexis connect only through your firm's own credentials and entitlements when the enterprise connectors ship.
No source changes detected for this judge yet — when the underlying court pages move, it shows up here first.